Unair Response to the Testimony of Cenuk Lecturer at the Constitutional Court: Average Income of Rp. 9 Million 2026
SURABAYA - The University of Airlangga (Unair) Surabaya emphasized that the income of lecturers cannot be measured only from the basic salary, but based on take home pay (THP), in response to the testimony of a lecturer at the Faculty of Law at Unair, Cenuk Widiyastrisna Sayekti, in a Constitutional Court (MK) hearing.
Director of Human Resources, Talent Management, and Organizational Development of Unair Prof Radian Salman said the basic salary is only one component of the administration in the lecturer's salary slip.
"The income of lecturers cannot be seen only from the basic salary, but must be based on the take home pay which consists of various income components," he said as quoted by ANTARA, Friday, July 3.
Radian explained that the fixed income component of lecturers each month includes basic salary, functional allowances, family allowances, and additional functional allowances paid around the middle of the month.
In addition, lecturers also receive a 13th salary, a 1 lecturer's Income Improvement Allowance (TPK), and a Hari Raya Allowance (THR) equal to the basic salary, so that the total income received is equivalent to 14 times the salary in a year.
Apart from that, lecturers receive income that is not fixed, including meal money, lecturer certification allowance (serdos) for lecturers who are not Civil Servants (PNS), real work lecture (KKN) mentor honor, examiner honor, correction honor, scientific publication incentive, and incentives for other academic achievements.
According to him, periodic salary increases are given every two years, but the value is relatively small because it only comes from a basic salary increase, namely around Rp96 thousand to Rp120 thousand.
Radian said the scheme for the income of civil servant lecturers and non-civil servant lecturers in principle was the same. The difference is only in the source of financing.
PNS lecturers receive salaries from the government, while non-PNS permanent lecturers receive salaries from Airlangga University.
Based on data from the Unair Human Resources Directorate (SDM), Cenuk's basic salary when he first joined as a lecturer was around IDR 2.6 million.
However, his total income in 2025 reaches around Rp94 million to Rp95 million or an average of around Rp7.8 million per month.
Until July 2026, Cenuk has received income of more than IDR 50 million or an average of around IDR 9.2 million per month. According to Unair, the take home pay value is above the Surabaya City Minimum Wage (UMK).
Regarding research funds, Radian emphasized that research grants are not part of the permanent income of lecturers, but rather competitive funds submitted by lecturers.
The grant funds are disbursed at 70 percent after the contract is signed and the remaining 30 percent after the research external target is met.
"The university never holds research funds outside of this mechanism. If the external target has not been met, then the remaining 30 percent cannot be disbursed," he said.
He explained that the amount of research grants depends on the scheme followed by lecturers, with values ranging from Rp. 37 million, Rp. 50 million, to Rp. 200 million.
According to him, this explanation was conveyed based on data from the Unair Human Resources Directorate so that the income of lecturers was understood in its entirety based on take home pay, not just the basic salary.
Previously, lecturer at the Faculty of Law, Unair, Cenuk Widiyastrisna Sayekti testified in a trial to test Law Number 14 of 2005 concerning Teachers and Lecturers at the Constitutional Court.
During the trial, he said the basic salary he received as a non-civil servant lecturer was around IDR 2.6 million per month and also touched on the mechanism for disbursing research funds.