Pitt releases salary details of top-tier earners

In accordance with the right-to-know laws, Pitt has released its income tax returns from the previous fiscal year.

Though Pitt is exempt from paying taxes on its revenue as a nonprofit organization, the University must still file a 990 tax form with the IRS. As part of the 990 tax form, Pitt disclosed its top earners for the 2015 fiscal year, which began July 1, 2014, and ended June 30, 2015.

Former head basketball coach Jamie Dixon topped the list of highest-paid Pitt employees, with a total gross pay of $2,320,887. Former head football coach Paul Chryst earned the second highest salary, with $1,645,652.

Pitt spokesperson John Fedele declined to comment on the salaries for current head basketball coach Kevin Stallings and current head football coach Pat Narduzzi.

Arthur Levine, senior vice chancellor and dean of the School of Medicine, earned $1,081,512 — making him one of Pitt’s top three earners still employed by the University.

Because Chancellor Patrick Gallagher began working for Pitt in August 2014 — after the fiscal year had begun — the 990 form only shows the portion of his salary earned during the months he worked at Pitt to that point rather than his full base salary, said Fedele.

Gallagher earned $218,592 during those months, according to the form. Pitt set the chancellor’s salary at $525,000 per year with five yearly raises of $100,000 when he arrived at Pitt. Before leaving the position at the end of July 2014, former chancellor Mark Nordenberg earned $867,501.

Also included in the form were Pitt’s total expenses and revenue, each totaling more than $2 billion. Pitt allocated more than $1 billion of its expenses toward salaries, employee benefits and other compensation.