Cal State exec pay outpaces faculty

By Elizabeth Wilson and Hugo Rios

As the union representing 29,000 California State University faculty members readies itself for rolling one-day strikes starting Monday, one of the dominant arguments the university posits against the union’s wage demands is that Cal State simply can’t afford it. After all, how could the nation’s largest public four-year university system meet the union’s desired 12% pay hike while grappling with a $1.5 billion funding gap?

It’s a tough argument to sell when Cal State Chancellor Mildred García will earn nearly $1 million in total compensation during her first year. Indeed, the base salary for that job has increased by 38% — from $451,500 in 2007 to $625,000 in 2022. Over the same 15-year period, Cal State campus presidents’ base salaries have also grown — by an average of 43% (or roughly $119,882).

That’s a stark contrast compared to Cal State faculty. On average, lecturer salaries increased by 22% over the past 15 years, while professor pay has risen 30%. (In fall 2022, the average salaries for full-time lecturers and professors were $71,255 and $122,016, respectively).

The debate over pay comes just two months after Cal State trustees voted to hike tuition by 6% annually for the next five years. It was the second tuition hike in 12 years for the university, and a move that was highly criticized by students.

For more on CalMatters’ analysis on Cal State exec pay, read Elizabeth and Hugo’s story.