Top earners at Virginia Tech paid in a 'highly competitive market'

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Top earners at Virginia Tech paid in a 'highly competitive market'

Luke Weir Jul 23, 2023

As part of Virginia Tech’s $2 billion budget for the upcoming school year, there are 8,470 full-time employees on the payroll. ... The top 10 earners at Virginia Tech combine for salaries totaling $7.4 million, which is about 1% of the school’s annual $723 million payroll, according to data made available through a public records request.

Higher education hiring, from the classroom to the playing field, is a highly competitive, worldwide market, said university Chief Spokesperson Mark Owczarski. ... “When you look at our list, those are people who do incredible work, and they are extraordinarily talented individuals who have earned their compensation,” Owczarski said. “They’ve done tremendous work for Virginia Tech, all up and down that list, whether that be in athletics, whether that be in university leadership or academics.”

Five of Virginia Tech’s listed top 10 earners are athletics staff, including top of the list Director of Athletics Whit Babcock, who makes $911,737 per year. All of the top 10 are men. ... Number two and three, respectively, are Football Offensive Coordinator James Brown, who earns $850,000, and Football Defensive Coordinator Chris Marve-Samuel, who makes $825,000.

Another football team staffer, Assistant Coach Joseph Rudolf, earns $725,000, placing him sixth on the list, ahead of Virginia Tech Women’s Basketball Head Coach Kenny Brooks’ eighth-highest $650,000 salary, the data shows. ... But an employee like Virginia Tech Football Head Coach Brent Pry, who made $4 million in each of his first two seasons with the Hokies, does not crack the university’s provided top 10 earners list. That’s because most of Pry’s contract is paid out as bonuses, Owczarski said. ... “Because there are multiple ways that a bonus can be written into your contract, it’s hard to compare or to rank fairly or consistently,” Owczarski said.

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Two professors are ninth and tenth on the list. From the Pamplin College of Business is Professor of Business Information Technology Viswanath Venkatesh, earning $639,731, while Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine Professor and Dean Lee Learman makes $629,410.

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Venkatesh

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