The University of California 2011 “Employee Pay Report” is quick to point out that, although UC payroll was up 6% from the year before, “Compensation for many UC employees is significantly below market.”

That statement probably does not apply to the 22 employees—17 medical doctors and administrators at UC hospitals, four athletic coaches and Marie Berggren, treasurer of the UC regents—who made more than $1 million last year. Much of the salaries for coaches comes from within the athletic programs.

Five years ago there were six employees making more than $1 million a year.

The report on employee compensation was generally gloomy and bemoaned the university’s pay status compared to other competing institutions. The percentage of total payroll that was funded by student fees and the state was 26% in 2011, a point less than the year before, leaving employees to rely on compensation from its medical/hospital resources (36%), the federal government, private contracts, gifts and other sources.

Total UC payroll grew from $10 billion in 2010 to $10.6 billion in 2011. “This increase is likely attributable to a combination of factors, including restoration of furlough reductions, increased research activity and market pressures for more competitive compensation, particularly in the areas of health care, instruction and research,” according to the university.

The top 10 earners in 2011, as listed in the UC employee compensation database, were:

Jeff Tedford, UC Berkeley head football coach ($2.88 million)

Ben Howland, UCLA head basketball coach ($2.14 million)

Ronald Busuttil, UCLA professor ($1.98 million)    

Anthony Azakie, UC San Francisco professor ($1.81 million)

Philip Leboit, UC San Francisco professor ($1.53 million)

Khalil Tabsh, UCLA professor ($1.5 million)

Timothy McCalmont, UC San Francisco professor ($1.43 million)

David Feinberg, UCLA health system president ($1.39 million)

Michael Montgomery, UC Berkeley basketball coach ($1.37 million)

Richard Neuheisel, UCLA football coach ($1.33 million)

–Ken Broder

To Learn More:

Number of University of California Workers Earning $1 Million Quadruples in Five Years (by Phillip Reese, Sacramento Bee)

University of California Report on 2011 Employee Pay (pdf)

UC Payroll up 6 Percent: See Who Made $1 Million or More (by Laurel Rosenhall, Sacramento Bee)