Public University Presidents Who Earn $1 Million

Penn State and Texas A&M win the game when it comes to overall presidential pay.

The public universities’ presidents are the only university leaders in the United States to earn more than $1 million — with Pennsylvania State University President Rodney A. Erickson earning a total compensation of nearly $1.5 million, according to the Chronicle of Higher Education.

The Chronicle published its executive-compensation package data for the 2014 fiscal year today. The data were broken down in a number of ways, including base pay and total compensation (which includes base pay, bonuses, deferred compensation paid out and severance).

Total compensation

1. Rodney A. Erickson, president, Pennsylvania State University at University Park: $1,494,603
2. R. Bowen Loftin, president, Texas A&M University at College Station: $1,128,957 (partial-year compensation)
3. Joseph A. Alutto, interim president, Ohio State University: $996,169
4. Elson S. Floyd, president, Washington State University: $877,250
5. Paula Allen-Meares, chancellor and vice president, University of Illinois at Chicago: $872,458

Base pay

1. Francisco G. Cigarroa, chancellor, University of Texas system: $752,160
2. Elson S. Floyd, president, Washington State University: $725,000
3. Renu Khator, president and system chancellor, University of Houston: $700,000
4. Patrick T. Harker, president, University of Delaware: $682,502
5. Satish K. Tripathi, president, University at Buffalo: $650,000; and Samuel L. Stanley Jr., president, State University of New York at Stony Brook: $650,000

To learn about the compensation of more public employees, check out “10 Public Employees Who Make More Money Than the President” — the president of the United States, that is.