This NC public university chancellor was the highest paid in the nation last year
N.C. State University Chancellor Randy Woodson’s nearly $2.3 million paycheck last year put him at the top of his class — and even ahead of his boss.
Woodson was the highest paid chief executive at a public doctoral university or system in 2021, according to a database published by The Chronicle of Higher Education. Many of his peers bring in a higher base salary, but Woodson earned this title with $1.7 million in performance bonuses.
No other North Carolina chancellors made the top 50, but UNC Charlotte’s Sharon Gaber was the next highest paid chancellor on the list. She made just under $700,000.
The database features nearly 200 university leaders, including UNC-Chapel Hill’s Kevin Guskiewicz, UNC Greensboro’s Franklin Gilliam Jr., UNC Wilmington’s former chancellor Jose Sartarelli and UNC System President Peter Hans.
The rankings account for total compensation received by university leaders in the 2021 calendar year, including base pay, bonuses and benefits. The Chronicle surveyed the institutions to get the public data. Dozens of institutions, including North Carolina A&T State University, University of Virginia and Ohio State University, did not respond to the survey at the time of publication and were not included in the database.
Randy Woodson, NC State Chancellor
(Ranked 1st nationally and in the state)
Total compensation: $2,298,069
Base pay: $585,483
Bonus pay: $1,701,000
Other: $5,197
Benefits: $6,389
In 2021, Woodson earned a bonus that was tied to his performance as part of a retention package set up by the N.C. State Board of Trustees in 2015. His goals included increasing the university’s endowment, graduation rate and research enterprise. Woodson donated that performance bonus back to the university to support student scholarships.
Sharon Gaber, UNC Charlotte Chancellor
(Ranked 58th nationally and 2nd in the state)
Total pay: $685,016
Base pay: $525,000
Bonus pay: $1,000
Other: $148,943
Benefits: $10,073
Kevin Guskiewicz, UNC-Chapel Hill Chancellor
(Ranked 75th nationally and 3rd in the state)
Total pay: $626,117
Base pay: $617,403
Bonus pay: $0
Other: $2,325
Benefits: $6,389
Franklin Gilliam Jr., UNC Greensboro Chancellor
(Ranked 99th nationally and 4th in the state)
Total pay: $531,344
Base pay: $393,312
Bonus pay: $84,970
Other: $11,280
Benefits: $41,782
Peter Hans, UNC System President
(Ranked 147th nationally and 5th in the state)
Total pay: $428,239
Base pay: $400,000
Bonus pay: $1,000
Other: $840
Benefits: $26,399
In July 2022, Hans received a $451,200 one-time bonus on top of his annual base salary of $400,000. Hans accepted the job in 2020 with a salary below his predecessors, but had the unique opportunity to get an incentive payment of up to $600,000 based on his performance, The News & Observer previously reported.
Jose Sartarelli, former UNCW Chancellor
(Ranked 164th nationally and 6th in the state)
Total pay: $392,589
Base pay: $392,589
Bonus pay: $0
Other: $0
Benefits: $0
Sartarelli retired at the end of the 2022 academic year and was replaced by Aswani Volety, former provost and vice president for academic affairs at Elon University. Volety took over the position this fall with a $385,000 annual salary.
Want to know how much other UNC System chancellors make?
Here’s a look at each chancellor’s base salary in 2021, excluding bonuses, from The N&O’s pay database for UNC System employees. The searchable database is based on information from the UNC System and includes all university administrators, coaches, professors and staff.
Randy Woodson, NCSU: $664,387
Kevin Guskiewicz, UNC-CH: $620,000
Sharon Gaber, UNCC: $525,000
Franklin Gilliam, UNCG: $409,609
Philip Rogers, ECU: $400,000
Harold Martin, NC A&T: $393,224
Jose Sartarelli, UNCW: $391,589
Sheri Everts, ASU: $375,098
Nancy Cable, UNCA: $330,000
Johnson Akinleye, NCCU: $325,000
Kelli Brown, WCU: $325,000
Robin Cummings, UNCP: $313,271
Karrie Dixon, ECSU: $300,000
Darrell Allison, FSU: $285,000
Brian Cole, UNCSA: $280,000
Elwood Robinson, WSSU: $291,305
