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Labor Planning Workflow begins Wednesday, March 11, 2026 for FY27 - refer to image below.
FY 27 Salary and Wage Guidelines
The Board of Trustees has approved the fiscal year 2026-2027 budget parameters. The approved increase in the salary pool for faculty and staff is 3.0%. Note that while there is no standard salary increase percentage, individuals with ‘Fully Successful’ performance should expect a salary increase of 2.0%.
FY 27 annual salary information must be submitted through RAPTOR - LABOR PLANNING. Please refer to the workflow dates above. These are very tight deadlines that need to be strictly adhered to.
Eligibility and Limits
Faculty and Staff employed before March 1, 2026 are eligible for the staff allocation pool, effective July 1, 2026. All allocations are based on performance, consequently, it is not guaranteed to any individual.
There is no minimum allocation for faculty and staff members. However, individual allocations must not exceed two (2) times the budgeted amount available to the department, 6.0% in this case.
Individuals hired on or after March 1, 2026 are not eligible for salary allocations, effective July 1, 2026. However, hiring salaries for vacant staff positions filled on or after March 1, 2026, should be adjusted to reflect FY 27 hiring range minimums.
There is no increase for Vacant positions.
You may NOT mix salary pool allocations between faculty, exempt or non-exempt. Each employee classification must receive their allocation from their respective pool.
Connecting Performance to Salary Allocation/Increase
Performance ratings given during the annual performance review process via PageUp generate crucial data for supervisors to use in making staff salary allocation decisions.
Performance ratings will appear in RAPTOR under Lehigh Reports - Salary Increase Pool Report.
In the case of staff members exhibiting performance problems whose overall appraisal rating was less than fully satisfactory, no salary allocation should be provided and a Performance Improvement Plan should be established. Contact Human Resources for assistance in these cases.
All faculty salary allocations must be made based on performance, judged on excellence and productivity in research and teaching, with consideration given to university leadership and service. The principal responsibility for determining the salary pool allocation in each college is assigned to the Dean of that college, assuming the close involvement of the department chairs and subject to the overall approval of the Provost. Department chairs will need to consult with their Deans on the specific process to be used in their college.
RA/GA/TA Stipend Increases
RA/GA/TA stipends vary by college and department. Chairs should consult with their deans. The stipend for all existing RA/GA/TA's should be increased by 3.0%.
The minimum stipend for RA/GA/TA will increase from $2,310/month to $2,380/month, and the minimum RA/GA/TA hourly rate will increase from $17.30/hour to $17.80/hour (Athletic GA and Greek Life GA are excluded).
No increase has been authorized for Post Doc or wage budgets.
Employee Benefit Rate
The employee benefit rate to be charged to non-research index (Banner index) ledgers 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 9 is 39.9% of all applicable salary codes and 7.9% of wage codes.
Research rates determination, including Health Insurance Subsidy Rates, are not expected until June. Please check with the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs for the appropriate rates.