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Highest- to Lowest-Paid Noninstructional Employees at Colleges, by Sector, 2016-17

Almanac 2018 August 19, 2018

Managers received the highest average pay among 13 noninstructional occupations in nearly all sectors. The exception was two-year private nonprofit institutions, which paid business-and-finance staff members the most. Two-year for-profit institutions devoted nearly 40 percent of their outlays to managerial pay, the most among sectors. They were followed by four-year for-profit institutions, which devoted 34 percent. At the lowest end were four-year public institutions, which devoted just 22 percent to managers’ salaries, and which also had the lowest share of noninstructional staff members classified as managers, just over 12 percent. Four-year private nonprofit institutions paid their managers — and all of their noninstructional employees — the highest average salaries.

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Managers received the highest average pay among 13 noninstructional occupations in nearly all sectors. The exception was two-year private nonprofit institutions, which paid business-and-finance staff members the most. Two-year for-profit institutions devoted nearly 40 percent of their outlays to managerial pay, the most among sectors. They were followed by four-year for-profit institutions, which devoted 34 percent. At the lowest end were four-year public institutions, which devoted just 22 percent to managers’ salaries, and which also had the lowest share of noninstructional staff members classified as managers, just over 12 percent. Four-year private nonprofit institutions paid their managers — and all of their noninstructional employees — the highest average salaries.


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4-year public institutions (724 colleges)

RankOccupationEmployeesShare of employeesSalary outlaysShare of costsAverage number of employees per collegeAverage salary outlays per collegeAverage pay per employee
1. Management 100,700 12.2% $10,616,204,115 22.0% 139 $14,663,265 $105,424
2. Public service 8,140 1.0% $563,974,683 1.2% 11 $778,971 $69,284
3. Research 32,146 3.9% $2,182,570,715 4.5% 44 $3,014,600 $67,896
4. Computer, engineering, and science 106,478 12.9% $6,889,357,774 14.3% 147 $9,515,688 $64,702
5. Health-care practitioners and technical 29,555 3.6% $1,898,401,680 3.9% 41 $2,622,102 $64,233
6. Business and financial operations 98,269 11.9% $5,977,752,490 12.4% 136 $8,256,564 $60,831
7. Community, social service, legal, arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media 70,576 8.6% $4,219,680,826 8.7% 97 $5,828,288 $59,789
8. Librarians, curators, archivists, and academic-affairs and other education services 63,176 7.7% $3,372,310,684 7.0% 87 $4,657,888 $53,380
9. Natural resources, construction, and maintenance 45,237 5.5% $2,167,676,584 4.5% 62 $2,994,028 $47,918
10. Production, transportation, and material moving 10,604 1.3% $495,815,451 1.0% 15 $684,828 $46,757
11. Office and administrative support 150,987 18.3% $6,063,439,720 12.6% 209 $8,374,917 $40,159
12. Sales and related 2,202 0.3% $87,153,040 0.2% 3 $120,377 $39,579
13. Service 105,842 12.8% $3,760,347,825 7.8% 146 $5,193,851 $35,528
All full-time noninstructional staff 823,912 100.0% $48,294,685,587 100.0% 1,138 $66,705,367 $58,616

4-year private nonprofit institutions (1,552 colleges)

RankOccupationEmployeesShare of employeesSalary outlaysShare of costsAverage number of employees per collegeAverage salary outlays per collegeAverage pay per employee
1. Management 85,654 17.4% $9,211,019,621 29.7% 55 $5,934,935 $107,538
2. Public service 947 0.2% $81,462,947 0.3% 1 $52,489 $86,022
3. Research 18,298 3.7% $1,331,994,915 4.3% 12 $858,244 $72,795
4. Computer, engineering, and science 48,626 9.9% $3,410,228,077 11.0% 31 $2,197,312 $70,132
5. Business and financial operations 52,628 10.7% $3,452,974,164 11.1% 34 $2,224,854 $65,611
6. Health-care practitioners and technical 13,006 2.6% $818,172,245 2.6% 8 $527,173 $62,907
7. Community, social service, legal, arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media 47,421 9.7% $2,703,772,981 8.7% 31 $1,742,122 $57,016
8. Natural resources, construction, and maintenance 17,144 3.5% $920,104,480 3.0% 11 $592,851 $53,669
9. Librarians, curators, archivists, and academic-affairs and other education services 48,467 9.9% $2,550,478,562 8.2% 31 $1,643,350 $52,623
10. Production, transportation, and material moving 3,417 0.7% $151,173,813 0.5% 2 $97,406 $44,242
11. Office and administrative support 93,204 19.0% $4,001,288,658 12.9% 60 $2,578,150 $42,930
12. Sales and related 3,122 0.6% $132,576,808 0.4% 2 $85,423 $42,465
13. Service 59,200 12.1% $2,212,211,038 7.1% 38 $1,425,394 $37,368
All full-time noninstructional staff 491,134 100.0% $30,977,458,309 100.0% 316 $19,959,703 $63,073

4-year private for-profit institutions

RankOccupationEmployeesShare of employeesSalary outlaysShare of costsAverage number of employees per collegeAverage salary outlays per collegeAverage pay per employee
1. Management 8,031 20.4% $801,486,394 34.0% 16 $1,574,629 $99,799
2. Research 34 0.1% $2,463,329 0.1% 0 $4,840 $72,451
3. Computer, engineering, and science 1,590 4.0% $103,107,134 4.4% 3 $202,568 $64,847
4. Public service 70 0.2% $4,487,167 0.2% 0 $8,816 $64,102
5. Business and financial operations 3,639 9.2% $205,279,426 8.7% 7 $403,299 $56,411
6. Community, social service, legal, arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media 3,952 10.0% $215,738,554 9.1% 8 $423,848 $54,590
7. Sales and related 2,811 7.1% $153,340,749 6.5% 6 $301,259 $54,550
8. Health-care practitioners and technical 104 0.3% $5,639,780 0.2% 0 $11,080 $54,229
9. Librarians, curators, archivists, and academic-affairs and other education services 10,878 27.6% $537,069,536 22.8% 21 $1,055,146 $49,372
10. Office and administrative support 6,701 17.0% $277,863,515 11.8% 13 $545,901 $41,466
11. Production, transportation, and material moving 144 0.4% $5,524,757 0.2% 0 $10,854 $38,366
12. Natural resources, construction, and maintenance 350 0.9% $11,713,144 0.5% 1 $23,012 $33,466
13. Service 1,095 2.8% $35,181,868 1.5% 2 $69,120 $32,130
All full-time noninstructional staff 39,399 100.0% $2,358,895,353 100.0% 77 $4,634,372 $59,872

2-year public institutions (884 colleges)

RankOccupationEmployeesShare of employeesSalary outlaysShare of costsAverage number of employees per collegeAverage salary outlays per collegeAverage pay per employee
1. Management 29,875 17.0% $2,644,657,624 27.8% 34 $2,991,694 $88,524
2. Research 98 0.1% $6,290,102 0.1% 0 $7,116 $64,185
3. Computer, engineering, and science 12,698 7.2% $756,140,540 7.9% 14 $855,363 $59,548
4. Business and financial operations 14,042 8.0% $774,904,324 8.1% 16 $876,589 $55,185
5. Health-care practitioners and technical 717 0.4% $38,117,946 0.4% 1 $43,120 $53,163
6. Community, social service, legal, arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media 15,814 9.0% $825,246,255 8.7% 18 $933,536 $52,185
7. Public service 454 0.3% $22,950,176 0.2% 1 $25,962 $50,551
8. Librarians, curators, archivists, and academic-affairs and other education services 24,314 13.9% $1,222,236,933 12.8% 28 $1,382,621 $50,269
9. Production, transportation, and material moving 761 0.4% $36,917,978 0.4% 1 $41,762 $48,512
10. Sales and related 966 0.6% $43,506,012 0.5% 1 $49,215 $45,037
11. Natural resources, construction, and maintenance 5,501 3.1% $244,621,412 2.6% 6 $276,721 $44,469
12. Office and administrative support 47,480 27.1% $2,000,396,152 21.0% 54 $2,262,892 $42,131
13. Service 22,741 13.0% $895,848,757 9.4% 26 $1,013,404 $39,394
All full-time noninstructional staff 175,461 100.0% $9,511,834,211 100.0% 198 $10,759,993 $54,211

2-year private nonprofit institutions (99 colleges)

RankOccupationEmployeesShare of employeesSalary outlaysShare of costsAverage number of employees per collegeAverage salary outlays per collegeAverage pay per employee
1. Business and financial operations 259 5.7% $23,425,641 9.8% 3 $236,623 $90,446
2. Management 839 18.3% $67,187,192 28.1% 8 $678,659 $80,080
3. Computer, engineering, and science 192 4.2% $11,995,821 5.0% 2 $121,170 $62,478
4. Research 9 0.2% $514,507 0.2% 0 $5,197 $57,167
5. Sales and related 74 1.6% $3,628,655 1.5% 1 $36,653 $49,036
6. Community, social service, legal, arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media 184 4.0% $8,342,246 3.5% 2 $84,265 $45,338
7. Health-care practitioners and technical 22 0.5% $987,872 0.4% 0 $9,979 $44,903
8. Librarians, curators, archivists, and academic-affairs and other education services 2,219 48.5% $96,719,936 40.4% 22 $976,969 $43,587
9. Production, transportation, and material moving 5 0.1% $213,264 0.1% 0 $2,154 $42,653
10. Natural resources, construction, and maintenance 61 1.3% $2,283,342 1.0% 1 $23,064 $37,432
11. Public service 7 0.2% $251,115 0.1% 0 $2,537 $35,874
12. Office and administrative support 538 11.8% $18,544,453 7.7% 5 $187,318 $34,469
13. Service 165 3.6% $5,238,344 2.2% 2 $52,913 $31,748
All full-time noninstructional staff 4,574 100.0% $239,332,388 100.0% 46 $2,417,499 $52,325

2-year private for-profit (535 institutions)

RankOccupationEmployeesShare of employeesSalary outlaysShare of costsAverage number of employees per collegeAverage salary outlays per college
Average pay per employee
1. Management 3,162 27.1% $247,677,844 39.9% 6 $462,949 $78,329
2. Research 32 0.3% $1,785,000 0.3% 0 $3,336 $55,781
3. Community, social service, legal, arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media 738 6.3% $37,806,833 6.1% 1 $70,667 $51,229
4. Computer, engineering, and science 182 1.6% $8,783,321 1.4% 0 $16,417 $48,260
5. Business and financial operations 949 8.1% $44,213,091 7.1% 2 $82,641 $46,589
6. Sales and related 1,229 10.5% $57,203,863 9.2% 2 $106,923 $46,545
7. Librarians, curators, archivists, and academic-affairs and other education services 2,502 21.4% $114,760,058 18.5% 5 $214,505 $45,867
8. Health-care practitioners and technical 44 0.4% $1,710,000 0.3% 0 $3,196 $38,864
9. Office and administrative support 2,394 20.5% $91,513,475 14.8% 4 $171,053 $38,226
10. Natural resources, construction, and maintenance 131 1.1% $4,377,568 0.7% 0 $8,182 $33,417
11. Service 294 2.5% $9,813,236 1.6% 1 $18,342 $33,378
12. Public service 8 0.1% $261,980 0.0% 0 $490 $32,748
13. Production, transportation, and material moving 10 0.1% $325,789 0.1% 0 $609 $32,579
All full-time noninstructional staff 11,675 100.0% $620,232,058 100.0% 22 $1,159,312 $53,125

Note: Data cover salaries for full-time noninstructional, nonmedical staff members at degree-granting higher-education institutions in the United States that were eligible to receive Title IV federal financial aid. Figures may not add up to totals because of rounding. Questions or comments on the Almanac should be sent to the Almanac editor.

Source: Chronicle analysis of U.S. Department of Education data

A version of this article appeared in the August 24, 2018, issue.
Read other items in The Profession: Almanac 2018.
We welcome your thoughts and questions about this article. Please email the editors or submit a letter for publication.
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