Smith-Sweetser, Red Oceanus
Laboratory Scientist 2Health DepartmentRamsey CountyFull-time
PHL Emerging Contaminants Unit. 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 2022 to FY 2025, pay went up 331% while consumer prices went up 13%. After inflation, pay is up 283% (it beat inflation).
| Year | Paid | Change | Prices (CPI) | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2025 | $13,994 | −75.8% | +2.6% | −76.4% |
| FY 2024 | $57,846 | +4.4% | +3.3% | +1.1% |
| FY 2023 | $55,386 | +1,607.5% | +6.3% | +1,506.9% |
| FY 2022 | $3,244 | — | — | — |
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 · Laboratory Scientist 2
Paid more than 0% of the 50 people with this job title that year. The median was $70,560.
Uses the amount paid in the year, so partial years and part-time positions read low.
See everyone with this job titleEvery record
4 records, newest first
| FY | Agency | Job title | County | Base pay | Overtime | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Health Department PHL Emerging Contaminants Unit | Laboratory Scientist 2 Full-time · left during year | Ramsey | $29.78 /hr | $1,013 | $13,994 |
| 2024 | Health Department PHL Emerging Contaminants Unit | Laboratory Scientist 2 Full-time | Ramsey | $28.50 /hr | $584 | $57,846 |
| 2023 | Health Department PHL ENV Org Chem Staff | Environmental Analyst 2 Full-time | Ramsey | $25.25 /hr | — | $55,386 |
| 2022 | Health Department Organic Chemistry | Environmental Analyst 2 Full-time | Ramsey | $23.85 /hr | — | $3,244 |
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 Laboratory Scientist 2
FY 2025, amount paid
- Lasch, Melissa Lynn$86,832Agriculture Dept
- Navratil, Carin$86,222Health Department
- Barry, Irina N$85,260Health Department
- Class, Robert C$85,208Health Department
- Fahlstrom, Annalise Marie$84,891Health Department
- Schuft, Colin T$84,793Health Department
- Young, Sunita Shrestha$84,793Agriculture Dept
- Salo, Geraldine$84,579Health Department