Salary

All state employees earn a base salary which is the salary range associated with their job classification. Employees may be eligible to receive higher pay through one or more of the following actions:

• Legislative approved general wage adjustment or other allocation of funds intended for salary adjustments.
• Progression step increase up to the range maximum.
• Promotions.
• Job re-evaluation leading to a higher pay range.
• Reallocation to a higher level of work within the same job category.

Other Pay Types

Some employees earn additional pay above their base pay. These pay practices include:

• Assignment Pay
• Call-back Pay
• Exchange Time
• Overtime Eligibility
• Shift Premium Pay
• Standby Pay

Agencies and higher education institutions can request Performance Management Confirmation approval to use one or more of the performance-based tools.

Please Note: Rules and practices may vary between represented and non-represented employees. Check the applicable Collective Bargaining Agreement, or talk to the agency’s or institution’s Human Resource staff.

Salary determination policy

General Government and Higher Education employer Salary Determination Policies must be approved by the OFM Assistant Director for State Human Resources.

State employers are responsible for determining their organization’s general pay philosophy. They must follow the state Compensation Plan and Washington Administrative Code (WAC 357-28-035) rules adopted by the OFM Assistant Director for State Human Resources.

State employer policies may provide flexibility in the administration of pay practices. They must describe how each rule will be applied in their Salary Determination Policy (SDP).