University President Douglas Baker was the highest-earning individual at Northern Illinois University in 2016, with total compensation reaching $450,000 according to a DeKalb Times analysis of Illinois Board of Higher Education data.
The 100 highest-earning administrators and faculty members were paid a total of $19,129,563.93 in 2016.
Associate Vice President Sean T. Frazier was the second-highest earning individual, with $352,500 in 2016, followed by Professor Timothy West ($298,532), Vice President and Chief Information Officer Stephen Coryell ($290,000), and Executive Vice President and Provost Lisa Freeman ($280,000).
The following table list the top 100 salary earners at NIU.
| Name | Title | Position | Base Salary | Additional Salary | Total Compensation |
| Douglas D. Baker | President | $450,000.00 | $0.00 | $450,000.00 | |
| Sean T. Frazier | Associate Vice President | Senior Officer | $280,000.08 | $72,500.00 | $352,500.08 |
| Timothy D. West | Professor | $156,880.44 | $141,651.79 | $298,532.23 | |
| Stephen B. Coryell | Vice President, Chief Information Officer | Vice President | $290,000.16 | $0.00 | $290,000.16 |
| Lisa C. Freeman | Exec Vp & Provost | Vice President | $203,500.08 | $76,500.00 | $280,000.08 |
| Catherine B. Squires | Vice President | $250,000.08 | $25,000.08 | $275,000.16 | |
| Rebecca S. Shortridge | Chair | Other Administrator | $171,375.75 | $92,100.80 | $263,476.55 |
| Jonathan E. Furr | Director | Unit Director | $260,000.16 | $0.00 | $260,000.16 |
| James C. Young | Professor | $171,181.50 | $88,522.92 | $259,704.42 | |
| Denise D. Schoenbachler | Dean | Other Administrator | $221,847.12 | $36,000.00 | $257,847.12 |
| Promod Vohra | Dean | Other Administrator | $247,043.28 | $10,000.08 | $257,043.36 |
| Harlan R. Teller | Interim VP Marketing & Communications | Vice President | $250,000.08 | $0.00 | $250,000.08 |
| Alan D. Phillips | Vice President Administration and Finance | Vice President | $245,000.16 | $0.00 | $245,000.16 |
| Jerry D. Blakemore | Vice President and General Counsel | Vice President | $235,000.08 | $0.00 | $235,000.08 |
| Chang Liu | Chair | Other Administrator | $176,368.80 | $56,600.04 | $232,968.84 |
| Katrina L. Mantzke | Associate Professor | $140,180.20 | $91,990.08 | $232,170.28 | |
| Swapan Chaterji | Professor | $189,750.06 | $41,850.45 | $231,600.51 | |
| Christopher K. McCord | Dean | Other Administrator | $192,714.48 | $37,285.92 | $230,000.40 |
| James M. Johnson | Professor | $175,000.14 | $40,759.75 | $215,759.89 | |
| Bradrick M. Cripe | Associate Professor | $141,342.84 | $72,294.48 | $213,637.32 | |
| Pamela A. Smith | Professor | $141,129.18 | $68,542.02 | $209,671.20 | |
| Nicholas T. Karonis | Chair | Other Administrator | $190,512.00 | $18,876.00 | $209,388.00 |
| Leonard L. Lundstrum | Professor | $149,569.74 | $59,710.12 | $209,279.86 | |
| Anne C. Kaplan | Vice President of Outreach, Engagement, and Regional Development | Vice President | $207,723.84 | $0.00 | $207,723.84 |
| David H. Sinason | Professor | $138,784.68 | $67,332.20 | $206,116.88 | |
| Eric A. Weldy | Vice President | $205,000.08 | $0.00 | $205,000.08 | |
| Geoffrey L. Gordon | Chair | Other Administrator | $176,880.24 | $27,200.00 | $204,080.24 |
| Mark W. Cordes | Dean | Other Administrator | $177,018.24 | $26,250.08 | $203,268.32 |
| Robert M. Peterson | Professor | $130,868.46 | $69,350.00 | $200,218.46 | |
| Gerald C. Blazey | Vice President, Research and Innovative Partnerships | Vice President | $154,335.12 | $45,164.88 | $199,500.00 |
| Brian D. Clinton | Professor | $132,603.84 | $64,049.44 | $196,653.28 | |
| Chih-Chen Lee | Professor | $144,996.30 | $50,208.08 | $195,204.38 | |
| J H. Smith | Director | Unit Director | $195,000.00 | $0.00 | $195,000.00 |
| Sarah J. Marsh | Chair | Other Administrator | $171,363.12 | $20,400.00 | $191,763.12 |
| Sanjib Basu | Professor/Statistics Division Director | Professor | $157,139.76 | $34,427.92 | $191,567.68 |
| Natalie T. Churyk | Professor | $133,190.28 | $56,982.20 | $190,172.48 | |
| Marisa A. Benson | Associate Vice President, Project and Process Management | Senior Officer | $190,008.00 | $0.00 | $190,008.00 |
| Andrew A. Bjerken | Chief Information Security Offer | Senior Officer | $190,000.08 | $0.00 | $190,000.08 |
| Purushothaman Damodaran | Chair | Other Administrator | $175,846.32 | $13,424.88 | $189,271.20 |
| Omar A. Ghrayeb | Associate Dean, Outreach and Undergraduate Programs | Other Administrator | $161,068.32 | $25,561.79 | $186,630.11 |
| Lei Zhou | Associate Professor | $147,995.46 | $37,900.02 | $185,895.48 | |
| Murali Krishnamurthi | Provost, Vice for Faculty Affairs | Senior Officer | $170,000.16 | $15,000.12 | $185,000.28 |
| Donald E. Tidrick | Professor | $126,868.32 | $57,670.04 | $184,538.36 | |
| Jon Briscoe | Professor | $126,844.38 | $57,500.08 | $184,344.46 | |
| Susan M. Mini | Provost, Vice, Resource Planning | Senior Officer | $150,469.44 | $32,258.49 | $182,727.93 |
| Elizabeth R. Towell | Dean, Associate | Other Administrator | $170,982.24 | $9,600.00 | $180,582.24 |
| Charles E. Downing | Professor | $138,767.58 | $41,000.00 | $179,767.58 | |
| Vernese E. Edghill-Walden | Senior Associate Vice President for Academic Diversity and Chief Diversity Officer | Senior Officer | $169,583.48 | $9,999.96 | $179,583.44 |
| Pradip Majumdar | Chair | Other Administrator | $149,648.64 | $29,902.92 | $179,551.56 |
| Mark E. Riley | Associate Professor | $141,969.24 | $36,981.04 | $178,950.28 | |
| Barton M. Sharp | Associate Professor | $118,332.72 | $60,110.30 | $178,443.02 | |
| Paul R. Prabhaker | Dean, Associate for Graduate Affairs and Research | Other Administrator | $175,628.40 | $2,100.00 | $177,728.40 |
| La Vonne I. Neal | Associate VP, Process Improve & Op Effectiveness | Senior Officer | $134,640.00 | $43,000.08 | $177,640.08 |
| Derryl E. Block | Dean | Other Administrator | $154,999.92 | $22,500.00 | $177,499.92 |
| Gina K. Nicolosi | Associate Professor | $147,422.16 | $28,850.00 | $176,272.16 | |
| Tammy R. Waymire | Associate Professor | $144,692.28 | $30,098.12 | $174,790.40 | |
| Mansour Tahernezhadi | Associate Dean, Research and Graduate Programs | Other Administrator | $157,782.48 | $16,934.36 | $174,716.84 |
| Carolinda Douglass | Provost, Vice, Academic Planning & Development | Senior Officer | $120,338.16 | $52,887.54 | $173,225.70 |
| Ann C. Dzuranin | Associate Professor | $160,211.52 | $11,500.00 | $171,711.52 | |
| Joseph P. Matty | Associate Vice President for University Advancement | Senior Officer | $171,158.41 | $0.00 | $171,158.41 |
| Nick M. Choban | Senior Director | Unit Director | $170,000.16 | $0.00 | $170,000.16 |
| Mark S. Rosenbaum | Associate Professor | $116,303.76 | $52,133.44 | $168,437.20 | |
| Meghann A. Cefaratti | Associate Professor | $160,308.00 | $7,500.00 | $167,808.00 | |
| Anne L. Birberick | Vice Provost, Undergraduate Academic Affairs | Senior Officer | $121,396.80 | $46,000.44 | $167,397.24 |
| Charles G. Petersen | Professor | $124,538.58 | $42,025.25 | $166,563.83 | |
| David H. Taylor | Professor | $162,121.44 | $3,000.02 | $165,121.46 | |
| Alberta K. Solfisburg | Development Director | Unit Director | $164,835.12 | $0.00 | $164,835.12 |
| Shaokun Yu | Associate Professor | $141,653.70 | $23,018.04 | $164,671.74 | |
| Linda J. Matuszewski | Associate Professor | $141,249.60 | $22,942.04 | $164,191.64 | |
| Clifford R. Mirman | Chair | Other Administrator | $151,016.40 | $13,000.05 | $164,016.45 |
| Mark D. Groza | Assistant Professor | $110,000.16 | $53,966.74 | $163,966.90 | |
| Zhili Xiao | Professor | $98,717.76 | $64,222.15 | $162,939.91 | |
| Thomas R. Phillips | Chief of Police - Department of Public Safety | Unit Director | $160,008.00 | $1,200.00 | $161,208.00 |
| Timothy W. Aurand | Professor | $130,216.50 | $30,000.00 | $160,216.50 | |
| Vijaykumar Krishnan Palghat | Associate Professor | $119,200.14 | $40,050.01 | $159,250.15 | |
| Bradley G. Bond | Dean of the Graduate School and Associate Vice President for Graduate Studies | Other Administrator | $159,120.00 | $0.00 | $159,120.00 |
| Amanda J. Ferguson | Assistant Professor | $127,008.00 | $32,100.08 | $159,108.08 | |
| Matthew M. Parks | Senior Director, Network & Communication Services | Unit Director | $158,400.00 | $0.00 | $158,400.00 |
| Michael J. Syphers | Research Professor | Professor | $158,333.46 | $0.00 | $158,333.46 |
| Sukesh K. Patro | Associate Professor | $147,459.60 | $10,664.08 | $158,123.68 | |
| Ursula Y. Sullivan | Assistant Professor | $109,710.54 | $47,116.74 | $156,827.28 | |
| Barrie P. Bode | Chair | Other Administrator | $152,408.16 | $4,200.00 | $156,608.16 |
| Virginia L. Wilcox-Gok | Chair, Assistant | Other Administrator | $153,968.20 | $0.00 | $153,968.20 |
| Andrew J. Setterstrom | Assistant Professor | $118,000.08 | $35,500.00 | $153,500.08 | |
| Bernard J. Harris | Chair | Other Administrator | $144,125.04 | $8,700.00 | $152,825.04 |
| Celeste N. Latham | Associate Vice President, Administration | Senior Officer | $150,000.00 | $0.00 | $150,000.00 |
| Kelly S. Wesener Michael | Associate Vice President for Student Affairs | Senior Officer | $150,000.00 | $0.00 | $150,000.00 |
| James P. Burton | Associate Professor | $122,789.70 | $27,200.00 | $149,989.70 | |
| Michael Mann | Vice President, Associate | Senior Officer | $149,500.08 | $0.00 | $149,500.08 |
| Ibrahim M. Abdel-Motaleb | Professor/Assistant to the dean for special projects | Professor | $122,986.71 | $25,969.65 | $148,956.36 |
| Ross D. Powell | Professor | $127,330.92 | $21,221.82 | $148,552.74 | |
| Karen L. Baker | Associate Vice President, Administration & Human Resources, Compliance | Senior Officer | $148,049.28 | $0.00 | $148,049.28 |
| Matthew J. Streb | Chair | Other Administrator | $126,544.08 | $21,395.67 | $147,939.75 |
| Charles R. Gowen | Professor | $110,337.84 | $37,500.08 | $147,837.92 | |
| Anthony A. D'Andrea | Senior Gift and Estate Planning Officer-College of Business | Unit Director | $146,880.00 | $0.00 | $146,880.00 |
| Nader B. Ebrahimi | Professor | $116,463.78 | $30,158.35 | $146,622.13 | |
| James D. House | Institutional Research Director | Unit Director | $132,593.28 | $13,726.94 | $146,320.22 |
| Joel S. Milner | Visiting Professor | Professor | $145,940.00 | $0.00 | $145,940.00 |
| Christine H. Mooney | Associate Professor | $121,450.32 | $24,199.92 | $145,650.24 | |
| Diana L. Robinson | Director | Unit Director | $145,000.08 | $0.00 | $145,000.08 |
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