The minimum wage for all eligible Duke employees and full-time contract workers will increase to $18 per hour effective July 1, 2024.
Duke’s current minimum wage is $17 per hour, which was established in 2022. The federal and state minimum wages remain at $7.25 per hour.
“With this pay adjustment, the Duke minimum wage will have increased by 50 percent since 2015,” said Antwan Lofton, Vice President for Duke Human Resources. “It also reflects our continued commitment to supporting frontline staff who support this institution and its ability to deliver exceptional patient care, education, and research.”
The new rates will apply to all regular and full-time contract staff at the University and Health System University. The change is expected to increase pay rates for more than 900 staff members. Positions that are covered under a collective bargaining agreement are eligible for the increase, subject to agreement of the respective unions.
Duke, the largest private employer in Durham, has steadily increased its minimum wage in recent years, moving from $12 to $13 per hour in 2015, $14 per hour in 2018, $15 per hour in 2019, and $17 in 2022.
“As part of our regular process, we continue to review all of our pay ranges annually relative to the local and national markets,” Lofton said, “and we’ll make adjustments as needed.”
“This adjustment is part of Duke’s total compensation package that includes pay, as well as Duke’s continued investment in benefits such as health insurance, retirement, and paid time away that have made Duke one of the best places to work in the country,” Lofton said.
