UW president tops state salary list

OLYMPIA _ The top salaries at the state’s two Pac-10 universities far outstrip those of other state employees, and the University of Washington’s top tier earns far more than Washington State University’s.

Those are among the details in one of the most-read state documents: the every-other-year report, released Monday, listing the salary of everyone on the state payroll.

At the top is UW President Mark Emmert, paid $518,700 a year. Coming in at No. 3 is Huskies football coach Tyrone Willingham, paid $425,004. WSU President V. Lane Rawlins comes in eighth, at $324,450.

Of the 100 highest-paid higher education staffers, WSU had seven, UW had 93. All earn more than $200,000 a year.

Many of the University of Washington’s top-paid staffers are medical professors or hospital administrative employees.

Among WSU’s highest-paid employees:

“ Executive vice president and provost Robert Bates: $257,508.

“ Dean and professor Eric Spangenberg: $257,500.

“ Sleep and performance researcher Gregory Belenky: $242,217.

“ Regents’ Professor Anjan Bose: $234,952.

“ Professor Joseph Valacich: $233,131.

“ Vice President of University Development and President of the WSU Foundation Len Jessup: $231,750.

Among state employees, the top earners included two employees of the state investment board, which oversees the investment of billions of dollars of state pensions, savings and other money. Executive Director Joe Dear, a former chief of staff for Gov. Gary Locke, earns $209,484. The deputy director for investments, Gary Brubaker, earns $207,180.

There are several cases in which workers are paid more than their bosses. State budget director Victor Moore ($158,004) and her chief of staff Tom Fitzsimmons ($152,400) earn more than their boss, Gov. Chris Gregoire ($150,996).

And Assistant State Auditor Theodore Rutt ($177,507) earns far more than his boss, State Auditor Brian Sonntag ($105,811). In fact, Sonntag didn’t make the top 100.

A full two-thirds of the top earners in general government are psychiatrists working for the Department of Social and Health Services. Most earn $149,700.

“We’re talking about medical doctors here. In order to hire qualified medical doctors, you have to pay close to the going rate,” said Steve Williams, a spokesman for the department. With the state running major mental-health facilities, he said, “they’re necessary people to accomplish our mission.”