Minnesota / Explore Minnesota Tourism

Agency file

Explore Minnesota Tourism

Source file: Minnesota — State Employee Payroll / ingested Jun 18, 2026

The Explore Minnesota Tourism is a government agency that delivers public services and programs within its jurisdiction.

In 2025, this agency had 47 employees with median total compensation of $74,697; the highest distinct record was $156,794.

Year: 2025
Total payroll: $3.5M
Employees: 47
Median total: $74,697
Highest record: $156,794

What the records show

Compensation analytics

These summaries compare pay within the agency before listing individual records.

Salary distribution

$11,968$144,193+

Hover a bar for its range; click to filter the list below.

How 2025 total compensation is spread across the 47 employees. Each bar is a pay range; taller bars mean more people earn in that range. The amber line marks the median ($74,697) — half earn less, half more. The far-right bar collects the highest earners.

Average pay composition

Base — $72,996 (99%)
Overtime — $123 (0%)
Other — $720 (1%)
Benefits — $0 (0%)

What an average paycheck here is made of — base salary versus overtime, other pay (bonuses, allowances), and benefits. A large overtime or other-pay share means take-home often exceeds base salary.

Pay percentiles

10th

25th

Median

75th

90th

$21,826

$45,317

$74,697

$97,734

$125,092

The pay ladder for this department. Someone at the 90th percentile earns $125,092 — more than 90% of the department; the 10th percentile earns $21,826. The shaded band is the middle half of employees (25th–75th percentile).

Largest job titles

Customer Services Specialist

8 · $22,978

Communications Supervisor

3 · $117,373

Communications Specialist 3

3 · $91,553

Communications Specialist 2

3 · $73,959

Tourism Travel Information Center Sup

3 · $70,986

The most common job titles in this department by headcount, with the median total compensation for each. Click a title to see everyone who holds it.

Trend

Year over year

How this department's total payroll, headcount, and median pay changed across the 2 published years.

Year	Total payroll	Employees	Median pay
2024	$2.7M —	39 —	$71,022 —
2025	$3.5M ▲ 27.1%	47 ▲ 20.5%	$74,697 ▲ 5.2%

Record list

Employees

Page 1

Melodie Bahan

Proj Manager/Explore Minnesota Tourism

2025 total comp

$98,911

Sub-department: Tourism Exec Team
Base pay: $91,084
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $7,827
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $98,911
Hire date: 2024-07-10
Employment type: Full-Time
Pay grade: 18
Union / bargaining unit: Manager
Pay basis: Hourly
Full-time equivalent (FTE): 1
Work county: Ramsey

Source-specific fields

Active on June 30, 2025: No
Agency Number: B20
Bargaining Unit Number: 220
Branch: Executive
Branch Code: Executive
Classified Code: Unclassified
Classified Status: Unclassified
Compensation Frequency Code: Hourly

Melodie Bahan is a Proj Manager at Explore Minnesota Tourism within Tourism Executive Team. Hired in 2024, they have about a year of service, working full-time. 2025 total compensation came to $98,911. They are represented by Manager.

Marya Barsanti

Executive Aide/Explore Minnesota Tourism

2025 total comp

$98,444

Sub-department: Tourism-Support Team
Base pay: $97,444
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $1,000
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $98,444
Hire date: 2022-07-18
Employment type: Full-Time
Pay grade: 9
Union / bargaining unit: Manager
Pay basis: Hourly
Full-time equivalent (FTE): 1
Work county: Ramsey

Source-specific fields

Active on June 30, 2025: Yes
Agency Number: B20
Bargaining Unit Number: 220
Branch: Executive
Branch Code: Executive
Classified Code: Unclassified
Classified Status: Unclassified
Compensation Frequency Code: Hourly

At Explore Minnesota Tourism, Marya Barsanti serves as a Executive Aide within Tourism-Support Team. They have served since 2022 (about 3 years), working full-time. Their 2025 pay totaled $98,444. Their bargaining unit is Manager.

Gretchen Nussbaum

Research Analysis Specialist Senior/Explore Minnesota Tourism

2025 total comp

$97,734

Sub-department: Tourism-Adv/Public Relations
Base pay: $97,734
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $97,734
Hire date: 2018-08-22
Employment type: Full-Time
Pay grade: 14
Union / bargaining unit: MN Assoc of Professional Empl
Pay basis: Hourly
Full-time equivalent (FTE): 1
Work county: Ramsey

Source-specific fields

Active on June 30, 2025: Yes
Agency Number: B20
Bargaining Unit Number: 214
Branch: Executive
Branch Code: Executive
Classified Code: Classified
Classified Status: Classified
Compensation Frequency Code: Hourly

Gretchen Nussbaum holds the role of Research Analysis Specialist Senior at Explore Minnesota Tourism within Tourism-Adv/Public Relations. Their tenure dates to 2018, about 7 years as a full-time employee. In 2025, their total compensation was $97,734. Their bargaining unit is MN Assoc of Professional Empl.

Devon Cox

Information Director/Explore Minnesota Tourism

2024 total comp

$96,100

Sub-department: Tourism-Adv/Public Relations
Base pay: $96,100
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $96,100
Hire date: 2020-11-30
Employment type: Full-Time
Pay grade: 15
Union / bargaining unit: Manager
Pay basis: Hourly
Full-time equivalent (FTE): 1
Work county: Ramsey

Source-specific fields

Active on June 30, 2024: Yes
Agency Number: B20
Bargaining Unit Number: 220
Branch: Executive
Branch Code: Executive
Classified Code: Classified
Classified Status: Classified
Compensation Frequency Code: Hourly

Devon Cox is a Information Director at Explore Minnesota Tourism within Tourism-Adv/Public Relations. Their tenure dates to 2020, about 4 years, working full-time. 2024 total compensation came to $96,100. Their bargaining unit is Manager.