Faculty Compensation Handbook 

The Faculty Compensation Handbook was developed by the Office of the Senior Vice President and Provost in consultation with University Human Resources. It offers an organized compilation of existing institutional policies and guidelines relative to faculty compensation. This handbook brings together the compensation policies and guidelines that apply to all tenured/tenure-eligible and term faculty in all job profiles in the Faculty job family at Iowa State University. It is designed to aid those involved in the process of making and implementing compensation decisions in alignment with the university’s established compensation philosophy and strategy. The guidelines and policies described in this handbook should be applied consistently, in compliance with related federal and state law and university policy, regardless of the source of funding for faculty compensation.

Within the limits of budgetary resources, every effort is made to maintain faculty salaries at a level competitive with those of similar universities throughout the country.

Faculty Handbook 4.1

Carpet of leaves in front of Beardshear

Faculty Exceptional Performance Pay (EPP) Program

The Office of the Senior Vice President and Provost rolled out a Faculty Exceptional Performance Pay (EPP) Program which began July 1, 2022. Effective August 2026, the EPP Program transitioned from a pilot initiative to a permanent program. The Faculty EPP Program is intended to recognize and reward faculty members for extraordinary or specific accomplishments that exceed the normal expectations outlined in their Position Responsibility Statement (PRS). EPP is not intended to recognize the routine performance of faculty responsibilities. Further, the EPP shall not be used as a substitute for ongoing performance-based salary adjustments.

Faculty EPP Program Guidelines (DOC) Faculty EPP Form (DOC)

Faculty Incentive Salary Increment Program (FISIP)

The goal of the Faculty Incentive Salary Increment Program (FISIP) is to reward principal investigators, co-principal investigators, colleges, departments/schools, and centers/institutes with financial incentives to encourage the growth of research and external funding and to enhance grantsmanship. The program is designed to recommend the option of a salary incentive to high-performing faculty in the form of variable pay funded by PI incentive funds during the agreement.

  • Promotion to associate professor - $7,800
  • Promotion to full professor - $10,300

  • Term advancement (first level, e.g. associate teaching professor, clinical associate professor) - $4,000
  • Term advancement (second level, e.g. teaching professor, clinical professor) - $5,300

For questions or more information, contact: