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

Charles Ward

Local Government Audit Staff Specialist/State Auditor

2025 total comp

$109,971

Sub-department: Audit Practice
Base pay: $101,311
Overtime: $8,660
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $109,971
Hire date: 2013-05-29
Employment type: Full-Time
Pay grade: 16
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

At State Auditor, Charles Ward serves as a Local Government Audit Staff Specialist within Audit Practice. Hired in 2013, they have about 12 years of service, working full-time. Their 2025 pay totaled $109,971. Union affiliation: MN Assoc of Professional Empl.

Carrie Liffrig-Schafer

Local Government Audit Staff Specialist Senior/State Auditor

2025 total comp

$109,813

Sub-department: Audit Practice
Base pay: $104,440
Overtime: $5,373
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $109,813
Hire date: 2006-06-07
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

Carrie Liffrig-Schafer is a Local Government Audit Staff Specialist Senior at State Auditor within Audit Practice. Their tenure dates to 2006, about 19 years, working full-time. 2025 total compensation came to $109,813. They are represented by MN Assoc of Professional Empl.

Krista Duncan

Local Government Audit Staff Specialist/State Auditor

2025 total comp

$109,423

Sub-department: Audit Practice
Base pay: $105,291
Overtime: $4,131
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $109,423
Hire date: 2005-06-13
Employment type: Full-Time
Pay grade: 16
Union / bargaining unit: MN Assoc of Professional Empl
Pay basis: Hourly
Full-time equivalent (FTE): 1
Work county: St Louis

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

Krista Duncan holds the role of Local Government Audit Staff Specialist at State Auditor within Audit Practice. They have served since 2005 (about 20 years) as a full-time employee. In 2025, their total compensation was $109,423. They are represented by MN Assoc of Professional Empl.

Charles Knandel

Local Government Audit Staff Specialist/State Auditor

2025 total comp

$108,543

Sub-department: Audit Practice
Base pay: $105,299
Overtime: $3,244
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $108,543
Hire date: 1983-11-30
Employment type: Full-Time
Pay grade: 16
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

Charles Knandel works as a Local Government Audit Staff Specialist for State Auditor within Audit Practice. Hired in 1983, they have about 42 years of service as a full-time employee. Charles earned $108,543 in 2025. Union affiliation: MN Assoc of Professional Empl.

Michael Slagter

Information Technology Specialist 4/State Auditor

2025 total comp

$108,181

Sub-department: Operations Management
Base pay: $102,007
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $6,174
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $108,181
Hire date: 1998-08-19
Employment type: Full-Time
Pay grade: 17
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

Michael Slagter holds the role of Information Technology Specialist 4 at State Auditor within Operations Management. They have served since 1998 (about 27 years) as a full-time employee. In 2025, their total compensation was $108,181. They are represented by MN Assoc of Professional Empl.