CSM Increases Minimum Wage to $15 an Hour

CSM Increases Minimum Wage to $15 an Hour

The College of Southern Maryland (CSM) has raised its minimum wage from $12 an hour for all fully benefited and part-time hourly staff members to $15 an hour. The CSM Board of Trustee’s voted unanimously at its Sept. 23 board meeting to formalize the salary structure confirming it effective as of July 1, 2021.

“It was important that we address fair and equitable compensation for members of the CSM team who serve our students with such dedication, and this decision delivers appropriate salaries that reflect today’s real living wage requirements,” said CSM President Dr. Maureen Murphy. “This move keeps us competitive within our industry as a preferred employer in the region and helps us retain the high caliber of employees that our students need and deserve.”

The wage bump impacted 95 employees.

CSM is not the first college to meet this milestone. Inside Higher Education reported over the summer that several colleges raised their minimum wage “either by choice or by the laws of their jurisdictions” after many large employers such as Target, Amazon, Whole Foods, Costco and many fast food chains increased starting salaries to $15 an hour to compete for labor.

Maryland’s current minimum wage is $11.75. In 2019, the Maryland General Assembly passed legislation raising the state’s minimum wage in increments each year to $15 an hour by 2025.

CSM is a regionally-accredited community college serving more than 24,000 credit and continuing education students at its campuses located in Hughesville, La Plata, Leonardtown, and Prince Frederick. CSM is committed to meet the work-life needs of its employees and their families by offering a competitive comprehensive benefits and rewards package that includes medical insurance, dental insurance, vision Insurance, basic life/AD&D, supplemental life, disability insurance, flexible spending accounts, retirement/403(b), health savings accounts and many ancillary benefits. Browse CSM’s career opportunities at https://www.schooljobs.com/careers/csmd.