Who Are Iowa’s Top Five Highest Paid State Employees

It may not come as a surprise to most people, but the numbers are still a bit staggering compared to the average Joe Six-Pack State Worker.

The state's highest paid employees are all members of Iowa Athletic Departments. If that seems unbalanced for any reason, the fact that Iowa Hawkeyes sports are a big revenue generator cannot be overlooked.

According to the Gazette, the 2017 state salary book was released Wednesday and  here are the base salaries of the Top Five Highest Paid State Employees:

5. UI Athletic Director Gary Barta - $1.18 million

4. Iowa State Head Football Coach Matt Campbell - $1.25 million

3. Iowa State University Head Coach Steve Prohm - $1.68 million

2. Iowa Men's Basketball Coach Fran McCaffery - $1.79 million

1. Iowa Hawkeyes Head Coach Kirk Ferentz - $2.37 million

With bonuses and other incentives, Kirk's full compensation topped $5 million, making him the highest paid state employee of Iowa once again this year.

By comparison, the median salary for state workers is $52,416, which is a pretty good paycheck no matter how you size it up. The state salary books includes 59,208 state employees.

[source: Gazette]