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The breakdown: How much do Miami’s highest paid employees make?

Miami University employees’ salaries range more than half a million dollars from the highest paid to the lowest. 

Head football coach Chuck Martin tops the list of highest paid university employees at close to $532,000. University President Greg Crawford comes in a close second with more than $520,000. 

Three of the ten highest paid employees are coaches. Three are college deans. One is a person of color. None are women. 

The top ten paid employees at the university are as follows: 

  • Head Football Coach Chuck Martin: $531, 746

  • President Greg Crawford: $520,047

  • Provost and Executive Vice President Jason Osborne: $390,000

  • Senior Vice President of Finance and Business Services David Creamer: $376,120

  • Farmer School of Business Dean and Professor Marc Rubin: $372,667

  • Men’s Head Basketball Coach Jack Owens: $368,924

  • Senior Vice President for University Advancement Thomas Walter Herbert: $349,838

  • Dean and Professor in the College of Engineering and Computing Marek Dollar: $332,741

  • Dean and Professor of the College of Arts and Science Christopher Makaroff: $316,285

  • Head Ice Hockey Coach Christopher Bergeron: $305,000

These salaries are as of Oct. 1, 2019. Creamer said these numbers are determined based on market value and what comparable schools pay for the same positions. 

Salaried faculty positions are determined by the chair and dean of the respective academic department and the provost. 

Bill Even, professor of economics, said the discrepancy in pay between the highest and lowest paid employees is not just in higher education and that the disparity has widened recently. 

“People at the top have such a huge effect on profitability, on the reputation and efficiency of the university, that if you try to save 100 or 200,000 on the president, it could cost you a lot more than that,” Even said. 

Creamer said negotiations start based on market value and vary based on the person’s experience, success and other factors. 

Even though Martin makes the most money at the university, Creamer explained that’s pretty typical.

“Unfortunately, football coaches are paid more than presidents today, so while it may seem to be a little out of step, it is a reality then when you use, again, market to determine what the compensation should be,” Creamer said. 

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According to USA Today, Martin’s salary is ranked 112 out of 122 NCAA football coaches who reported their salaries for 2019. 

Miami’s list doesn’t differ much from comparable Ohio public schools. The University of Cincinnati’s president, Neville Pinto, will make $660,000 this year, according to data compiled by The News Record. Their 10 highest paid employees include the president, provost, two athletics positions, three deans, two finance/investment administrators and the vice president for research. The salaries range from about $340,000 to $660,000. 

At Ohio University, The Post reports that the men’s basketball and football coaches top the list, followed by the president and provost. Next comes the Chief Medical Affairs Officer, Senior Vice President for Finance and Administration, Vice President for University Advancement, deans of the engineering and business schools and director of athletics. Their salaries range from $295,000 to $581,000. 

Miami’s numbers haven’t changed much in the past five years, either. The same list of positions has generally made up the top paid employees. 

@racheldberry

berryrd@miamioh.edu