Thiel, Michael
Research Scientist 2Pollution Control AgencySt Louis CountyFull-time
EAO AAS RiskEval&AirModelUnit. 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 2025 to FY 2026, pay went up 10% while consumer prices went up 3%. After inflation, pay is up 7% (it beat inflation).
| Year | Paid | Change | Prices (CPI) | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2026 | $78,912 | +10.0% | +3.1% | +6.6% |
| FY 2025 | $71,762 | — | — | — |
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 2026 · Research Scientist 2
Paid more than 21% of the 150 people with this job title that year. The median was $95,790.
Uses the amount paid in the year, so partial years and part-time positions read low.
See everyone with this job titleEvery record
2 records, newest first
| FY | Agency | Job title | County | Base pay | Overtime | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Pollution Control Agency EAO AAS RiskEval&AirModelUnit | Research Scientist 2 Full-time | St Louis | $42.94 /hr | — | $78,912 |
| 2025 | Pollution Control Agency EAO AAS RiskEval&AirModelUnit | Research Scientist 2 Full-time | St Louis | $40.82 /hr | — | $71,762 |
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 Pollution Control Agency
FY 2026, amount paid
- Benke, David J$206,695Pollution Cont Division Dir
- Kessler, Katrina$187,081Commissioner-Pollution Control
- Tester, Peter Lund$185,681Deputy Commr Pollution Control
- Kohlasch, Frank L$179,172Asst Commr Pollution Control
- Koudelka, Kirk G$179,172Asst Commr Pollution Control
- Vanderbosch, Dana A$174,964Asst Commr Pollution Control
- Fredrickson, Leslie$163,659General Counsel 2
- Cords, Wayne C$161,075Pollution Cont Division Dir
Highest paid as Research Scientist 2
FY 2026, amount paid
- Reed, Jeffrey R$122,367Natural Resources Dept
- Dahl, Stephanie Kay$122,334Agriculture Dept
- Van Lieshout, Lawrence A$114,071Agriculture Dept
- Scholer, Jamison Dane$103,709Agriculture Dept
- Tri, Andrew Nathan$103,384Natural Resources Dept
- Lucio, Michelle Ann$102,593Health Department
- Sietman, Bernard E$101,200Natural Resources Dept
- Lee, Michael D$101,194Natural Resources Dept