The student minimum hourly pay for on-campus jobs was increased to $10 an hour, starting in August. 

There are approximately 2,500 total student employment opportunities on campus, with around 1,840 students that were paid less than $10 per hour last year, when the minimum wage was $7.75 — meaning that 73 percent of all active positions will be experiencing a higher hourly pay this semester. 

The announcement came from a July email sent by Julie Rowe, assistant director of Student Employment. The new pay rate excluded students working a Summer 2022 position. 

“The rate changes took effect on August 1 so that all students who were returning to campus for the 2022-23 academic year would benefit from the wage increase beginning on their first day of work for Fall 2022,” Rowe said.

The wage scale, which assesses student pay in relation to skills and responsibilities, was adopted by all colleges and departments and was updated, as well. 

The new minimum wage rate for students at the University is higher than both the federal minimum wage as well as Pennsylvania’s minimum wage rate, which are both $7.25. 

“Student Employment Services completed a study of wage rates at peer institutions and at other universities throughout the state,” Rowe said. “The new wage scale puts the University in a favorable position among peer schools and reflects a minimum hourly rate well above the current minimum wage rate in Pennsylvania.”

Over half of all University students will be employed on-campus during their time in school. The goal is that by increasing the student wage rate, more students will apply and experience on-campus employment, according to Rowe.

“Student employment provides meaningful opportunities to complement the academic curriculum and foster professional development,” Rowe said. “Our goal is to create a supportive work environment that allows our students to obtain professional skills, enable personal growth and integrate classroom knowledge with practical work opportunities. We are hopeful that the increase in student wages will offer additional opportunities for students who are interested in working on-campus.”

When asked about the wage rate increase by The Bucknellian, many students seemed to be happy about the news. 

“It’s my third year of being a chemistry TA on campus, and I love that the wage is higher this year so I can save some more money while being a student,” Emma Shaw ’23 said. 

Dariel Guzman ’24, a student employee at TechDesk, shared a similar sentiment. 

“The wage increase is amazing,” Guzman said. “It makes me more motivated to work and pick up more hours. It also makes transitioning from a New York job so much easier and gives me a real opportunity to make money that I can bring home and won’t spend in a week here.”