Grant PUD revises non-union salary schedule

EPHRATA — Although it doesn’t change any salaries now, an updated salary scale for non-union Grant County PUD employees will increase salaries in the future.

The revised schedule approved by PUD commissioners June 11 increased the schedule by 10%, a change originally approved in April. In a memo to commissioners, Human Resources Managing Director Tod Ayers said the salary schedules were last updated in September 2021.

Public Information Officer Christine Pratt said current salaries remain unchanged.

“It increases the potential amount you can make,” Pratt said. 

The changes will be reflected as employees' salaries are evaluated.

“Since (2021) the HR manager discovered that the salaries were kind of out of alignment with other utilities our size,” Pratt said. “This is an adjustment to that plan to bring them up to date.

“The reason they do that is so people don’t leave here and go to a higher-paying job elsewhere doing the same thing, or similar (work). To not lose good employees,” she said.

The revisions also included eliminating some job categories, adding others and moving others from one salary grade to another. The schedule has 19 salary levels in total, ranging from administrative clerks to the chief executive officer. 

With the revisions, the annualized hourly salary for entry-level employees will range from $16.28 per hour minimum to $32.67 per hour, figured over two weeks, as the maximum. Full-time employees at the entry-level would make between $33,800 and $67,900. The jobs in that category include student helpers and interns, land recreation crews and administrative clerks. Administrative assistants are in the third salary grade, and the annualized salary range will be from $26.13 per hour minimum to $40.24 per hour, over two weeks, maximum. That’s about $54,350 to $83,700 per year. 

Accounting specialists are in the fifth salary grade and will make an annualized $29.36 per hour minimum to $45.21 per hour, over two weeks, maximum. That’s also the grade for a data analyst. That’s about $61,000 to $94,000 per year. 

The first five salary grades don’t include very many job categories — five in the entry-level, two in the second salary grade. More categories are added the further up the scale.

A technical writer and asset management coordinator are in the seventh salary grade, and start with a minimum of $33 per hour and a maximum of $50.82 per hour, figured over two weeks. That annual salary is about $68,640 to $105,700.

An accountant is in the eighth salary grade, which starts with a minimum of $34.97 per hour and a maximum, over two weeks, of $53.86 per hour. That also includes project coordinator, senior data analyst, communications specialist and customer service program coordinator. The annual salary will be from $77,105 to $118,760.

The 10th salary grade includes a number of senior and supervisory positions, such as a customer service supervisor and senior supply chain analyst. The salaries will range from $39.29 per hour minimum to $63.26, figured over two weeks, maximum. That is about $81,700 minimum to about $131,580 maximum. 

Cheryl Schweizer may be reached via email at cschweizer@columbiabasinherald.com.