Ever tried to look up what your old professor makes? Or maybe you’re eyeing a job at the “U” and wondering if that $60,000 offer is actually a lowball. Honestly, digging through University of Minnesota salaries feels a bit like being a digital detective. Since it’s a public land-grant institution, almost every cent paid to every employee is technically public record. But "public" doesn't always mean "easy to find."
The reality of the UMN payroll is a wild mix of seven-figure coaching contracts and graduate assistants fighting for a living wage. You’ve got the high-profile names like P.J. Fleck making over $6 million, while a huge chunk of the staff is trying to figure out if a 3% merit increase will even cover their rising rent in Dinkytown or Northeast Minneapolis.
The Big Earners and the Coaching Gap
Let’s get the elephant out of the room first. If you look at the top of the University of Minnesota salaries list, it isn’t the Nobel-winning researchers or the heart surgeons. It’s the coaches.
Head football coach P.J. Fleck is easily the highest-paid employee, with a contract that pushed past $6 million recently. Then you have Ben Johnson (Men’s Basketball) and Dawn Plitzuweit (Women’s Basketball) pulling in seven figures too. People often get heated about this, but the University usually points out that athletic department money often comes from separate revenue streams like TV deals and ticket sales, not your tuition checks.
Still, it’s a massive gap.
While the coaches are in the millions, the new President, Rebecca Cunningham, started with a base salary of around $975,000 in 2024. Most of the senior leadership—the deans and vice presidents—sit comfortably in the $300,000 to $550,000 range. It’s a lot of money, sure. But when you compare it to CEO pay at a Twin Cities Fortune 500 company like Target or UnitedHealth, it’s actually a "discount" for running an organization with 20,000+ employees.
Faculty Salaries: The Mid-Tier Struggle
If you aren't coaching a Big Ten team, the numbers get a lot more "normal" very quickly.
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Faculty pay at UMN is a source of constant debate. According to reports from the Faculty Consultative Committee (FCC), UMN faculty salaries have actually been sliding when compared to other Big Ten schools. When you adjust for the cost of living in the Twin Cities, some rankings put Minnesota near the bottom of the conference.
Basically, a full professor might make $150,000 to $220,000, but an assistant professor—someone who has a PhD and years of experience but is just starting their tenure track—might be closer to $80,000 or $90,000.
- Full Professors: Usually $140k - $210k+
- Associate Professors: $95k - $130k
- Assistant Professors: $75k - $110k
- Lecturers/Instructors: $50k - $75k
These ranges vary wildly by department. If you’re teaching in the Carlson School of Management or the Medical School, you’re making way more than someone in the College of Liberal Arts (CLA). It’s just how the "market" works, even in academia. A finance professor can make $250,000 because they could go make that (or more) in the private sector. A philosophy professor? Not so much.
The New 2025 Pay Transparency Laws
Everything changed on January 1, 2025.
Minnesota passed a law requiring all employers with 30 or more employees to list a "good faith" salary range on every single job posting. This has been a game-changer for University of Minnesota salaries. Before this, you basically had to guess or wait until the third interview to find out the pay. Now, it’s right there in the job description.
The UMN Office of Human Resources (OHR) has been scrambling to update thousands of listings. If they offer a candidate a cent over the posted range, they actually have to repost the job to stay legal. This is great for you as an applicant because it kills the "hiding the ball" game. You know exactly what the budget is before you even polish your resume.
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Graduate Workers and the Union Win
For a long time, graduate assistants (the people who actually grade your papers and run the labs) were some of the lowest-paid people on campus. We’re talking $20,000 to $25,000 a year for what is essentially a full-time professional commitment.
That changed with the Graduate Labor Union (GLU-UE). After a long, tense negotiation that almost led to strikes, they secured a contract in early 2025.
The new floor for graduate assistant pay is moving toward $28.25 per hour by the third year of the contract. It’s a massive jump. The University fought it for a while, claiming it would add over $100 million in costs, but the union held firm. If you’re a grad student now, your "salary" is finally starting to look like a living wage, though most would argue it's still tight given Minneapolis inflation.
How to Find Any UMN Salary Yourself
Want to see the actual data? You don't need a secret password.
Because of the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act, this info is open. You can go to the UMN "Reporting Center" via the MyU portal if you're an employee. If you're a member of the public, you can literally just email the Data Access and Privacy (DAP) office.
There are also third-party sites like Open the Books or local news databases that scrape this data every year. Just keep in mind that these databases are often a year behind. If someone got a big raise in 2025, it might not show up until the 2026 report.
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The 2026 Outlook: Merit vs. Market
The University’s 2026 budget proposal included a 3% merit increase pool.
Here’s the catch: "merit" means it’s not guaranteed. Your boss decides if you get the full 3%, a partial 1.5%, or zero. There’s also a separate 1% "market adjustment" pool specifically designed to fix "salary equity" issues—basically to help people whose pay has fallen way behind what other colleges are paying for the same job.
It’s a tough spot. The U is asking the state legislature for tens of millions of dollars just to keep up with these raises. If the state says no, the money usually has to come from tuition hikes or cutting staff positions.
Actionable Steps for UMN Job Seekers or Staff
If you’re currently working at the U or trying to get in, don't just accept the first number you see.
- Check the Job Family: UMN uses "job families" (like Finance, IT, or Research). Each family has a specific salary range and "floor." Ask your recruiter which pay grade the role falls into.
- Use the Transparency Law: Look at similar postings from late 2025 or early 2026. If a similar role in another department is paying $10k more, use that as leverage.
- Account for the Fringe: UMN’s "total compensation" is often better than the base salary. The retirement match (usually 10% if you put in 5%) and the tuition benefits for your kids are worth thousands of dollars.
- Request Public Data: If you think you're being underpaid compared to your peers, you can literally request the salaries of people in your same job code. It’s public info. You don't have to be "rude" about it; it's just data.
The days of University of Minnesota salaries being a total mystery are basically over. Between the new state laws and the rise of unions on campus, the "U" is being forced to be a lot more honest about what it pays. Whether that pay is "fair" depends entirely on which building you work in and whether you're wearing a headset on a Saturday afternoon at Huntington Bank Stadium.
To move forward with your own research, start by browsing the "Job Family Salary Ranges" on the UMN Office of Human Resources website to see where your specific role sits within the university's official pay scale.