Median Salaries of Senior-Level Administrative Positions Increase 4 Percent

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February 28, 2008

The median salary of senior-level administrators at colleges and universities increased 4 percent in 2007-08, according to the annual salary survey released by the College and University Professional Association for Human Resources (CUPA-HR). This is the same increase as experienced last year, and marks the 11th consecutive year that the median salary increases outpaced inflation. More than 1,300 college and universities participated in the survey, with salary information reported in 11 job categories: senior executive officer; chief functional officers; academic deans; academic associate/assistant deans; academic affairs; business and administrative affairs; human resources; information technology; athletics; student affairs; and external affairs.

Among this year’s findings:

Median administrative salary increases at public institutions were slightly higher this year than at private institutions (4.1 percent versus 4.0 percent). The median salary increases at doctoral institutions were the highest at 4.2 percent compared to all other classifications, which experienced a median increase of 4.0 percent.
Among all job categories, the highest one-year median salary increase was in the senior executives and chief functional officers category (4.4 percent).
Among the 282 positions surveyed, the dean of medicine had the highest median salary ($385,461); the assistant director of student activities had the lowest median salary ($40,218).
In 2007-08, the overall median salary for a chief business officer was $145,000. Chief business officers (CBOs) at doctoral institutions had the highest median salary ($215,375) compared to CBOs at the other institutional classifications.

To view the executive summary for administrative compensation or to purchase the full report, visit the CUPA-HR Web site.