Minnesota / State Auditor

Agency file

State Auditor

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

The State Auditor manages public finances — collecting revenue and taxes, budgeting, accounting, and financial oversight.

In 2025, this agency had 92 employees with median total compensation of $82,941; the highest distinct record was $175,485.

Year: 2025
Total payroll: $7.7M
Employees: 92
Median total: $82,941
Highest record: $175,485

What the records show

Compensation analytics

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

Salary distribution

$445$159,725+

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

How 2025 total compensation is spread across the 92 employees. Each bar is a pay range; taller bars mean more people earn in that range. The amber line marks the median ($82,941) — half earn less, half more. The far-right bar collects the highest earners.

Average pay composition

Base — $79,551 (95%)
Overtime — $1,835 (2%)
Other — $2,463 (3%)
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

$39,146

$56,762

$82,941

$105,743

$137,037

The pay ladder for this department. Someone at the 90th percentile earns $137,037 — more than 90% of the department; the 10th percentile earns $39,146. The shaded band is the middle half of employees (25th–75th percentile).

Largest job titles

Local Government Auditor

13 · $38,772

Local Government Audit Senior

11 · $97,955

Local Government Audit Inter

11 · $86,436

State Auditor Office Management Lvl 2

9 · $128,520

Local Government Audit Director

5 · $140,295

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	$6.8M —	78 —	$85,024 —
2025	$7.7M ▲ 13.3%	92 ▲ 17.9%	$82,941 ▼ 2.4%

Record list

Employees

Page 1

Heather Anderson

Local Government Audit Senior/State Auditor

2025 total comp

$105,743

Sub-department: Audit Practice
Base pay: $97,744
Overtime: $7,999
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $105,743
Hire date: 2009-01-10
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: Lyon

Source-specific fields

Active on June 30, 2025: Yes
Agency Number: G61
Bargaining Unit Number: 214
Branch: Executive
Branch Code: Executive
Classified Code: Classified
Classified Status: Classified
Compensation Frequency Code: Hourly

At State Auditor, Heather Anderson serves as a Local Government Audit Senior within Audit Practice. They have served since 2009 (about 16 years), working full-time. Their 2025 pay totaled $105,743. Union affiliation: MN Assoc of Professional Empl.

Aaron Tri

Local Government Audit Staff Specialist Senior/State Auditor

2025 total comp

$105,449

Sub-department: Audit Practice
Base pay: $103,182
Overtime: $2,267
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $105,449
Hire date: 2013-01-16
Employment type: Full-Time
Pay grade: 18
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: G61
Bargaining Unit Number: 214
Branch: Executive
Branch Code: Executive
Classified Code: Classified
Classified Status: Classified
Compensation Frequency Code: Hourly

Aaron Tri holds the role of Local Government Audit Staff Specialist Senior at State Auditor within Audit Practice. Hired in 2013, they have about 12 years of service as a full-time employee. In 2025, their total compensation was $105,449. Their bargaining unit is MN Assoc of Professional Empl.

Charles Ward

Local Government Audit Senior/State Auditor

2024 total comp

$105,430

Sub-department: Audit Practice
Base pay: $93,364
Overtime: $12,065
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $105,430
Hire date: 2013-05-29
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, 2024: Yes
Agency Number: G61
Bargaining Unit Number: 214
Branch: Executive
Branch Code: Executive
Classified Code: Classified
Classified Status: Classified
Compensation Frequency Code: Hourly

Charles Ward works as a Local Government Audit Senior for State Auditor within Audit Practice. Their tenure dates to 2013, about 11 years as a full-time employee. Charles earned $105,430 in 2024. Their bargaining unit is MN Assoc of Professional Empl.

Carrie Liffrig-Schafer

Local Government Audit Senior/State Auditor

2024 total comp

$100,789

Sub-department: Audit Practice
Base pay: $93,496
Overtime: $7,293
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $100,789
Hire date: 2006-06-07
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: Olmsted

Source-specific fields

Active on June 30, 2024: Yes
Agency Number: G61
Bargaining Unit Number: 214
Branch: Executive
Branch Code: Executive
Classified Code: Classified
Classified Status: Classified
Compensation Frequency Code: Hourly

Carrie Liffrig-Schafer holds the role of Local Government Audit Senior at State Auditor within Audit Practice. Their tenure dates to 2006, about 18 years as a full-time employee. In 2024, their total compensation was $100,789. Union affiliation: MN Assoc of Professional Empl.

Tamera Swanson

Local Government Audit Senior/State Auditor

2025 total comp

$100,691

Sub-department: Audit Practice
Base pay: $97,727
Overtime: $2,964
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $100,691
Hire date: 1991-06-24
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: Clay

Source-specific fields

Active on June 30, 2025: Yes
Agency Number: G61
Bargaining Unit Number: 214
Branch: Executive
Branch Code: Executive
Classified Code: Classified
Classified Status: Classified
Compensation Frequency Code: Hourly

Tamera Swanson is a Local Government Audit Senior at State Auditor within Audit Practice. Their tenure dates to 1991, about 34 years, working full-time. 2025 total compensation came to $100,691. Their bargaining unit is MN Assoc of Professional Empl.

Melody Caron

Local Government Audit Senior/State Auditor

2025 total comp

$100,297

Sub-department: Audit Practice
Base pay: $97,733
Overtime: $2,564
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $100,297
Hire date: 2007-05-30
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: Lyon

Source-specific fields

Active on June 30, 2025: Yes
Agency Number: G61
Bargaining Unit Number: 214
Branch: Executive
Branch Code: Executive
Classified Code: Classified
Classified Status: Classified
Compensation Frequency Code: Hourly

Melody Caron holds the role of Local Government Audit Senior at State Auditor within Audit Practice. They have served since 2007 (about 18 years) as a full-time employee. In 2025, their total compensation was $100,297. Their bargaining unit is MN Assoc of Professional Empl.