UUA Compensation Standards

By Jan Gartner, UUA Church Staff Finances

Graphic showing Compensation Standards components

While we continue to provide numerical recommendations for salaries and benefits, the new UUA Compensation Standards also include legal requirements related to pay and benefits administration as well as process guidance to help ensure that compensation decisions are grounded in equity and transparency.

Legal Requirements for Pay and Benefits Administration

These Requirements Checklists name essential legal must-do's related to pay and benefits administration for which we hold congregations responsible.

Our Benefits Tune-up Workbook walks you through the basics of administering UUA benefits according to Plan requirements. Making use of the Workbook will enable you to complete the Benefits Administration Checklist with ease.

UUA Salary and Benefit Recommendations

For non-clergy hires, please review our comprehensive Guide to Setting Terms of Employment.

Salary Recommendations

  • Congregational Salary Program: revised salary guidance, introduced in Fall 2022, with a focus on process and values, along with recommended salary ranges by size, geo index, and job level
  • Salary recommendations for Interns are now included as part of the Internship Manual, available thru the Internship Clearinghouse.

Benefit Recommendations

Benefits are a key component of employee compensation. Congregations adopt UUA Benefit Recommendations to aid in the recruitment and retention of excellent staff, as well as to demonstrate their commitment to the short- and long-term material well-being of their employees.