Oct 19, 2023 - News

NWACC raises salaries for full-time employees

Alex Golden

Illustration of a very large pencil filling out a check. — Illustration: Maura Losch/Axios

NorthWest Arkansas Community College has a new starting pay for full-time employees — part of what college leadership hopes will be a "continuous funding stream for raises," the Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reports.

What they're saying: "We know that delivering high-quality education requires the best and brightest faculty and staff to support our students, and this initiative is vital to recruiting and retaining that top talent," said Dennis Rittle, NWACC president, according to the newspaper.

By the numbers: Starting pay for full-time employees is now $14 per hour, up from $11.56, spokesperson Grant Hodges told Axios. The minimum for part-time employees is $11.12 per hour.

The intrigue: While all full-time employees received some sort of raise, the school is primarily focused on its lowest-paid employees for now — the 156 employees in the bottom seven of NWACC's 30 pay grades.

These jobs include maintenance workers, financial aid analysts, mental health counselors and more.

Context: Arkansas' minimum wage is $11 per hour. A living wage for one adult with no children in NWA is $15.81, according to MIT's living wage calculator.

What's next: Further raises will depend on NWACC's enrollment.

Add Axios on Google

NWACC raises salaries for full-time employees

More NW Arkansas stories