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The GW Hatchet

Serving the GW Community since 1904

The GW Hatchet

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Officials name senior vice president, chief of staff
By Fiona Riley, Assistant News Editor • March 26, 2024

How some of GW administrators’ salaries stack up against national peers

Provost Steven Lerman speaks at a strategic plan town hall last year. The provost led the creation of the decade-long plan, which the Board of Trustees approved Friday. Hatchet File Photo
Provost Steven Lerman speaks at a strategic plan town hall last year. The provost led the creation of the decade-long plan, which the Board of Trustees approved Friday. Hatchet File Photo

Several top-paid administrators earn much more than their national counterparts’ median salaries, new data shows.

Data released by the College and University Professional Association for Human Resources this month lists the median salaries for administrators at doctoral universities across the country.

The data is imperfect, and there is a good deal of context to be aware of:
– GW’s salary data is from fiscal year 2012 and taken from tax filings, while the national data is from fiscal year 2013. Both are the latest available.

– The University only has to disclose the salaries of its top-paid administrators. Because that’s the only personnel data we have, we’re only able to look at how some of the highest paid officials stack up against the national median. (That removes the possibility to see whether some administrators are underpaid compared to national peers.)

– D.C.’s cost of living is 22 percent above the national average, according to Forbes. That plays into how much GW pays administrators.

– Some administrators who are paid above the national median juggle several roles. For instance, Jeffrey Akman is both the dean of the medical school and GW’s top health affairs official. Some universities separate those two positions.

Here’s the full list:
Median medical dean: $501,350
Jeffrey Akman: $733,298

Median law dean: $310,000
Paul Schiff Berman*: $413,524

Median provost: $310,000
Steven Lerman: $607,909

Median business dean: $293,096
Doug Guthrie*: $486,598

Median arts and sciences dean: $225,000
Peg Barratt*: $323,345

Median chief information officer: $225,000
David Steinour: $328,200

Median chief investment officer: $227,084
Don Lindsay: $571,703

* indicates that the administrator is no longer in that position.

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