Minnesota / Office of Higher Education

Agency file

Office of Higher Education

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

The Office of Higher Education operates a public higher-education institution — instruction, research, and student services.

In 2025, this agency had 96 employees with median total compensation of $86,650; the highest distinct record was $178,451.

Year: 2025
Total payroll: $8.4M
Employees: 96
Median total: $86,650
Highest record: $178,451

What the records show

Compensation analytics

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

Salary distribution

$9,428$155,540+

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

How 2025 total compensation is spread across the 96 employees. Each bar is a pay range; taller bars mean more people earn in that range. The amber line marks the median ($86,650) — half earn less, half more. The far-right bar collects the highest earners.

Average pay composition

Base — $85,574 (98%)
Overtime — $409 (0%)
Other — $1,207 (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

$49,356

$67,161

$86,650

$106,598

$127,141

The pay ladder for this department. Someone at the 90th percentile earns $127,141 — more than 90% of the department; the 10th percentile earns $49,356. The shaded band is the middle half of employees (25th–75th percentile).

Largest job titles

State Program Administrative Principal

13 · $87,892

12 · $66,604

10 · $118,174

8 · $98,900

6 · $130,842

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	$7.3M —	98 —	$75,795 —
2025	$8.4M ▲ 14.7%	96 ▼ 2.0%	$86,650 ▲ 14.3%

Record list

Employees

Page 1

Grace Ferdinandt

State Program Administrative Principal/Office of Higher Education

2025 total comp

$87,892

Sub-department: Dual Trng MN GI Bill Ind Schd
Base pay: $87,892
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $87,892
Hire date: 2015-10-05
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: E60
Bargaining Unit Number: 214
Branch: Executive
Branch Code: Executive
Classified Code: Classified
Classified Status: Classified
Compensation Frequency Code: Hourly

Grace Ferdinandt is a State Program Administrative Principal at Office of Higher Education within Dual Training MN Gi Bill Ind Schd. Hired in 2015, they have about 10 years of service, working full-time. 2025 total compensation came to $87,892. Their bargaining unit is MN Assoc of Professional Empl.

Catherine Seurer

Accounting Officer Senior/Office of Higher Education

2025 total comp

$87,890

Sub-department: Accounting & Payroll
Base pay: $87,773
Overtime: $117
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $87,890
Hire date: 2014-10-22
Employment type: Full-Time
Pay grade: 11
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: E60
Bargaining Unit Number: 214
Branch: Executive
Branch Code: Executive
Classified Code: Classified
Classified Status: Classified
Compensation Frequency Code: Hourly

At Office of Higher Education, Catherine Seurer serves as a Accounting Officer Senior within Accounting & Payroll. Their tenure dates to 2014, about 11 years, working full-time. Their 2025 pay totaled $87,890. They are represented by MN Assoc of Professional Empl.

Ciara Houston

Ohe Administrator/Office of Higher Education

2025 total comp

$86,912

Sub-department: Get Ready Program
Base pay: $86,912
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $86,912
Hire date: 2013-08-26
Employment type: Full-Time
Pay grade: 3
Union / bargaining unit: Severed
Pay basis: Hourly
Full-time equivalent (FTE): 1
Work county: Ramsey

Source-specific fields

Active on June 30, 2025: Yes
Agency Number: E60
Bargaining Unit Number: 219
Branch: Executive
Branch Code: Executive
Classified Code: Unclassified
Classified Status: Unclassified
Compensation Frequency Code: Hourly

At Office of Higher Education, Ciara Houston serves as a Ohe Administrator within Get Ready Program. They have served since 2013 (about 12 years), working full-time. Their 2025 pay totaled $86,912. Union affiliation: Severed.

Christopher Hendrickson

Ohe Administrator/Office of Higher Education

2025 total comp

$86,912

Sub-department: MN Office of Higher Education
Base pay: $86,912
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $86,912
Hire date: 2011-08-15
Employment type: Full-Time
Pay grade: 3
Union / bargaining unit: Severed
Pay basis: Hourly
Full-time equivalent (FTE): 1
Work county: Ramsey

Source-specific fields

Active on June 30, 2025: Yes
Agency Number: E60
Bargaining Unit Number: 219
Branch: Executive
Branch Code: Executive
Classified Code: Unclassified
Classified Status: Unclassified
Compensation Frequency Code: Hourly

Christopher Hendrickson works as a Ohe Administrator for Office of Higher Education within MN Office of Higher Education. Their tenure dates to 2011, about 14 years as a full-time employee. Christopher earned $86,912 in 2025. Union affiliation: Severed.

Annetta Lee

Auditor Principal/Office of Higher Education

2025 total comp

$86,389

Sub-department: Auditing
Base pay: $85,389
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $1,000
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $86,389
Hire date: 2018-09-11
Employment type: Full-Time
Pay grade: 15
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: E60
Bargaining Unit Number: 214
Branch: Executive
Branch Code: Executive
Classified Code: Classified
Classified Status: Classified
Compensation Frequency Code: Hourly

Annetta Lee is a Auditor Principal at Office of Higher Education within Auditing. Hired in 2018, they have about 7 years of service, working full-time. 2025 total compensation came to $86,389. They are represented by MN Assoc of Professional Empl.

Cha Her

State Program Administrative Principal/Office of Higher Education

2025 total comp

$86,350

Sub-department: Dual Trng MN GI Bill Ind Schd
Base pay: $86,350
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $86,350
Hire date: 2015-08-26
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: E60
Bargaining Unit Number: 214
Branch: Executive
Branch Code: Executive
Classified Code: Classified
Classified Status: Classified
Compensation Frequency Code: Hourly

Cha Her works as a State Program Administrative Principal for Office of Higher Education within Dual Training MN Gi Bill Ind Schd. They have served since 2015 (about 10 years) as a full-time employee. Cha earned $86,350 in 2025. They are represented by MN Assoc of Professional Empl.

Melissa Watschke

State Program Administrative Principal/Office of Higher Education

2025 total comp

$85,793

Sub-department: AC - Prog - Policy - Grants
Base pay: $84,793
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $1,000
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $85,793
Hire date: 2022-02-16
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: E60
Bargaining Unit Number: 214
Branch: Executive
Branch Code: Executive
Classified Code: Classified
Classified Status: Classified
Compensation Frequency Code: Hourly

Melissa Watschke is a State Program Administrative Principal at Office of Higher Education within Ac - Program - Policy - Grants. Hired in 2022, they have about 3 years of service, working full-time. 2025 total compensation came to $85,793. Union affiliation: MN Assoc of Professional Empl.

Miriam Cullimore

State Program Administrative Principal/Office of Higher Education

2025 total comp

$85,793

Sub-department: AC - Prog - Policy - Grants
Base pay: $84,793
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $1,000
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $85,793
Hire date: 2021-10-13
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: E60
Bargaining Unit Number: 214
Branch: Executive
Branch Code: Executive
Classified Code: Classified
Classified Status: Classified
Compensation Frequency Code: Hourly

Miriam Cullimore works as a State Program Administrative Principal for Office of Higher Education within Ac - Program - Policy - Grants. Hired in 2021, they have about 4 years of service as a full-time employee. Miriam earned $85,793 in 2025. Their bargaining unit is MN Assoc of Professional Empl.

Joanna Moua

State Program Administrative Principal/Office of Higher Education

2025 total comp

$84,800

Sub-department: Dual Trng MN GI Bill Ind Schd
Base pay: $84,800
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $84,800
Hire date: 2015-06-12
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: E60
Bargaining Unit Number: 214
Branch: Executive
Branch Code: Executive
Classified Code: Classified
Classified Status: Classified
Compensation Frequency Code: Hourly

Joanna Moua holds the role of State Program Administrative Principal at Office of Higher Education within Dual Training MN Gi Bill Ind Schd. Their tenure dates to 2015, about 10 years as a full-time employee. In 2025, their total compensation was $84,800. Their bargaining unit is MN Assoc of Professional Empl.

Jennifer Labey

Office & Administrative Specialist Principal/Office of Higher Education

2025 total comp

$83,174

Sub-department: Self Loan Legal
Base pay: $59,744
Overtime: $21,430
Other pay: $2,000
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $83,174
Hire date: 2016-10-17
Employment type: Full-Time
Pay grade: 67
Union / bargaining unit: Clerical
Pay basis: Hourly
Full-time equivalent (FTE): 1
Work county: Ramsey

Source-specific fields

Active on June 30, 2025: Yes
Agency Number: E60
Bargaining Unit Number: 206
Branch: Executive
Branch Code: Executive
Classified Code: Classified
Classified Status: Classified
Compensation Frequency Code: Hourly

At Office of Higher Education, Jennifer Labey serves as a Office & Administrative Specialist Principal within Self Loan Legal. They have served since 2016 (about 9 years), working full-time. Their 2025 pay totaled $83,174. Union affiliation: Clerical.