Alameda Waterpark in Butler Township.

The county salary board revised its compensation policy for 150 nonunion employees, and approved incentives aimed at keeping lifeguards working at Alameda Waterpark through the end of summer.

The salary board, which includes county commissioners and controller Ben Holland, approved the measures Feb. 26.

The goal of the revised policy is to set pay rates for all nonunion employees whether they are new hires, transferring from other positions or have a change in status recognizing their qualifications, experience and length of service.

In the pay grades established in the policy, grades three through seven are mostly hourly-pay positions and grades eight through 21 are mostly salaried employees. Grades one and two do not exist.

Starting pay for newly hired employees in grades three through six is $21.01, $22.06, $23.17 and $24.33 an hour, respectively. Most of the jobs covered by those grades are administrative assistants positions in the various county departments.

Job duties for administrative assistants in different departments don’t vary greatly, Holland explained Friday.

He said the policy was updated because newly hired employees were getting paid what the experienced person they replaced were getting paid.

The policy does not dictate the starting pay for grades seven through 21 because the jobs covered by those grades are supervisors, managers and directors, and there are fewer of those positions than there are in grades three through six, Holland said.

Because the policy does not specify the pay for new hires in grades seven through 21, department heads request a pay rate to the board. The board would then use the pay scale as a reference in setting the pay rate, Holland said. The pay scale establishes minimum, midpoint and maximum annual salaries for all the pay grades.

Newly hired law clerks in Common Pleas Court receive a 10% increase if they pass the Bar exam before they are hired or when they pass the exam after being hired.

Employees who are hired and those who transferred internally on or after Jan. 1, 2020, are not eligible for longevity pay raises.

The same grade three through six pay rates that apply to new hires also apply to employees transferring internally.

The annual salary scale sets minimum salaries ranging from $37,470 in grade three to $109,006 in grade 21, midpoint salaries ranging from $44,965 to $136,257, respectively, and maximum salaries from $52,459 to $163,509, respectively.

Applications are being accepted for lifeguards who will work at Alameda Pool for the 2025 season, from Memorial Day through Labor Day.

Lead lifeguards will be paid $14 an hour and the rest will be paid $12.50 an hour.

The incentives approved by the board apply to all lifeguards.

They can receive an additional $200 if they teach at least three sessions of swimming lessons, $200 for working at least 10 lane rental sessions and $500 for working more than 300 hours and working the entire pool season.

The incentives are being offered to keep lifeguards on the job through the end of summer, said Lance Welliver, parks and recreation director. He said many guards leave before the last few weeks of the swimming season to get ready to return to high school or college, and only 10% to 15% stay the entire season.

Some lifeguards who worked last year are returning, but the goal is to have 30 in addition to cashiers, concession workers, camp counselors and interns, Welliver said.

He said applications for all those jobs are being accepted now.

The list of open jobs is available at www.butlercountypa.gov/Jobs.aspx. Applications are available at BUTLER COUNTY, PA.