Governing Regulations
Salary differentials and educational incentives are governed by System Regulation 31.01.01 Compensation Administration.
Overview
The Texas A&M Forest Service is committed to providing excellence in service. To achieve this high purpose as well as agency strategic goals, the agency must attract and retain a well-qualified work force. Integral to the employment relationship is the competitiveness, equity and fairness of the compensation system. To this end, the agency provides the following new hire salary differential and employee educational incentive opportunities.
New Hire Salary Differential
3.1 A candidate selected for hire who has a forest technician certificate or has an associate’s, baccalaureate, master’s or doctoral degree may be compensated at a level above the base salary for the position if the certification or degree:
- exceeds the basic education requirements defined in the posted position description, and
- is awarded by an accredited institution of higher education.
3.2 Salary differential levels for a certificate or degree meeting the above requirements will be as follows:
| Certificate/Degree | Base Pay Increase |
|---|---|
| Forest Technician Certificate | $1,500 |
| Associates | $2,000 |
| Baccalaureate | $2,500 |
| Masters | $3,000 |
| Doctoral | $3,500 |
If a new hire has more than one degree that meets the requirements, salary differential will be awarded at only the highest qualifying level.
Employee Educational Incentives
4.1 An employee who earns a forest technician certificate or earns an associate’s, baccalaureate, master’s or doctoral degree during agency employment may receive an increase in base pay if the certification or degree:
- exceeds the basic education requirements defined in the current position description, and
- is awarded by an accredited institution of higher education.
4.2 Educational incentive increase levels for a certificate or degree meeting the above requirements will be as follows:
| Certificate/Degree | Base Pay Increase |
|---|---|
| Forest Technician Certificate | $1,500 |
| Associates | $2,000 |
| Baccalaureate | $2,500 |
| Masters | $3,000 |
| Doctoral | $3,500 |
Approvals
5.1 The recommendation for a new hire salary differential or an employee educational incentive should be initiated by the immediate supervisor and must be reviewed by the Human Resources Manager and the Associate Director for Finance prior to submission for approval. Approved recommendations are routed to Employee Services (ES) for processing. Appropriate proof of receipt (for example, diploma or transcript) must accompany the recommendation.
5.2 To ensure proper treatment of all eligible employees, the recommendation should be made at the time of hire for a new hire salary differential or promptly after the certificate or degree is conferred for an educational incentive.
5.3 Upon approval, ES will notify the supervisor so that it can be included in the offer letter (for salary differentials), or the employee notified (for educational incentives). The supervisor is responsible for initiating the requisite Form 500.