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Compensation

Explore how we ensure fair and competitive pay practices

Northwestern strives to offer equitable compensation, reward high performance and provide competitive pay to employees. 

Our Compensation Philosophy

The following principles guide the decisions of Northwestern University’s compensation program design and administration: 

  • Support the mission of the University 
  • Offer competitive pay based on the most current, relevant and accurate market data  
  • Provide equitable compensation across the University 
  • Be transparent with pay practices
  • Reward high performance and contributions  

Learn more about Compensation Services

Understanding Pay

Northwestern applies an objective approach to compensation that is flexible to changing market conditions and evolving talent needs.

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Pay Determination Basics

Compensation is based on a number of factors, including a position's classification, market conditions and internal equity.
Learn How Pay is Determined
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Job Families

Northwestern categorizes similar roles within a functional area, such as research, administration, finance, etc, into job families. These provide hierarchies and paths for progressing in your field.

See the Career Development Framework

Salary Changes

The Compensation team plays a key role in the administration of pay adjustments.