Australia’s highest-paid vice chancellors are earning six times more than their most senior professors, prompting the tertiary education union to demand an inquiry into escalating wage theft scandals.
Analysis by the SMH indicates that approximately half of Australia’s vice chancellors now earn over $1 million, often surpassing the salaries of their peers at some of the world’s most prestigious institutions.
Recent annual reports of the universities reveal that five of Victoria’s eight universities compensated their vice chancellors over $1 million last year. Similarly, about half of Sydney’s universities also paid their vice chancellors seven-figure salaries.
Former Monash University vice chancellor Margaret Gardner topped the list, earning nearly $1.6 million before her departure last year. This was about $190,000 more than her 2022 salary, including entitlements.
The University of Sydney’s vice chancellor, Mark Scott, received a $75,000 pay rise in 2023, bringing his total earnings to over $1.17 million.
Outgoing Melbourne University vice chancellor Duncan Maskell was paid more than $1.4 million, despite taking a $60,000 pay cut compared to the previous year.
Similarly, Latrobe University’s then VC, John Dewar, saw a roughly $20,000 reduction in his pay. However, most universities awarded their vice chancellors a pay increase in 2023, even those running at a deficit.
Despite many challenges that Australian universities face, vice chancellor salaries continue to outpace those of prime ministers and premiers.
Further, union analysis reveals that wage theft in the sector exceeds previous estimates, with a conservative tally topping $380 million nationally. Recent annual reports from nine universities included $168 million in provisions for staff underpayments not previously disclosed.
Melbourne University accounted for nearly $10 million of this amount, while Sydney University and the University of New South Wales each accounted for over $70 million.
The tertiary education union’s call for an inquiry highlights the growing concern over wage theft and the disparity in earnings within the sector.
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