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Salaries & Taxes

Salary Guidelines

Yale University sets annual minimum compensation standards for all postdoctoral and postgraduate appointees. These standards are reviewed and updated each fiscal year.

Tax Information

The Office of Postdoctoral Affairs (OPA) does not provide tax advice. Please consult a qualified tax professional or contact Yale’s International Tax Office. 

Your Taxes Are Determined by Your Title:

Postdoctoral and Postgraduate Associates

  • Subject to federal, state, and Social Security/Medicare (FICA) tax withholding.
  • Taxes are automatically deducted from your paycheck.

Postdoctoral and Postgraduate Fellows

  • Generally, no taxes are withheld from stipends.
  • Fellows are responsible for:
    • Paying federal and state income taxes
    • Not paying Social Security/Medicare (FICA) taxes
  • Any Yale or fellowship contribution to health insurance is considered taxable income and must be reported.

International Postdocs and Postgrads

If you are an international appointee, please take the following steps:

General Tax Policies

Yale withholds state, federal, and FICA taxes from the salaries of employees, including postdoctoral and postgraduate associates.

For fellows, tax obligations vary based on:

  • Source of income
  • Country of origin
  • Immigration and residency status

In general:

  • Yale does not withhold taxes from fellow stipends
  • Fellows must pay federal and state income taxes
  • Fellows do not pay FICA taxes

For more information, visit the Yale Tax Office (link is external).

You may also see the official Tax Memo on tax policies for U.S. citizens and permanent resident fellows. Note: This applies to postgrad appointees as well.

Useful Links