Christensen, Wendy
Planner Principal StateHealth DepartmentRamsey CountyFull-time
EPR PHEP Staff. Minnesota state employee pay history, from State of Minnesota salary data.
Pay by fiscal year
Total paid across all records in each year, overtime included, compared with consumer prices.
From FY 2023 to FY 2025, pay went down 36% while consumer prices went up 6%. After inflation, pay is down 40% (it fell behind inflation).
| Year | Paid | Change | Prices (CPI) | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2025 | $43,458 | −50.1% | +2.6% | −51.4% |
| FY 2024 | $87,124 | +28.0% | +3.3% | +24.0% |
| FY 2023 | $68,041 | — | — | — |
Each change compares a year with the one before. Large swings usually come from a partial year, extra hours or a change of job rather than a raise. Prices: Consumer Price Index (CPI-U, U.S. city average) from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, averaged July to June; FY 2026 uses 11 months because October 2025 was not published.
Compared with the same job title
FY 2025 · Planner Principal State
Paid more than 6% of the 332 people with this job title that year. The median was $90,553.
Uses the amount paid in the year, so partial years and part-time positions read low.
See everyone with this job titleEvery record
3 records, newest first
| FY | Agency | Job title | County | Base pay | Overtime | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Health Department EPR PHEP Staff | Planner Principal State Full-time · left during year | Ramsey | $47.05 /hr | — | $43,458 |
| 2024 | Health Department EPR PHEP Staff | Planner Principal State Full-time | Ramsey | $45.02 /hr | — | $87,124 |
| 2023 | Health Department PublicHlthEmergencyPreparStaff | Planner Principal State Full-time | Stearns | $42.67 /hr | — | $68,041 |
The state reports one pay total per person per year, covering all of their positions, so it appears on one of that year’s lines and the others show no separate pay.
Highest paid in Health Department
FY 2025, amount paid
- Lynfield, Ruth$314,038Medical Specialist 4
- Lehnertz, Nicholas$262,107Medical Specialist 2
- Witkowski, James J$191,918Public Health Sanitarian Supv
- Underwood, Wendy Lynne$185,504Deputy Commr Health
- Cunningham, Brooke$180,294Commissioner-Health
- Benson, Robin Christopher$178,920General Counsel 3
- Desai, Jay$178,228Epidemiologist Program Manager
- Smith, Kirk E$178,228Epidemiologist Program Manager
Highest paid as Planner Principal State
FY 2025, amount paid
- Risberg, Jeff E$143,317Pollution Control Agency
- Rose, Theodore$117,068African Heritage Council
- Smoak, Emily Elizabeth$106,005Health Department
- Ideker, Bridget$105,987Health Department
- Cooley, Nathan B$104,798Pollution Control Agency
- Gjerde, Wayne R$103,844Pollution Control Agency
- Westerman, Curt D$103,663Natural Resources Dept
- Whitcomb, Julia AnnMarie$103,309Health Department