Faculty Salary Progress Report
Objectives
- Compare the University of New Mexico, Albuquerque central campus, continuing faculty compensation rates to average faculty salaries by rank at other public research universities.
- Measure progress towards the goal of improving faculty salaries relative to other public research universities from Academic Year (AY) 2022-2023 to 2023-2024 and to AY 2024-2025
Note: In this report, we use Albuquerque central campus faculty to refer to faculty whose primary appointments are in Albuquerque-based academic units, thereby excluding the health sciences colleges/schools and branch campuses (Valencia County, Taos, Los Alamos, and Gallup).
Progress Reports
Population Studied
The UNM faculty population studied included all Albuquerque central campus tenured, tenure-track and lecturer faculty (all ranks) with an active appointment as of September 2022 and September 2023 and September 2023 to October 2024, excluding those with primary appointments in the health science schools/colleges. The population also excludes current faculty executives (Provosts, Vice Presidents, Deans), faculty administrators with an administrative base salary (e.g., Assistant Vice President, Director, Associate Provosts), and professors of practice, as there were no comparable titles in the dataset for professors of practice.
UNM Albuquerque Central Campus Faculty Distribution
September 2023
- Tenure/Tenure-Track Faculty n = 743
- Professors* = 308
- Associate Professors = 261
- Assistant Professors = 174
- Lecturers n = 151
- Excluded Faculty n = 34
October 2024
- Tenure/Tenure-Track Faculty n = 730
- Professors* = 321
- Associate Professors = 231
- Assistant Professors = 178
- Lecturers n = 149
- Excluded Faculty n = 37
*Includes Distinguished Professors
Academic Discipline Identification
Each faculty member’s academic discipline was identified via the U.S. Department of Education Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) code assigned to their position number in UNM’s Human Resources Information System, Banner. CIP code assignment was initially made during the compensation study conducted by the Office of Academic Affairs in 2016. For faculty hired after the 2016 study, the CIP code assignments were made by the department via the hiring action submitted through UNM’s applicant tracking system, UNMJobs.
Comparison Group
Oklahoma State University Faculty Salary Survey by Discipline
First published in 1974, the Faculty Salary Survey by Discipline is a project directed by Oklahoma State University’s (OSU) Office of Institutional Research and Analytics to produce a national sample of average faculty salaries by discipline that higher education administrators and government officials use for salary budget decisions.
In the 2022-2023 and 2024-2025 OSU Faculty Salary Surveys, 103 institutions participated and included many universities belonging to the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities (APLU). The OSU faculty salary survey has consistent participation from Carnegie Classification Very High Research Activity-R1 institutions with 79 of 82 R1 institutions participating for the past three years.
Additionally, OSU reports data for lecturers, categorized as “Other Faculty” in the data in the same categories given above.
The OSU survey provides data from R1 institutions that consistently participate in the survey, includes lecturer salary data, reports salary information by academic discipline (CIP code), and consists of data by geographic regions, and geographic regions by Carnegie Classification. For these reasons, the OSU dataset is used to compare UNM Albuquerque central campus faculty salaries. The OSU R1 data provided average salary for all but 5 UNM utilized CIP codes.
The following comparison groups were selected for use with the UNM faculty salary study:
- 2021 - 2022 OSU R1 Institutions
- 2022 - 2023 OSU R1 Institutions
- 2023 - 2024 OSU R1 Institutions
Library Faculty
Neither the OSU faculty salary surveys include library faculty in their survey population. For library faculty in the College of University Libraries and Learning Sciences (CULLS), the salary survey produced by the Association for Research Libraries (ARL) was utilized as the comparison group. The OSU dataset was used for the School of Law library faculty with the comparison to law faculty by rank using CIP Code 22.01.
The following comparison groups were selected for CULLS library faculty:
- 2024 ARL salary survey
- 2023 ARL salary survey
- 2021 ARL salary survey
Methodology
Faculty Salary Data
Faculty salary data was collected on the following dates:
- September 18, 2022
- September 25, 2023
- October 28, 2024
Calculate UNM faculty (ABQ central campus) 9-Month Base Salary
The faculty salary survey reports full-time, academic year salaries.
- For 9-month faculty with an Academic Year (AY) appointment percent (FTE) below 100%, the UNM HRIS system, Banner, reports the pro-rated annual salary based on the faculty member’s appointment percent (FTE). The full-time equivalent (base salary) was calculated.
- For fiscal year faculty (12-month), the 9-month base salary equivalent was calculated using the conversion formula prescribed by Faculty Handbook Policy C50. A twelve-month salary figure is converted to a nine-month salary by multiplying the twelve-month figure by 9/11.
CIP Code Adjustments
CIP Code Updates: Five UNM utilized CIP codes did not correspond to an average salary in the OSU R1 data set. For those CIP codes, the UNM faculty members’ CIP code assignment was updated to the “general” 4-digit CIP code within the discipline. For example, CIP code 13.02: Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education was adjusted to CIP code 13.01: Education General.
Below are the five UNM utilized CIP codes and the corresponding adjustments:
UNM Assigned CIP Code | Adjusted CIP Code |
| 4.09: Architectural Technology/Technician | 4.02: Architecture |
| 13.02: Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural | 13.01: Education, General |
| 30.05: Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution. | 30.00: Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, General |
| 30.08: Mathematics and Computer Science. | 30.00: Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, General |
| 30.33: Sustainability Studies. | 30.00: Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, General |
Salary Comparison
- For each CIP code, the average salary by rank was identified from the OSU survey data.
- For September 2022 salaries, the average salary by rank was identified from the 2021-2022 OSU R1 data.
- For September 2023 salaries, the average salary by rank was identified from the 2022-2023 OSU R1 data.
- For October 2024 salaries, the average salary by rank was identified from the 2023-2024 OSU R1 data.
- The following information is presented in the salary comparison table:
- # Faculty: Faculty count
- FTE AY Salary: Total full-time equivalent Academic Year (AY) salary for all faculty within the grouping given in the table (e.g. for a unit, for a unit by rank, etc.).
- OSU R1 Estimated Salary: Total average salary from OSU comparison date by CIP code and rank for faculty within the grouping presented in the table (e.g. for a unit, for a unit by rank, etc.).
- Salary Spend Delta: Using OSU comparison data, this is the expected salary spend for a group of UNM faculty (e.g. for a unit, for a unit by rank, etc.). This is the difference between the "FTE AY Salary" and the "OSU R1 Estimated Salary."
Note: Distinguished Professors are compared to Professors for an OSU salary comparison.
CULLS Librarians
For CULLS librarians, the Association of Research Libraries (ARL) salary survey was used as the comparison group. The ARL salary survey does not include data by faculty rank, CULLS applied the following methodology to determine the applicable average salary by rank:
- Subtracted ARL mean years of experience from actual years of post-degree experience.
- Conducted a linear regression on years of service to predict incremental salary per years of service.
- Calculated the predicted salary based on the difference in years of service.
- Determined the average salary by rank by adding the current UNM raises for promotions to predicted salary.
For Academic Year 2022 - 2023 salary comparison, the average salary by rank was identified from the 2020 ARL data.
For Academic Year 2023 - 2024, the average salary by rank was identified from the 2021 ARL data.
For Academic Year 2024-2025, the average salary by rank was identified from the 2022 ARL data.
The “Salary Spend Delta” was calculated using ARL comparison data adjusted by expected salary spend by rank. This is the difference between the “FTE FY Salary” and the “ARL Estimated Salary.”
January 1, 2025
The UNM Branch Campus Faculty Salary Progress Report’s objectives are to:
- compare the four University of New Mexico Branch Campus (Valencia County, Taos, Los Alamos, Gallup) continuing faculty compensation rates to the average compensation rates for faculty by rank at other comparable public two-year institutions, and
- measure progress towards the goal of improving faculty salaries relative to other public two-year institutions from Academic Year (AY) 2022-23 to AY 2023-24.
Progress Report
Population Studied
The UNM faculty population studied included Branch Campus (Gallup, Taos, Valencia, Los Alamos) tenured, tenure-track and lecturer faculty (all ranks) with an active appointment as of October 2024. The population excluded current faculty executives (Chancellors, Deans, Associate Deans, Directors)and other faculty administrators (e.g., department/division chairs) with an administrative base salary.
UNM Branch Campus Faculty Distribution
- Tenure/Tenure-Track Faculty n = 50
- Professors = 7
- Associate Professors = 16
- Assistant Professors = 27
- Lecturers n = 56
- Excluded Faculty n = 22
UNM does not track academic discipline for branch campus faculty and all branch campus faculty fall under the same org level 3. Departments within branch campuses are not identified for data purposes. All branch campus faculty were reviewed based on the campus they are assigned to rather than by department.
Comparison Group
IPEDS is the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System. It is a system of interrelated surveys conducted annually by the U.S. Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). IPEDS gathers information from every college, university, and technical and vocational institution that participates in the federal student financial aid programs. The Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended, requires institutions that participate in federal student aid programs to report these standardized data on enrollments, program completions, graduation rates, faculty and staff, finances, institutional prices, and student financial aid. These data are made available to students and parents through the College Navigator college search Web site and to researchers and others through the IPEDS Data Center.
When comparing faculty salaries at two-year institutions, the IPEDS Data Center offers a more comprehensive and reliable resource. IPEDS provides detailed and standardized salary data for two-year colleges, along with a broad array of institutional characteristics such as enrollment figures, financial aid data, faculty demographics, and institutional performance metrics. This allows for a more nuanced and contextually informed comparison of faculty compensation across institutions. The breadth and depth of IPEDS data, along with its consistent methodology, make it an ideal tool for conducting thorough and accurate comparisons of faculty salaries at two-year institutions, while accounting for a range of relevant institutional factors.
Not all two-year institutions have faculty ranks such as Professors, Associate Professors and Assistant Professor. The following two-year institutions were selected because they include all three ranks.
University Name | State |
| University Name | State |
New Mexico Military Institute | NM |
| Northeast Lakeview College | TX |
New Mexico State University-Alamogordo | NM |
| Northeast Texas Community College | TX |
New Mexico State University-Dona Ana | NM |
| Northeastern Junior College | CO |
New Mexico State University-Grants | NM |
| Northwest Vista College | TX |
San Juan College | NM |
| Palo Alto College | TX |
Santa Fe Community College | NM |
| Ranger College | TX |
Southeast New Mexico College | NM |
| South Plains College | TX |
Amarillo College | TX |
| Southwest Texas Junior College | TX |
Coastal Bend College | TX |
| St Philip's College | TX |
El Paso Community College | TX |
| Tarrant County College District | TX |
Frank Phillips College | TX |
| Temple College | TX |
Howard College | TX |
| Texarkana College | TX |
Lamar State College-Orange | TX |
| Victoria College | TX |
Lamar State College-Port Arthur | TX |
| Western Texas College | TX |
McLennan Community College | TX |
|
|
|
Not all two-year institutions have Lecturer titles. IPEDS does not break down Lecturer data into specific ranks of lecturers (I,II,III, Senior, Principal). For these reasons, the Lecturer ranks have been combined into a Lecturer category which encompasses all UNM Lecturer ranks. The two-year institutions selected for the Lecturer sample are as follows:
University Name | State |
Coastal Bend College | TX |
El Paso Community College | TX |
Lamar State College-Orange | TX |
Remington College-Fort Worth Campus | TX |
Remington College-North Houston Campus | TX |
Methodology
Branch Campus Faculty Salary Data
The Branch Campus Faculty salary data used for this analysis was pulled from the UNM Banner system on October 28, 2024.
Calculate Branch Campus faculty 9-Month Base Salary
The faculty salary survey reports full-time, academic year salaries.
- For faculty with a 9-month academic year (AY) appointment with an appointment percent (FTE) below 100%, the UNM HRIS system, Banner, reports the pro-rated annual salary based on the faculty member’s appointment percent (FTE). The full-time equivalent (base salary) was calculated.
- For faculty with a fiscal year faculty (12-month), the 9-month base salary equivalent was calculated using the conversion formula prescribed by Faculty Handbook Policy C50. A twelve-month salary figure is converted to a nine-month salary by multiplying the twelve-month figure by 9/11.
Salary Comparison
- For each Job Title, the average salary by rank was identified from the IPEDS data.
- For October 2024 salaries, the average salary by rank was identified from the 2022 IPEDS data. The most recent IPEDS data is dated 2022.
- The following information is presented in the salary comparison table:
- # Faculty: Faculty count as of October 28, 2024.
- FTE AY Salary: Total full-time equivalent Academic Year (AY) salary for all faculty within the grouping (e.g., for a unit, for a unit by rank, etc.).
- IPEDS Estimated Salary: Total average salary from IPEDS comparison date by Job Title and rank for faculty within the grouping presented in the table (e.g., for a unit, for a unit by rank, etc.).
- Salary Spend Delta: Using IPEDS comparison data, this is the expected salary spend for a group of UNM faculty (e.g. for a unit, for a unit by rank, etc.). This is the difference between the "FTE AY Salary" and the "IPEDS Estimated Salary."
