Ever tried to figure out what the person in the office next to you at Mizzou makes? It’s a bit of a local pastime in Columbia. Because the University of Missouri is a public institution, almost every paycheck is technically public record. But honestly, digging through those massive spreadsheets is a total headache. You’ve got base pay, extra compensation, and those eye-popping coaching contracts that make everyone’s head spin.
Whether you’re a grad student eyeing a future faculty spot or a taxpayer wondering where the money goes, university of missouri salaries are a complex beast.
The Heavy Hitters: Athletics and Administration
Let's just address the elephant in the room first. The biggest checks don't go to the Nobel-winning researchers. They go to the people leading the Tigers on the field.
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Eliah Drinkwitz, the head football coach, recently signed a massive extension through 2031. We’re talking $64.5 million over six years. For 2026, his base is roughly $10.25 million. It’s wild to think about, but in the SEC arms race, that’s actually what the market demands now. If the team wins eight games, he even gets an automatic one-year extension and a $200,000 bump.
Then you have the UM System President and the campus Chancellors. These roles are basically like running a multi-billion dollar corporation. The President’s office can see gross pay exceeding $1 million when you factor in all the responsibilities of overseeing four campuses. Chancellor Mauli Agrawal at UMKC, for instance, has seen gross pay in the $580,000 range.
What Normal Faculty Actually Take Home
If you aren't calling plays on a Saturday, the numbers look a lot different. Faculty pay is all over the map depending on the department.
A Full Professor in a high-demand field like Finance or Accountancy can easily pull in $150,000 to $175,000. Over in the School of Medicine, specialist surgeons often see "top earner" spots with gross pay hitting $500,000 to $1 million, though much of that is tied to clinical work rather than just teaching.
But then look at the humanities.
An Assistant Professor in a liberal arts department might start in the $65,000 to $75,000 range. It’s a huge gap. It sort of makes sense when you consider what those people could make in the private sector, but it still feels a bit lopsided when you see it on paper.
The Staff: The People Keeping the Lights On
Most employees at Mizzou aren't "professors." They are advisors, IT specialists, librarians, and facility managers.
- Academic Advisors: Usually hover around $46,000 to $55,000.
- Police Officers: Campus PD median pay sits around $63,000 to $69,000.
- IT Experts: Senior network engineers can reach well into the $110,000+ range.
- Library Staff: Often start in the high $40s.
Honestly, the staff side is where you see the most "average" Missouri wages. While the top-tier administration gets the headlines, the bulk of the university of missouri salaries are paid to people making between $50,000 and $80,000.
Why the Location Matters
Living in Columbia is way cheaper than living in St. Louis or Kansas City, but Mizzou salaries have to compete with the whole country. If the university wants a top-tier researcher from California, they can't just offer "Missouri prices."
This creates a weird tension. You’ve got long-time employees who feel underpaid relative to new hires who were brought in at "market rates." Plus, when you compare Mizzou to other SEC schools like Vanderbilt or Florida, Mizzou often finds itself fighting to keep its talent from being poached by schools with deeper pockets.
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How to Find Specific Numbers
If you’re really curious about a specific person or role, you don't have to guess. Missouri has the Accountability Portal (MAP), which is a searchable database of state employee pay.
- Go to the MAP website.
- Search by "University of Missouri."
- Filter by department if you want to be specific.
Just remember that "Gross Pay" includes everything—bonuses, overtime, and one-time payments. It might look higher than their actual base salary. Also, some medical staff pay is structured through different entities, which can make the data look a little wonky.
The Realistic Outlook for 2026
Moving into 2026, the university has been pushing for more competitive "market adjustments." They know they can't lose their best researchers to the private sector.
If you're looking for a job at Mizzou, don't just look at the base pay. The benefits—like the retirement contribution and the tuition assistance for your kids—are basically "hidden" salary. For many families in Mid-Missouri, that 75% tuition discount is worth an extra $10,000 to $15,000 a year alone.
Actionable Next Steps
If you are planning to negotiate or apply for a position, here is how to use this data:
- Audit the Department: Don't just look at the average. Look at the "Median Pay" for the specific department you're interested in using the Public Pay databases. This tells you what the "middle" person actually makes, which is more accurate than an average skewed by one high-earner.
- Factor in the COL: Use a cost-of-living calculator to compare a Columbia salary to where you are now. A $70,000 salary in Columbia often feels like $100,000 in a major coastal city.
- Ask About the "Pool": When interviewing, ask about the "salary pool" for annual raises. Most departments get a specific percentage to distribute, and knowing how that has trended over the last three years can tell you if you'll actually see growth in your paycheck.
- Check the Tenure Track: If you're faculty, look for the gap between Assistant and Associate Professor pay. If that jump isn't significant, you might be stuck at a plateau for a long time.
University of Missouri salaries are a reflection of a massive, complicated system trying to be a world-class research hub while staying accountable to Missouri taxpayers. It’s a balancing act that never quite makes everyone happy, but the data is there if you know where to look.