Seven-figure pay packets may soon be the norm for Australia¡¯s vice-chancellors, with at least 11 university bosses now in the million-dollar club ¨C already up from nine last year.

New South Wales vice-chancellors pocketed an average of A$964,000 (?548,000) in 2017, newly published annual reports reveal. This comes after it emerged that university heads in Victoria were getting?an average of A$890,000, or A$968,000 if Melbourne¡¯s niche University of Divinity is excluded. Queensland vice-chancellors took home an average of A$941,000, while those in Western Australia collected A$685,000.

In New South Wales, the University of Sydney¡¯s Michael Spence looks set to remain the country¡¯s highest-paid vice-chancellor, claiming a remuneration package worth A$1.44?million, despite?taking a 3?per cent pay cut. Greg Craven, vice-chancellor of Australian Catholic University, received a 5?per cent pay rise?that?lifted his emoluments to A$1.31?million. This puts him on a par with Glyn Davis at the University of Melbourne.

Such rewards are a far cry from the situation in the UK, where the average vice-chancellor receives about ?268,000. But Australian leaders¡¯ pay packets typically include significant benefits such as cars and residences, which inflate the baseline figures.

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Sydney said that fringe benefits accounted for A$357,000 of Dr Spence¡¯s package, despite a decline in their cost. ACU said that Professor Craven¡¯s remuneration included 17?per cent superannuation as well as residences in Sydney and Melbourne, where its biggest campuses are located.

Nevertheless, the monumental salaries sit uneasily beside Dr Spence¡¯s high-profile support for disadvantaged students and Professor Craven¡¯s to social justice and equity.

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The vice-chancellor of the University of Technology Sydney, Attila Brungs, has backed up a similar commitment with his own money. While his reported remuneration rose by 5?per cent to A$1.03?million, the UTS annual report notes that this figure includes ¡°amounts dedicated to the provision of student scholarships¡±.

A?spokesman for the university said that Professor Brungs had arranged for one-quarter of his performance bonuses ¨C on top of regular salary deductions ¨C to be expended on scholarships in lieu of cash. Administrative rules required these donations to be included in his reported earnings.

UTS said that Professor Brungs¡¯ package excluded accommodation, as the previous vice-chancellor¡¯s residence had been sold to fund a childcare centre. Macquarie University also stopped providing an official residence more than 10 years ago.

Instead, Macquarie loaned vice-chancellor Bruce Dowton A$875,000 to buy a home after he joined the university in 2012. Professor Dowton last year paid the university interest of A$23,000 against the loan, and received A$48,000 in ¡°fair value¡± fees for the residence¡¯s use for university functions.

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Professor Dowton was awarded a new contract last year after signing on for a second five-year term. His remuneration increased by 14 per cent, a rise the university said was ¡°in line with international standards¡±, to about A$985,000.

UTS said that Professor Brungs¡¯ salary was commensurate with that paid in public enterprises and was less than that paid in similar-sized companies. ACU said that Professor Craven¡¯s package reflected his duties as the head of a ¡°large, complex and multi-state university¡±. Sydney said that Dr Spence led an institution with 67,000 students, more than 6,000 staff, 70 teaching and research centres and a A$2.24?billion operating budget.

Other Australian universities will release their salary data later this year.?

john.ross@timeshighereducation.com