An annual report by Pitt’s Management Information and Analysis office on average (mean) and median staff and faculty salaries at Pitt for fiscal year 2012 showed a wide range between the highest- and lowest-paying job areas in the University.

The report, which includes 7,038 staff and 4,431 faculty, is based on Oct. 31, 2011, data for regular (not temporary) full-time employees at Pitt, said Bob Goga, assistant director of the Office of Institutional Research, who presented the report April 19 to the University Senate budget policies committee (BPC). Postdocs and research associates are not included. Salaries for faculty with 12-month contracts were converted to a nine-month equivalent by using a multiplier of 0.818181, he said.

The report, which lists salaries by responsibility center, categorizes faculty by rank and divides staff into four categories: executive, administrative and managerial; other professionals; secretarial and clerical, and technical, skilled and service.

Data are not reported for categories with three or fewer employees to keep individual salary data private.

BPC chair John J. Baker said, “I think it’s much more valuable than the AAUP (American Association of University Professors) peer report, for example,” which lists pay by faculty ranks. “The AAUP report compares us to different peer schools but [the internal report compares] within responsibility centers here; this is very valuable,” he said.

Baker added that listing both median and average salaries is valuable, particularly in cases where a responsibility center’s averages may be skewed by one employee’s high salary.

High and low staff pay by category

The analysis showed that, based on job category, the 11 executive, administrative and managerial staff members in the Office of the Senior Vice Chancellor for Health Sciences earned the highest average salary, $201,754, and also the highest median, $160,546. They topped last year’s list with a $194,430 mean and a $156,630 median.

The lowest-paid full-timers at Pitt in FY12 were the 22 technical, skilled and service workers in the Office of the Associate Vice Chancellor for Human Resources, who averaged $19,430. The employees with the lowest median were 28 secretarial and clerical employees in Pitt’s libraries, with $19,036.

In the FY11 analysis, the four technical, skilled and service staff members in the Office of Student Affairs were at the bottom of the salary list. They averaged $19,167 and their median pay also was lowest University-wide, at $18,131. Their pay was not reported in the FY12 analysis because there were only two Student Affairs employees in that category.

High and low staff pay by area

The area with the highest average pay across the University’s 45 responsibility centers remained the Office of General Counsel (made up of 11 executive, administrative and managerial employees; three other professionals, and five secretarial and clerical staff). The office came out on top with an average of $110,935 and a median of $130,842, based on a net total of 16 staff, which excluded three categorized as other professionals.

In last year’s report, the area had an average salary of $94,913 and a median of $90,980, based on a net total staff of 20 (10 executive, administrative and managerial employees; four other professionals, and six secretarial and clerical staff).

At the low end of the staff salary averages in the FY12 report were the Titusville campus staff, who averaged $31,621, based on a net total of 47 employees (27 other professionals, nine secretarial and clerical and 11 technical, skilled and service.) Salaries for three executive, administrative and managerial staff were excluded from the net total.

The lowest median, by area, was in Pitt’s libraries. There, the median was $25,144 for a net total of 113 staff (which excluded one technical, skilled and service employee and two executive, administrative and managerial employees).

University Library System staff were at the bottom of the FY11 rankings with an average salary of  $31,144 and median of $24,565.

Average vs. median

With the exception of the Office of General Counsel, Pitt-Titusville, the School of Social Work and the University Center for Urban and Social Research (UCSUR), average staff salaries by area surpassed median salaries. The difference was most pronounced in Athletics, where the average was $87,515 — nearly double the median of $44,777.

Faculty salary comparisons

The Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences dean’s office was at the top of the salary ranking among 26 responsibility centers with faculty (the University Center for International Studies and Office of the Senior Vice Chancellor and Provost had too few faculty to be included in the report). The Dietrich dean’s office net total of 24 full professors averaged $173,503 with a median of $175,899, the highest pay both for the responsibility center and for the rank.

The A&S dean’s office also topped last year’s list, with an average salary of $167,801 and median salary of $172,033.

At the bottom of the average faculty pay, by rank, at $29,336, were the 18 lecturers/others in the School of Medicine at $29,336. They also had the lowest median by rank at $22,500.

In the FY11 report, the four lecturers/others in the School of Pharmacy had the lowest faculty salaries. They averaged $21,923 and had a median salary of $20,687. The number of faculty in that rank fell to three in FY12; therefore, their salary data were not included in the most recent report.

By responsibility center, Education-University Service Programs, with a total of four instructors, had the lowest average salary, $42,790, and lowest median, $40,369.

The Education-University Service Programs responsibility center also was at the bottom of the FY11 report. Its seven instructor-level faculty averaged $47,107 and had a median salary of $40,966.

—Kimberly K. Barlow

Editor’s note: Staff member Barbara DelRaso provided editorial support for this story.

AT A GLANCE

Highest-paid faculty

Highest average (by rank)

Professors

Dietrich School of A&S dean’s office, $173,503

Highest average (net total by area)

Dietrich School of A&S dean’s office, $173,503

Highest median (by rank)

Professors

Dietrich School of A&S dean’s office, $175,899

Highest median (net total by area)

Dietrich School of A&S dean’s office, $175,899

Lowest-paid faculty

Lowest average (by rank)

Lecturers/other

School of Medicine, $29,336

Lowest average (net total by area)

Education-University Service Programs, $42,790

Lowest median (by rank)

Lecturers/other

School of Medicine, $22,500

Lowest median (net total by area)

Education-University Service Programs, $40,369

$

The annual mean and median salary report categorizes salaries by academic rank for all regular (not temporary) full-time faculty as of Oct. 31, 2011. Research associates are excluded.

Salaries for faculty with 12-month contracts are converted to a nine-month equivalent using a multiplier of 0.818181.

Mean (average) and median salary amounts are suppressed when the number of employees in a particular rank or category is three or fewer. The net total reflects the exclusions.

Executive staff, including those who also may have a faculty appointment, are listed among staff as part of the “executive, administrative and managerial” category.

• Bradford campus: 73 net total, $61,270 average, $59,742 median.

Eight professors: $81,697 average, $84,118 median; 25 associate professors: $66,873 average, $67,309 median; 29 assistant professors: $55,864 average, $53,650 median; 11 instructors: $47,935 average, $47,573 median.

• Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences (A&S) dean’s office: 24 net total, $173,503 average, $175,899 median.

24 at the rank of professor: $173,503 average, $175,899 median.

• Dietrich School of A&S humanities division: 280 net total, $65,729 average, $61,990 median.

61 professors: $115,069 average, $102,000 median; 56 associate professors: $73,147 average, $70,725 median; 48 assistant professors: $61,879 average, $63,698 median; 27 instructors: $33,773 average, $35,000 median; 88 lecturers/other: $38,710 average, $37,165 median.

• Dietrich School of A&S natural sciences division: 287 net total, $81,284 average, $76,926 median.

91 professors: $117,275 average, $112,379 median; 65 associate professors: $77,750 average, $77,657 median; 77 assistant professors: $67,231 average, $72,928 median; 14 instructors: $37,018 average, $38,264 median; 40 lecturers/other: $47,694 average, $46,426 median.

• Dietrich School of A&S social sciences division: 126 net total, $90,191 average, $80,854 median.

41 professors: $125,793 average, $119,645 median; 31 associate professors: $89,124 average, $78,058 median; 31 assistant professors: $75,187 average, $67,650 median; 23 lecturers/other: $48,386 average, $45,021 median.

• Education-University Service Programs: Four net total, $42,790 average, $40,369 median.

Four instructors: $42,790 average, $40,369 median.

• Graduate School of Public and International Affairs: 30 net total, $96,619 average, $97,562 median.

Nine professors: $131,191 average, $135,109 median; seven associate professors: $106,884 average, $110,680 median; 14 assistant professors: $69,261 average, $73,767 median.

• Graduate School of Public Health: 161 net total, $92,496 average, $77,362 median.

40 professors: $147,643 average, $143,454 median; 39 associate professors: $92,035 average, $85,999 median; 82 assistant professors: $65,814 average, $67,544 median.

• Greensburg campus: 76 net total, $56,926 average, $56,335 median.

Six professors: $77,820 average, $77,348 median; 29 associate professors: $64,158 average, $61,662 median; 27 assistant professors: $51,479 average, $51,758 median; 14 instructors: $43,494 average, $48,701 median.

• Johnstown campus: 139 net total, $56,529 average, $55,214 median.

13 professors: $73,208 average, $70,001 median; 52 associate professors: $62,882 average, $61,873 median; 45 assistant professors: $51,005 average, $48,980 median; 29 instructors: $46,232 average, $43,396 median.

• Katz Graduate School of Business: 83 net total, $141,287 average, $134,400 median.

33 professors: $171,644 average, $162,000 median; 21 associate professors: $127,853 average, $116,039 median; 23 assistant professors: $130,141 average, $116,509 median; six lecturers/other: $64,071 average, $66,345 median.

• Libraries (University Library System): 68 net total, $50,469 average, $45,448 median.

41 at librarian III: $58,706 average, $52,797 median; 15 at librarian II: $40,884 average, $36,646 median; 12 at librarian I: $34,308 average, $32,509 median.

• School of Dental Medicine: 86 net total, $90,055 average, $85,524 median.

12 professors: $126,333 average, $126,442 median; 20 associate professors: $96,152 average, $92,445 median; 45 assistant professors: $87,455 average, $81,365 median; nine instructors: $41,135 average, $34,266 median.

• School of Education: 127 net total, $71,973 average, $71,344 median.

15 professors: $111,958 average, $107,858 median; 34 associate professors: $86,226 average, $84,233 median; 30 assistant professors: $69,101 average, $71,462 median; five instructors: $53,047 average, $51,277 median; 43 lecturers/other: $50,960 average, $38,872 median.

• School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences: 110 net total, $71,523 average, $68,345 median.

13 professors: $116,593 average, $119,078 median; 24 associate professors: $73,345 average, $72,090 median; 46 assistant professors: $67,524 average, $68,143 median; 27 instructors: $55,016 average, $55,059 median.

• School of Information Sciences: 28 net total, $92,786 average, $94,795 median.

Six professors: $120,053 average, $116,141 median; 14 associate professors: $98,276 average, $97,055 median; eight assistant professors: $62,728 average, $64,799 median.

• School of Law: 51 net total, $108,344 average, $105,472 median.

28 professors: $143,012 average, $145,298 median; five associate professors: $75,917 average, $75,185 median; 11 assistant professors: $73,723 average, $79,694 median; seven lecturers/other: $47,235 average, $45,926 median.

• School of Medicine: 2,259 net total, $76,085 average, $57,273 median.

489 professors: $120,520 average, $115,609 median; 536 associate professors: $81,488 average, $77,333 median; 1,100 assistant professors: $57,559 average, $40,909 median; 116 instructors: $46,737 average, $42,545 median; 18 lecturers/other: $29,336 average, $22,500 median.

• School of Medicine Division Administration: Four net total, $91,427 average, $92,287 median.

Four assistant professors: $91,427 average, $92,287 median.

• School of Nursing: 82 net total, $66,892 average, $64,755 median.

10 professors: $99,839 average, $103,109 median; 18 associate professors: $78,425 average, $75,713 median; 35 assistant professors: $61,133 average, $63,000 median; 19 instructors: $49,233 average, $43,218 median.

• School of Pharmacy: 70 net total, $89,449 average, $85,503 median.

17 professors: $122,043 average, $116,761 median; 17 associate professors: $88,035 average, $91,058 median; 36 assistant professors: $74,724 average, $77,230 median.

• School of Social Work: 29 net total, $78,755 average, $76,000 median.

Five professors: $95,557 average, $113,261 median; 10 associate professors: $87,557 average, $84,806 median; 14 assistant professors: $66,468 average, $66,459 median.

• Senior Vice Chancellor for Health Sciences: 27 net total, $51,515 average, $49,091 median.

27 lecturers/other: $51,515 average, $49,091 median.

• Swanson School of Engineering: 146 net total, $97,430 average, $92,418 median.

45 professors: $140,238 average, $136,079 median; 48 associate professors: $94,143 average, $96,328 median; 46 assistant professors: $67,968 average, $73,151 median; seven lecturers/other: $38,374 average, $26,288 median.

• Titusville campus: 23 net total, $52,316 average, $49,419 median.

Six associate professors: $56,532 average, $57,239 median; 10 assistant professors: $55,127 average, $48,661 median; seven instructors: $44,686 average, $46,608 median.