Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Joshua Whitman was the highest-earning individual at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2016, with total compensation reaching $600,000 according to a Chambana Sun analysis of Illinois Board of Higher Education data.
The 100 highest-earning administrators and faculty members were paid a total of $28,096,119.08 in 2016.
Dean Jeffrey Brown was the second-highest earning individual, with $460,000 in 2016, followed by Interim Vice President and Chancellor Barbara Wilson ($397,500), Senior Officer Gene Robinson ($375,771), and Professor Ilesanmi Adesida ($345,844).
The following table list the top 100 salary earners at U of I at Champaign-Urbana.
| Name | Title | Position | Base Salary | Additional Salary | Total Compensation |
| Joshua H. Whitman | DIR OF THE DIV OF INTERCOL ATH | Unit Director | $600,000.00 | $0.00 | $600,000.00 |
| Jeffrey R. Brown | DEAN | Senior Officer | $380,000.00 | $80,000.00 | $460,000.00 |
| Barbara Jan Wilson | INTERIM V PRES UI & CHANC UC | Chancellor | $325,000.00 | $72,500.00 | $397,500.00 |
| Gene E. Robinson | DIR, IGB | Senior Officer | $333,547.57 | $42,223.50 | $375,771.07 |
| Ilesanmi Adesida | PROF | Professor | $328,344.84 | $17,500.00 | $345,844.84 |
| Heitor Almeida | PROF | Professor | $325,000.00 | $20,000.00 | $345,000.00 |
| Mark Everett Peecher | PROF | Professor | $290,359.00 | $50,000.00 | $340,359.00 |
| Andreas C. Cangellaris | DEAN | Senior Officer | $272,234.00 | $67,500.00 | $339,734.00 |
| Jon S. Davis | PROF | Professor | $308,936.00 | $25,000.00 | $333,936.00 |
| Edward Feser | INT VC ACAD AFF & PROVOST | Vice Chancellor | $270,500.00 | $60,000.00 | $330,500.00 |
| Harry Edward Seidel | DIR, NCSA | Senior Officer | $251,777.32 | $75,000.00 | $326,777.32 |
| Michael Moore | PROF | Professor | $214,193.98 | $111,244.38 | $325,438.36 |
| Vikram D. Amar | DEAN | Senior Officer | $277,400.00 | $47,500.00 | $324,900.00 |
| Gregory B. Northcraft | PROF | Professor | $267,470.00 | $56,245.14 | $323,715.14 |
| Peter E. Schiffer | V CHANC FOR RES | Vice Chancellor | $261,846.27 | $59,513.73 | $321,360.00 |
| Robert J. Hauser | DEAN | Senior Officer | $254,735.00 | $65,000.00 | $319,735.00 |
| Anthony J. Leggett | CAS PROF OF PHYSICS | Professor | $314,595.88 | $0.00 | $314,595.88 |
| Jeffrey Louis Binder | DIR APPL RES INST | Unit Director | $278,100.00 | $35,000.00 | $313,100.00 |
| Stephen G. Sligar | PROF | Professor | $298,926.00 | $11,000.00 | $309,926.00 |
| Ahmed Rashad Abdel-Khalik | PROF | Professor | $264,578.00 | $40,000.00 | $304,578.00 |
| Michael Williamson | PROF | Professor | $265,000.00 | $35,000.00 | $300,000.00 |
| Phyllis M. Wise | PROF | Professor | $298,926.00 | $0.00 | $298,926.00 |
| Tanya Montaleone Gallagher | DEAN | Senior Officer | $276,476.00 | $20,000.00 | $296,476.00 |
| M Tamer Basar | PROF | Professor | $253,380.00 | $42,500.00 | $295,880.00 |
| B Joseph White | PROF | Professor | $295,180.00 | $0.00 | $295,180.00 |
| Ravishankar K. Iyer | PROF | Professor | $191,252.23 | $103,111.68 | $294,363.91 |
| W Brooke Elliott | PROF | Professor | $257,334.00 | $35,000.00 | $292,334.00 |
| Eric T. Freyfogle | PROF | Professor | $260,097.68 | $32,226.23 | $292,323.91 |
| Don Fullerton | PROF | Professor | $288,662.62 | $0.00 | $288,662.62 |
| Heidi M. Hurd | PROF | Professor | $286,058.64 | $0.00 | $286,058.64 |
| May R. Berenbaum | PROF | Professor | $285,250.89 | $0.00 | $285,250.89 |
| Lawrence M. DeBrock | PROF | Professor | $285,000.00 | $0.00 | $285,000.00 |
| Neil D. Pearson | PROF | Professor | $264,313.00 | $20,000.00 | $284,313.00 |
| Kurt T. Lash | PROF | Professor | $283,250.00 | $0.00 | $283,250.00 |
| John D. Colombo | PROF | Professor | $225,716.00 | $57,524.38 | $283,240.38 |
| Charles J. Tabb | PROF | Professor | $273,784.00 | $7,500.00 | $281,284.00 |
| Theodore Sougiannis | PROF | Professor | $260,988.00 | $20,000.04 | $280,988.04 |
| Nolan H. Miller | PROF | Professor | $265,006.00 | $15,000.00 | $280,006.00 |
| Mary Kalantzis | DEAN | Senior Officer | $239,606.00 | $40,000.00 | $279,606.00 |
| Matthew W. Finkin | PROF | Professor | $265,952.03 | $12,250.00 | $278,202.03 |
| Scott J. Weisbenner | PROF | Professor | $269,909.00 | $7,500.00 | $277,409.00 |
| Charles L. Tucker | V PROVOST FOR UGRAD ED | Other Administrator | $250,500.00 | $25,000.00 | $275,500.00 |
| Kuo Chi Chan | PROF | Professor | $267,765.00 | $7,500.00 | $275,265.00 |
| Neal J. Cohen | PROF | Professor | $209,021.00 | $65,243.36 | $274,264.36 |
| Timothy C. Johnson | PROF | Professor | $264,500.00 | $7,500.00 | $272,000.00 |
| George G. Pennacchi | PROF | Professor | $264,500.00 | $7,500.00 | $272,000.00 |
| Wojciech Chodzko-Zajko | DEAN, GRAD COLLEGE | Senior Officer | $250,000.00 | $22,000.00 | $272,000.00 |
| Bruce Smith | PROF | Professor | $256,046.00 | $15,000.00 | $271,046.00 |
| Janet S. Slater | DEAN | Senior Officer | $245,735.00 | $25,000.00 | $270,735.00 |
| Michael D. Ross | DIR | Unit Director | $260,137.50 | $10,000.00 | $270,137.50 |
| Wynne Sandra Korr | DEAN | Senior Officer | $245,000.00 | $25,000.00 | $270,000.00 |
| Stephen P. Long | PROF | Professor | $228,648.10 | $40,000.00 | $268,648.10 |
| Klaus J. Schulten | PROF | Professor | $261,000.16 | $7,500.00 | $268,500.16 |
| Ralph G. Nuzzo | PROF | Professor | $268,000.00 | $0.00 | $268,000.00 |
| Evan H. Delucia | PROF | Senior Officer | $215,989.00 | $50,000.00 | $265,989.00 |
| Jeffrey S. Moore | PROF | Professor | $223,375.00 | $39,999.96 | $263,374.96 |
| William H. Sanders | PROF | Professor | $252,272.00 | $10,960.92 | $263,232.92 |
| John A. Rogers | PROF | Professor | $235,130.00 | $27,500.00 | $262,630.00 |
| Kevin Jackson | ASSOC PROF | Associate Professor | $239,788.00 | $22,500.00 | $262,288.00 |
| Fritz Drasgow | DEAN | Senior Officer | $236,880.00 | $25,000.00 | $261,880.00 |
| Danny Powell | EXEC DIR | Unit Director | $261,710.08 | $0.00 | $261,710.08 |
| Firouz Gahvari | PROF | Professor | $231,000.00 | $30,000.00 | $261,000.00 |
| Molly M. Tracy | ASSOC V CHANC | Vice Chancellor | $241,500.00 | $18,000.00 | $259,500.00 |
| Peter D. Constable | DEAN | Senior Officer | $233,250.00 | $25,000.00 | $258,250.00 |
| Joshua M. Pollet | ASSOC PROF | Associate Professor | $250,113.00 | $7,500.00 | $257,613.00 |
| Xiaoling Chen | ASSOC PROF | Associate Professor | $242,060.00 | $15,000.00 | $257,060.00 |
| Peter W. Sauer | PROF | Professor | $239,200.00 | $17,500.00 | $256,700.00 |
| Lyndon J. Goodly | ASSOC VCR/DIRECTOR DIV ANI RES | Vice Chancellor | $256,001.33 | $0.00 | $256,001.33 |
| Yuhai Xuan | ASSOC PROF | Associate Professor | $255,000.00 | $0.00 | $255,000.00 |
| David A. Hyman | PROF | Professor | $247,817.55 | $6,000.00 | $253,817.55 |
| Nigel D. Goldenfeld | PROF | Professor | $236,000.00 | $17,500.00 | $253,500.00 |
| Ralph Edwin Brubaker | PROF | Professor | $243,420.57 | $7,500.00 | $250,920.57 |
| Huseyin Sehitoglu | PROF | Professor | $243,212.00 | $7,500.00 | $250,712.00 |
| John W. Towns | EXECUTIVE DIR FOR SCI & TECH | Unit Director | $250,000.00 | $0.00 | $250,000.00 |
| Alexei Vladimirovich Tchistyi | ASSOC PROF | Associate Professor | $250,000.00 | $0.00 | $250,000.00 |
| Aric P. Rindfleisch | PROF | Professor | $239,268.00 | $10,000.00 | $249,268.00 |
| Bruce Hajek | PROF | Professor | $231,689.00 | $17,500.00 | $249,189.00 |
| Robin A. Rutenbar | PROF | Professor | $224,780.00 | $24,247.92 | $249,027.92 |
| John P. Wilkin | UNIV LIBRN&DEAN OF LIBRS | Senior Officer | $209,000.00 | $40,000.00 | $249,000.00 |
| Roger W. Koenker | PROF | Professor | $242,000.00 | $6,000.00 | $248,000.00 |
| Brian H. Ross | PROF | Professor | $207,900.00 | $40,000.00 | $247,900.00 |
| William Paul King | PROF | Professor | $210,000.00 | $37,500.00 | $247,500.00 |
| Robert M. Lawless | PROF | Professor | $216,797.75 | $30,500.00 | $247,297.75 |
| Dale J. Van Harlingen | PROF | Professor | $228,777.16 | $17,500.00 | $246,277.16 |
| Paul N. Ellinger | INT V PROV BUDGT & RSRSC PLNG | Other Administrator | $192,000.00 | $53,000.00 | $245,000.00 |
| C Renee Romano | V CHANC FOR STDNT AF | Vice Chancellor | $244,812.00 | $0.00 | $244,812.00 |
| Gary William Hecht | ASSOC PROF | Associate Professor | $236,050.00 | $7,500.00 | $243,550.00 |
| Laura A. Reynolds | PROF | Professor | $222,737.89 | $20,654.72 | $243,392.61 |
| John Alan Gerlt | PROF | Professor | $242,766.00 | $0.00 | $242,766.00 |
| Yue Li | ASSOC PROF | Associate Professor | $232,741.00 | $7,500.00 | $240,241.00 |
| Allen H. Renear | DEAN | Senior Officer | $215,046.00 | $25,000.00 | $240,046.00 |
| Susan E. Lee | ASSOC VICE CHANCELLOR | Other Administrator | $240,000.00 | $0.00 | $240,000.00 |
| Sharon Shavitt | PROF | Professor | $215,410.00 | $22,500.00 | $237,910.00 |
| Richard L. Kaplan | PROF | Professor | $237,529.08 | $0.00 | $237,529.08 |
| John E. Cronan | PROF | Professor | $237,007.00 | $0.00 | $237,007.00 |
| Jessen L. Hobson | ASSOC PROF | Associate Professor | $229,110.00 | $7,500.00 | $236,610.00 |
| Rashid Bashir | PROF | Professor | $228,810.00 | $7,500.00 | $236,310.00 |
| Rajagopal Echambadi | PROF | Professor | $203,490.00 | $32,500.00 | $235,990.00 |
| Craig Allen Olson | PROF | Professor | $220,634.00 | $15,000.00 | $235,634.00 |
| William T. Bernhard | ASSOC PROV FOR FAC DEV | Other Administrator | $220,061.00 | $15,000.00 | $235,061.00 |
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