Tentative Agreement: Wages Explainer
Continue reading below to see how wages for ASEs will change over the next four years under this contract, if ratified by the membership. The wages for salaried employees are shown at the top of the page, scroll down below for wages for hourly employees. If you have any questions, email organize@uaw4811.org to get in touch with a coworker.
Wages for Salaried Employees
Use the interactive tables below to see how your wages will change as a salaried employee during this contract.
By 2029, all salaried positions (GSRs, Teaching Assistants, and Associate Instructors) will be on a single, 7-step unified pay scale.
| Unified Step | Fiscal Year (GSR) & Quarter (ASE) Monthly Rate |
Semester (Berkeley ASE) Monthly Rate |
GSRs | TAs | AIs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Step 1 | $3,775 | — | GSR 1 | — | — |
| Step 2 | $4,049 | — | GSR 2 | — | — |
| Step 3 | $4,343 | — | GSR 3 | — | — |
| Step 4 | $4,658 | $4,192.20 | GSR 4 | TA 1 | — |
| Step 5 | $4,891 | $4,401.90 | GSR 5 | TA 2 | AI 1 |
| Step 6 | $5,038 | $4,534.20 | — | TA 3 | AI 2 |
| Step 7 | $5,290 | $4,761.00 | — | — | AI 3 |
Rates shown are the 2029 contract-end monthly wages. All GSRs statewide are paid at the Fiscal Year rate. For ASEs, the Quarter rate applies to Davis, Merced, Santa Cruz, Santa Barbara, Riverside, Irvine, San Diego, San Francisco, and Los Angeles. Berkeley ASEs are paid on a semester basis and use a separate monthly rate.
Teaching Assistants and Associate Instructors: What will I be paid throughout the contract?
Duties
If you are a Teaching Assistant, look at the TA rates. If you are the instructor of record for a course, look at the AI rates.
Experience
Teaching Assistants and Associate Instructors move through Steps 1, 2, and 3 based on teaching experience. For TAs, when you have at least 2 semesters or 3 quarters of experience, you will be at TA 2, and when you have at least 4 semesters or 6 quarters of experience, you will be at TA 3. For AIs, when you have at least 4 semesters or 6 quarters of experience, you will be at AI 2, and when you have at least 6 semesters or 9 quarters of experience, you will be at AI 3.
Semester vs. Quarter
Berkeley ASEs are paid over the Academic Year in 10 installments, while Merced ASEs are paid over two semesters in 9 installments. All other campuses are on the quarter system.
Legacy Steps
ASEs at Berkeley and LA who worked prior to 2023 move through the tables based on a legacy experience system. At Berkeley, if you are on these steps: 4 semesters of experience places you at AI 2; 6 semesters of experience places you at AI 3; and 8 semesters of experience places you at AI 4. At LA, if you are on these steps: 3 quarters of experience and 36 units places you at AI 4, and 6 quarters of experience and having advanced to candidacy places you at AI 6 (formerly Teaching Fellow).
Changes to the Scale in this Contract
By 2029, campus-based pay disparities (tiers) will be eliminated for TAs and AIs.
Teaching Assistants — Monthly Rates by Campus & Year
| Step | 2025 | 2026 | 2027 | 2028 | 2029 | Unified Step |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Davis, Merced, Santa Cruz, Santa Barbara, Riverside, Irvine, San Diego | ||||||
| TA 1 | $3,929 | $4,100 | $4,278 | $4,464 | $4,658 | 4 |
| TA 2 | $4,047 | $4,243 | $4,449 | $4,665 | $4,891 | 5 |
| TA 3 | $4,168 | $4,370 | $4,582 | $4,805 | $5,038 | 6 |
| San Francisco, Los Angeles | ||||||
| TA 1 | $4,217 | $4,323 | $4,432 | $4,544 | $4,658 | 4 |
| TA 2 | $4,344 | $4,475 | $4,609 | $4,748 | $4,891 | 5 |
| TA 3 | $4,474 | $4,609 | $4,747 | $4,890 | $5,038 | 6 |
| Berkeley (Semester Rate) | ||||||
| TA 1 | $3,795 | $3,891 | $3,989 | $4,090 | $4,192 | 4 |
| TA 2 | $3,910 | $4,028 | $4,148 | $4,273 | $4,402 | 5 |
| TA 3 | $4,027 | $4,148 | $4,272 | $4,401 | $4,534 | 6 |
Associate Instructors — Monthly Rates by Campus & Year
| Step | 2025 | 2026 | 2027 | 2028 | 2029 | Unified Step |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Davis, Merced, Santa Cruz, Santa Barbara, Riverside, Irvine, San Diego | ||||||
| AI 1 | $4,116 | $4,298 | $4,487 | $4,684 | $4,891 | 5 |
| AI 2 | $4,240 | $4,426 | $4,621 | $4,825 | $5,038 | 6 |
| AI 3 | $4,367 | $4,581 | $4,806 | $5,041 | $5,290 | 7 |
| AI 4 | $4,498 | $4,683 | $4,875 | $5,074 | $5,290 | 7 |
| AI 5 | $4,633 | $4,791 | $4,954 | $5,122 | $5,290 | 7 |
| AI 6 | $4,772 | $4,896 | $5,023 | $5,154 | $5,290 | 7 |
| AI 7 | $4,915 | $5,009 | $5,104 | $5,201 | $5,290 | 7 |
| San Francisco, Los Angeles | ||||||
| AI 1 | $4,419 | $4,534 | $4,652 | $4,773 | $4,891 | 5 |
| AI 2 | $4,552 | $4,670 | $4,791 | $4,916 | $5,038 | 6 |
| AI 3 | $4,688 | $4,833 | $4,983 | $5,138 | $5,290 | 7 |
| AI 4 | $4,829 | $4,940 | $5,053 | $5,170 | $5,290 | 7 |
| AI 5 | $4,974 | $5,053 | $5,134 | $5,216 | $5,290 | 7 |
| AI 6 | $5,123 | $5,164 | $5,205 | $5,247 | $5,290 | 7 |
| AI 7 | $5,277 | $5,282 | $5,287 | $5,292 | $5,290 | 7 |
| Berkeley (Semester Rate) | ||||||
| AI 1 | $3,977 | $4,081 | $4,187 | $4,296 | $4,402 | 5 |
| AI 2 | $4,097 | $4,203 | $4,312 | $4,424 | $4,534 | 6 |
| AI 3 | $4,219 | $4,350 | $4,485 | $4,624 | $4,761 | 7 |
| AI 4 | $4,346 | $4,446 | $4,548 | $4,653 | $4,761 | 7 |
| AI 5 | $4,477 | $4,548 | $4,621 | $4,694 | $4,761 | 7 |
| AI 6 | $4,611 | $4,648 | $4,685 | $4,722 | $4,761 | 7 |
| AI 7 | $4,749 | $4,754 | $4,758 | $4,763 | $4,761 | 7 |
Graduate Student Researchers, Trainees, and Fellows: What will I be paid throughout the contract?
Experience
GSRs move through Steps 1, 2, and 3 based on experience, which is calculated before each Fall Term. When you have at least 2 semesters or 3 quarters of experience, you will be at GSR 2, and when you have at least 4 semesters or 6 quarters of experience, you will be at GSR 3. These are minimum required step placements and departments may place GSRs at higher steps.
Step Practices
Current department step practices must remain in place. For example, a department that begins its GSRs at Step 5 must continue placing both current and incoming GSRs at Step 5.
Trainees / Fellows
Trainees and Fellows follow the same progression as similarly-situated GSRs. If your fellowship amount is lower than the step you ought to be on, the university must make up the difference.
Changes to the Scale in this Contract
In 2029, the current GSR 1 step will be eliminated. Everyone at that step will move up by one step. For the purposes of experience-based step placement, Unified Steps 1, 2, and 3 will be used.
Graduate Student Researchers — Monthly Rates (All Campuses)
| Current Step | 2025 | 2026 | 2027 | 2028 | 2029 | Unified Step |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GSR 1 | $2,996 | $3,174 | $3,363 | $3,563 | $3,775 Eliminated 2029 |
1 |
| GSR 2 | $3,228 | $3,357 | $3,491 | $3,630 | $3,775 | 1 |
| GSR 3 | $3,478 | $3,613 | $3,753 | $3,898 | $4,049 | 2 |
| GSR 4 | $3,748 | $3,888 | $4,034 | $4,186 | $4,343 | 3 |
| GSR 5 | $4,038 | $4,185 | $4,337 | $4,495 | $4,658 | 4 |
| GSR 6 | $4,351 | $4,480 | $4,613 | $4,750 | $4,891 | 5 |
GSR rates apply uniformly across all UC campuses. Steps are determined by prior experience, calculated before each Fall term.
Wages for Hourly Employees
Hourly Workers: What will I be paid throughout the contract?
Undergraduate vs. Graduate
If you are an undergraduate employee, look at the undergraduate rates. If you are a graduate employee, look at the graduate rates.
Job Title and Duties
If you are a Reader, you'll be paid the Reader rate. If you are a tutor who tutors 2 or more students at once, you'll be paid the Group Tutor rate. If you only do one-on-one tutoring, you'll be paid the Individual Tutor rate.
Changes to the Scale in This Contract
Tutor and Reader rates have varied dramatically by campus. On October 1, 2026, Tutors and Readers will begin to be paid the rates in this systemwide scale, ensuring equal pay for equal work across campuses.
Hourly Rates — All Campuses
| Title | 2025 | 2026 | 2027 | 2028 | 2029 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Undergraduate | |||||
| Individual Tutor | Varies by Campus | $22.81 | $23.67 | $24.56 | $25.49 |
| Group Tutor | Varies by Campus | $29.38 | $30.41 | $31.48 | $32.59 |
| Reader | Varies by Campus | $21.86 | $22.68 | $23.54 | $24.43 |
| Graduate | |||||
| Individual Tutor | Varies by Campus | $26.66 | $27.62 | $28.62 | $29.66 |
| Group Tutor | Varies by Campus | $33.23 | $34.40 | $35.61 | $36.86 |
| Reader | Varies by Campus | $22.81 | $23.67 | $24.56 | $25.49 |
| Special Readers (UCLA Only) | |||||
| Special Reader I | $39.00 | $40.17 | $41.38 | $42.63 | $43.91 |
| Special Reader II | $43.06 | $44.36 | $45.70 | $47.08 | $48.05 |
2025 rates vary by campus. Rates shown for 2026–2029 are the contract minimums applying uniformly across all UC campuses. The 2029 column reflects the contract-end hourly wage.