Pay increases for the next academic year are set for University of Wisconsin graduate student assistants, increasing their stipend from the current salary-year based on their job title, along with other benefits.

Graduate student assistants with the titles of Project Assistant, Teaching Assistant and Lecturer-Student Assistant will see these pay increases based on their status as annual or academic year assistants. 

Out of all the assistant positions, the LSAs will see the greatest pay increases at a rate of 20.8% higher than their current salaries. 

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The average pay amounts will not be the same across all departments, as certain assistants may receive more based off of various factors such as the funding a department receives. 

UW explained in a press release this is just another way to show how important graduate student assistants are to them.

In the release, Graduate School Dean William Karpus spoke to this reason for the commitment. 

“Stipend increases over the past several years are evidence of UW-Madison’s strong commitment to graduate student assistants,” Karpus said.

These pay increases are for full-time assistants who are at rates of 50% appointment or higher, but this will reflect the majority of TAs, PAs and LSAs.

87% of RAs, 83& of PAs and 72% of TAs have total appointment levels of 50% or higher, with the actual median compensation for 9-month appointments being $20,368, regardless of appointment percentage.

Aside from the pay rates, UW believes graduate students TAs gain valuable career experience and skills that will benefit them after graduation. 

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UW announced the average proposed pay rates for the upcoming 2020-21 academic year as listed:

Teaching assistantship: Academic: $20,500

Lecturer Student Assistant: Academic: $22,500

Project Assistantship: Academic: $20,500, Annual: $25,056

Research Assistantship: Academic: $20,304, Annual: $24,816

PA Grader/Reader: Hourly rate: $21.57

These compare to pay rates from the 2018-19 academic year as listed 

Teaching assistantship: Academic: $18,350

Project assistantship: Academic: $18,350, Annual: $22,427

Research assistantship: Academic: $18,350, Annual: $22,427

PA grader/reader: Hourly rate: $17.36