Not surprisingly, the top-paid employees in the UNC System are mostly coaches.
Michael Malone, hired in April as the head coach of men’s basketball at UNC-Chapel Hill, earns a base annual salary of $7.5 million, according to data provided by the UNC System as of June 30. His contract states he will make $8 million in what would be his second season, $8.5 million in Years 3 through 5 and $9 million in Year 6.
Read more Chapel Hill retirement community plans for growth. This is the Carol Woods plan.
The next highest paid is NC State head football coach Dave Doeren, who earns a base salary of $3.3 million.
Rounding out the top three is new NC State men’s basketball head coach Justin Gainey, who is paid an annual base salary of just under $1.8 million.
The publicly available data does not include bonuses or other compensation coaches may receive as part of their contracts with the school. For example, UNC head football coach Bill Belichick is paid a base annual salary of $1 million, but his contract with the school includes a total compensation package of $10 million annually over five years with only the first three of those years guaranteed. The other $9 million is “supplemental income” he is paid to help “promote, represent, and assist the marketing of” Carolina. He can also earn as much as $3.5 million per year in bonuses.
Read more A Raleigh tiny-home village will give veterans a permanent place to call home
There are three professors among the top 10 highest earners in the 16-campus university system (plus the N.C. School of Science and Math), all employed by East Carolina University:
From custodians to accountants to assistant professors, there are currently just under 50,000 university system employees, including those who work in UNC General Administration. The median salary is $73,100.
Find all university system employee salaries in the UNC System’s database, which is updated quarterly.
Read more New artwork lights up downtown Raleigh with limited-time installation