Presidents’ salaries up nearly 100% since 1997

Over the past ten years, Ontario university presidents’ financial compensation has increased at a pace considerably higher than the rate of inflation. According to information obtained through the Ontario Public Service Salary Disclosures of 1998 and 2008—covering compensation in 1997 and 2007, respectively—top administrators received an average salary increase of 97.7 per cent.

Ontario university presidents’ financial compensation has increased at a rate far beyond inflation in the last 10 years. According to information obtained through the Ontario Public Service Salary Disclosures of 1998 and 2008—covering compensation in 1997 and 2007, respectively—top administrators were paid up to 185 per cent more last year than a decade before. Over the same period of time, average wages rose by 34.1 per cent¹ and the rate of inflation was 24.1 per cent.²

Below is the total annual compensation (salary plus taxable benefits) for every university in Ontario.

Presidential Compensation

1997 vs.
2007

University

Total compensation

Total compensation

Actual
Increase (%)

Algoma

$100,400.00

$143,085.41

42.5

Brock

$135,253.80

$311,217.86

130.1

Carleton

$165,487.00

$337,173.65

103.7

Guelph

$209,721.00

$446,573.30

112.9

Lakehead

$250,268.00

$249,267.17

-0.4

Laurentian

$169,903.00

$291,811.16

71.8

McMaster

$214,979.96

$504,792.09

134.8

Nipissing

$128,082.10

$259,722.02

102.8

OCAD

$109,093.35

$240,145.63

120.1

Ottawa

$178,209.56

$345,466.68

93.9

Queen’s

$202,052.20

$351,505.90

74.0

Ryerson

$179,294.00

$349,093.10

94.7

Toronto

$215,545.02

$429,681.60

99.3

Trent

$159,602.91

$326,534.06

104.6

Waterloo

$200,471.26

$491,551.58

145.2

Western

$220,909.42

$376,703.16

70.5

Wilfrid Laurier

$132,119.00

$214,486.24

62.3

Windsor

$115,447.41

$329,706.43

185.6

York

$193,239.82

$487,034.00

152.0

Chart Notes:

¹Source: Statistics Canada. Table 282-0070 - Labour force survey estimates (LFS), wages of employees by type of work, National Occupational Classification for Statistics (NOC-S), sex and age group, annual (dollars unless otherwise noted), CANSIM (database)

²Source: Statistics Canada, CONSUMER PRICE INDEXES FOR CANADA, MONTHLY, 1914-2006 (V41690973 series.)

³ Source: 1998 Ontario Public Sector Salary Disclosure

⁴ Source: 2008 Ontario Public Sector Salary Disclosure