The Ultimate Guide to University of North Carolina System...

Are you considering a career that combines intellectual challenge, public service, and the stability of a renowned institution? For many, the prospect of working within the University of North Carolina (UNC) System represents a pinnacle of professional achievement. As one of the nation's premier public university systems and North Carolina's third-largest employer, it offers a vast and diverse landscape of opportunities. But beyond the prestige and purpose, a critical question remains: What can you expect to earn?

Navigating the compensation structures of a massive public entity can seem daunting. Salaries are not just numbers on a page; they are a reflection of your skills, experience, and the value the institution places on your role in its educational mission. Depending on your position—be it a tenured professor at UNC-Chapel Hill, an IT specialist at NC State, or an admissions counselor at Appalachian State University—your salary can range from approximately $31,200 for entry-level staff positions to well over $1,000,000 for top-tier administrators, medical school faculty, or legendary athletic coaches. The majority of professional roles, however, fall within a robust range of $50,000 to $150,000, supplemented by one of the most comprehensive benefits packages in the state.

I once spoke with a mid-career administrator who had recently transitioned from a fast-paced corporate job to a role at a UNC System campus. She told me, "In my old job, my work helped a company sell more widgets. Here, my work helps a first-generation student get a degree that will change their family's entire trajectory. You can't put a price on that, but the fact that the salary is competitive and the benefits are solid makes it a truly sustainable career." Her story perfectly encapsulates the unique value proposition of the UNC System: a career that pays the bills while paying dividends in societal impact.

This guide is designed to be your definitive resource for understanding UNC System salaries. We will demystify the public salary data, break down the key factors that influence your earning potential, and provide a clear roadmap for launching or advancing your career within this esteemed institution.

### Table of Contents

[Understanding Roles and Careers within the UNC System](#understanding-roles-and-careers-within-the-unc-system)
[UNC System Salaries: A Deep Dive into Compensation](#unc-system-salaries-a-deep-dive-into-compensation)
[Key Factors That Influence Your UNC System Salary](#key-factors-that-influence-your-unc-system-salary)
[Job Outlook and Career Growth in the UNC System](#job-outlook-and-career-growth-in-the-unc-system)
[How to Get Hired by the UNC System](#how-to-get-hired-by-the-unc-system)
[Conclusion: Is a Career in the UNC System Right for You?](#conclusion-is-a-career-in-the-unc-system-right-for-you)

Understanding Roles and Careers within the UNC System

Before diving into salary specifics, it's crucial to grasp the sheer scale and diversity of the UNC System. It's not a single entity but a constellation of 17 unique constituent institutions, including 16 universities and the NC School of Science and Mathematics. This system employs over 50,000 people across North Carolina, from the mountains to the coast. These are not just academic jobs; the UNC System is a collection of miniature cities, each requiring a full spectrum of professional talent to function.

The roles within the system are broadly categorized into two main classifications, which fundamentally impact employment policies, benefits, and salary structures:

1. EHRA (Exempt from the State Human Resources Act): This category includes most faculty and high-level administrators and researchers (often referred to as "EHRA Non-Faculty"). These positions are governed by the policies of the UNC Board of Governors. Their roles are typically focused on teaching, research, and executive-level administration.

2. SHRA (Subject to the State Human Resources Act): This category includes the majority of staff positions across all departments, such as IT professionals, administrative assistants, accountants, groundskeepers, and lab technicians. These roles are governed by the North Carolina Office of State Human Resources (OSHR) and utilize a career-banding system for pay.

Within these classifications, the jobs span numerous professional fields:

Faculty & Academic Affairs: The heart of the university's mission. This includes Professors (Assistant, Associate, Full), Lecturers, Instructors, Academic Advisors, and Librarians. Their work revolves around teaching, mentoring students, conducting research, and publishing scholarly work.
Administration & Professional Staff: The operational engine of the university. This massive category includes roles in Finance, Human Resources, Information Technology, Student Affairs, Admissions, Financial Aid, Communications and Marketing, and Facilities Management.
Executive Leadership: Responsible for strategic direction and institutional oversight. This includes Chancellors, Provosts, Deans, Vice Chancellors, and other senior administrators who guide the university's mission and budget.
Research Professionals: Critical staff who support the university's research enterprise. This includes Lab Managers, Research Technicians, Grant Administrators, and Clinical Research Coordinators, particularly prominent at research-intensive campuses like UNC-Chapel Hill and NC State University.
Healthcare (UNC Health): While UNC Health operates as a distinct entity, its deep integration with the UNC School of Medicine at Chapel Hill means many physicians, nurses, and healthcare administrators are also UNC System employees, with their own specialized pay scales.

### A "Day in the Life" within the UNC System

To make this tangible, consider the different experiences of three hypothetical employees:

The Assistant Professor of Biology at UNC Wilmington: Her day starts early, preparing a lecture on marine ecology for her 9:30 a.m. undergraduate class. After teaching, she holds office hours, helping students grasp complex concepts. The afternoon is dedicated to her research lab, where she oversees a graduate student's experiment on coastal erosion impacts, followed by two hours of grant writing to secure funding for her next project. Her day ends by responding to emails and preparing for the next day's departmental meeting.

The IT Support Specialist at NC State University: His day begins by checking the help desk ticket queue. The first call is from a professor whose classroom projector isn't working. He walks across campus to fix it, ensuring the class can proceed. Later, he remotely assists a staff member in the finance department with a software installation. In the afternoon, he helps deploy new security patches to 50 computers in a student lab and documents his work, closing out half a dozen tickets before his shift ends.

The Director of Development at UNC Asheville: Her day is a mix of internal strategy and external relations. She spends the morning in a planning meeting with her team to map out the annual fundraising campaign. After lunch with a potential major donor, she spends the afternoon drafting a proposal for a new scholarship fund and making calls to thank recent contributors. Her evening involves attending a campus event to network with alumni and friends of the university, cultivating the relationships that are vital for institutional growth.

These snapshots illustrate just a fraction of the thousands of roles that contribute to the UNC System's mission. Each path requires a different skill set, offers a unique daily experience, and, consequently, follows a different salary trajectory.

UNC System Salaries: A Deep Dive into Compensation

One of the most significant advantages of researching salaries at a public institution is transparency. As a state entity, the UNC System's salary information is a matter of public record. The State of North Carolina maintains a public database of all state employee salaries, which is the most authoritative source for this information. Reputable news organizations like *The News & Observer* in Raleigh often provide user-friendly, searchable versions of this database. While we will cite aggregated data from sources like Salary.com and Glassdoor for context, the primary figures in this guide are rooted in this official public data.

It is impossible to state a single "average salary" for the UNC System due to the vast range of jobs. An entry-level administrative assistant and a world-renowned neurosurgeon are both on the payroll. Therefore, it's more instructive to look at salary ranges within specific job categories.

### General Salary Brackets by Job Classification

The UNC System's workforce is primarily divided into SHRA (staff) and EHRA (faculty and senior administrators). These classifications have fundamentally different pay structures.

SHRA (Staff) Positions: These roles are compensated based on a "career banding" system managed by the state. Each job is assigned to a band with a minimum and maximum salary range. An employee's specific salary within that band is determined by their skills, experience, and job responsibilities relative to the market rate for that type of work.
Entry-Level/Support Staff (e.g., Administrative Support Associate, Housekeeping): Typically $31,200 - $45,000
Mid-Level Professional Staff (e.g., Accountant I, IT Analyst, HR Specialist): Typically $50,000 - $85,000
Senior/Management Staff (e.g., IT Manager, Finance Director, Facilities Manager): Typically $85,000 - $150,000+

EHRA (Faculty & Non-Faculty) Positions: These salaries are not governed by the state's banding system and tend to have a much wider range. They are determined by market rates for the specific academic discipline, institutional prestige, research productivity, and administrative responsibility.
Lecturers/Instructors: Often start in the $50,000 - $70,000 range.
Assistant Professors (Tenure-Track): Typically $70,000 - $110,000, highly dependent on field.
Associate Professors (Tenured): Typically $90,000 - $150,000, dependent on field.
Full Professors: Typically $120,000 - $250,000+, with top professors in high-demand fields (like business, engineering, and medicine) earning significantly more.
EHRA Non-Faculty (e.g., Directors, Deans, Provosts): $150,000 - $500,000+
Chancellors & Top Executives: $400,000 - $1,000,000+

Example Salary Ranges for Common UNC System Roles

| :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- |

| Director (EHRA Non-Faculty) | N/A | $90,000 - $130,000 | $130,000 - $180,000+ | UNC System Public Data |

*Note: These are illustrative ranges. Actual salaries vary significantly by campus, department, and individual qualifications. Data is synthesized from the NC State Employee Database, state HR guidelines, and professional association reports.*

### Beyond the Paycheck: Total Compensation

A discussion about UNC System salaries is incomplete without emphasizing the total compensation package. For SHRA and many EHRA employees, the value of state-provided benefits can add an estimated 30-40% to their base salary.

Health Insurance: Employees have access to the comprehensive North Carolina State Health Plan. The state typically covers the vast majority of the premium cost for the employee, a benefit far more generous than that of many private-sector employers.
Retirement Benefits: This is a cornerstone of public employment in North Carolina.
Mandatory Pension (TSERS): Most SHRA employees are enrolled in the Teachers' and State Employees' Retirement System (TSERS), a defined-benefit pension plan that provides a guaranteed income stream upon retirement. Both the employee and the state contribute.
Mandatory Retirement Program (ORP): Most EHRA employees have a choice between TSERS and the Optional Retirement Program (ORP), a defined-contribution plan similar to a 401(k), where the state makes a significant contribution (currently 6.84% of salary) to the employee's retirement account.
Paid Leave: The system offers generous leave policies, including vacation time (accruing based on years of service), sick leave, paid holidays, and community service leave.
Tuition & Professional Development: A standout perk is the ability for employees to take courses at a significant discount or for free. The UNC System's tuition waiver program allows eligible employees to take up to three courses per academic year at any of the 16 universities, tuition-free.

When comparing a UNC System job offer to a private-sector one, it is absolutely essential to factor in the monetary value of these benefits. A slightly lower base salary may be more than offset by superior health coverage, a pension, and educational benefits.

Key Factors That Influence Your UNC System Salary

Your salary within the UNC System is not a single, fixed number. It is a dynamic figure influenced by a combination of your personal qualifications, the specific nature of your role, and the characteristics of the institution that employs you. Understanding these factors is key to negotiating your starting salary and maximizing your earning potential throughout your career.

###

Level of Education

In an academic institution, education is a primary determinant of both eligibility and pay. The impact varies significantly depending on the role.

For Faculty: A terminal degree (usually a Ph.D. or equivalent) is a non-negotiable prerequisite for most tenure-track faculty positions. A professor's salary is directly tied to this qualification. In some professional fields like law (J.D.) or fine arts (M.F.A.), a master's or professional doctorate serves as the terminal degree.
For EHRA Non-Faculty: Administrative and professional roles often have educational requirements that scale with responsibility. An Academic Advisor position might require a Master's degree in counseling or higher education administration, while a Director-level role would almost certainly require a Master's and often prefer a doctorate (Ed.D. or Ph.D.). Holding an advanced degree can place you at a higher starting salary within the pay band.
For SHRA Staff: While many roles require a Bachelor's degree (e.g., accountants, analysts), an advanced degree can be a significant advantage. For example, an IT professional with a Master's in Cybersecurity will command a much higher salary than one with only a Bachelor's. Specific, job-related certifications (e.g., PMP for project managers, CPA for accountants, SHRM-CP for HR professionals) are also highly valued and can directly translate to higher pay within the state's career banding system by demonstrating advanced competencies.

###

Years of Experience

Experience is a universal factor in compensation, and the UNC System is no exception. The salary growth trajectory is methodical and well-defined, especially for SHRA staff.

SHRA Career Banding: The state's system is designed to reward growth in competency. When you are hired, your initial salary is set based on your experience relative to the "market rate" for that role. As you gain experience and demonstrate new skills, you can receive salary increases within your band. Promotions to a higher-level job (e.g., from an Accountant I to an Accountant II) move you into a new, higher-paying band. A new SHRA employee might start at the lower end of the band, while a seasoned professional with 15 years of relevant experience could be hired at the higher end.
EHRA Faculty Progression: The faculty career path is marked by clear milestones. An Assistant Professor is on the tenure track. Upon successfully earning tenure after 5-7 years, they are promoted to Associate Professor, which comes with a significant salary increase. Further promotion to Full Professor, based on a long and distinguished record of teaching, research, and service, brings another substantial pay bump. For example, based on public data, an Associate Professor of History at UNC-Chapel Hill might earn around $105,000, while a Full Professor in the same department could earn $150,000 or more.
EHRA Non-Faculty: For administrators and professionals, salary growth comes from a combination of annual merit increases (when budgets allow) and, more significantly, promotions to roles with greater scope and responsibility. An entry-level Program Coordinator might earn $50,000, but after several years of excellent performance, they could be promoted to an Assistant Director role earning $75,000.

###

Geographic Location (Campus and Cost of Living)

The UNC System's 17 institutions are spread across the entire state, from major metropolitan areas to rural communities. This geographic diversity has a direct impact on salary, primarily to account for vast differences in the cost of living.

High-Cost Areas: Campuses in or near major research hubs and metropolitan centers, such as UNC-Chapel Hill, NC State University (Raleigh), and UNC Charlotte, generally have higher salary scales. The cost of housing, transportation, and daily life in the Research Triangle and Charlotte is significantly higher than in other parts of the state. To attract and retain talent, these institutions must offer more competitive compensation. For example, an administrative role at NC State might pay 10-15% more than the identical role at a campus in a more rural setting.
Mid-Cost Areas: Institutions like UNC Wilmington, Appalachian State University (Boone), and UNC Asheville are in popular, growing cities but have a more moderate cost of living than the major metros. Their salary scales often fall in a middle tier.
Lower-Cost Areas: Campuses in more rural or economically challenged regions, such as UNC Pembroke, Elizabeth City State University, and Fayetteville State University, typically have the lowest salary scales within the system. While the salaries are lower in absolute terms, the significantly lower cost of living in these areas can mean that the employee's purchasing power is comparable to that of their higher-paid colleagues in more expensive cities. The state's official salary bands for SHRA positions have geographic-based market reference rates to account for these differences.

###

Campus & Institution Type

Beyond just geography, the mission and resources of the specific campus play a monumental role in determining salary levels.

Flagship Research Universities (R1): UNC-Chapel Hill and NC State University are classified as "R1: Doctoral Universities – Very high research activity." They have the largest endowments, receive hundreds of millions in external research funding, and compete for global talent. Consequently, they offer the highest salaries, particularly for faculty and researchers in funded fields. The presence of a medical school (UNC-Chapel Hill) and a top-tier engineering school (NC State) creates pockets of extremely high compensation.
Regional Comprehensive Universities: Institutions like East Carolina University, UNC Greensboro, UNC Charlotte, and Appalachian State University have a dual focus on teaching and research. Their salaries are competitive but generally a step below the R1 flagships. They might be the top-paying employer in their specific region.
HBCUs (Historically Black Colleges and Universities): The UNC System includes five distinguished HBCUs: North Carolina A&T State University, North Carolina Central University, Fayetteville State University, Winston-Salem State University, and Elizabeth City State University. NC A&T, as an R2 research university and the nation's largest HBCU, has salary scales competitive with other large regional universities. Salaries at the other four institutions are often reflective of their regional location and state funding allocations.
Specialized Institutions: A school like the UNC School of the Arts (UNCSA) has a unique salary structure. A world-class violin instructor or a successful filmmaker on faculty will have their salary determined by a completely different market than a chemistry professor.

###

Area of Specialization

This is arguably the most dramatic factor influencing faculty salaries and has a significant impact on staff pay as well. The principle of supply and demand is in full effect.

Faculty Disciplines: A stark compensation divide exists between different academic fields.
High-Paying Fields: Business, Finance, Accounting, Computer Science, Engineering, and Medicine. These fields have a lucrative private-sector market competing for the same talent. To hire a top finance professor, the university must compete with salaries at investment banks. It is not uncommon for a Full Professor in the Kenan-Flagler Business School at UNC-Chapel Hill to earn $300,000 - $400,000 or more, based on public records.
Mid-Range Fields: Natural Sciences, Health Sciences, Law, and some Social Sciences (e.g., Economics). These fields have strong, but less stratospheric, non-academic career options.
Lower-Paying Fields: Humanities (English, History, Philosophy), Fine Arts, and Education. These fields have fewer high-paying private-sector alternatives, resulting in lower market rates. An Assistant Professor of English might start at $70,000, while an Assistant Professor of Computer Science at the same university could start at $120,000.

Staff Specializations: The same logic applies to SHRA and EHRA non-faculty roles. A Cybersecurity Analyst with specialized certifications will earn far more than a general Help Desk Technician. A Grants Administrator who manages complex, multi-million dollar federal grants will be in a higher pay band than a departmental Budget Assistant. A Data Scientist in institutional research will command a premium salary compared to an administrative role requiring more general skills.

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In-Demand Skills

Across all roles, certain cross-functional skills can significantly boost your value and, therefore, your salary.

Grant Writing and Fundraising: The ability to bring in external money is gold in higher education. Faculty who secure major research grants and development officers who cultivate major donors are among the most valuable employees.
Data Analysis and Business Intelligence: Universities are increasingly data-driven. Professionals who can analyze student success data, enrollment trends, or financial models are in high demand in roles from Institutional Research to the Budget Office.
Technology and Digital Fluency: Expertise in online learning platforms (e.g., Canvas), enterprise resource planning software (e.g., PeopleSoft), and specialized research software makes an employee more efficient and valuable.
Leadership and Project Management: For staff, the ability to lead teams, manage complex projects on time and on budget, and navigate institutional bureaucracy are key skills for advancing into higher-paying management roles. Certifications like the PMP (Project Management Professional) are highly regarded.

The Ultimate Guide to University of North Carolina System Salaries: Compensation, Careers, and Getting Hired

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