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Massachusetts state payroll hits $7B in 2025 — UMass system dominates

All of the top 15 highest-paid state employees hailed from University of Massachusetts.

University of Massachusetts (UMass) campus in Amherst. (Lane Turner/Globe Staff)

updated on November 12, 2025

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Update: This story previously reported on statewide payroll data from Nov. 11 from the CTHRU Statewide Payroll portal. However, this data was later determined to have been inaccurate due to “a technical processing error,” according to a news release from the Office of the Comptroller.

“The issue has been addressed and CTHRU now displays correct payroll information,” Michael Sangalang, the department’s chief of communications told Boston.com in an e-mailed statement. “We regret the error and apologize for the errant publication of numbers which provided you and your readers with inaccurate information,” he added.

This article has been updated to include the correct payroll data, as of Nov. 12.

The Massachusetts state payroll continued its upward trend in 2025, reaching a total of $7.47 billion, according to data released bi-weekly by the state comptroller’s office.

The University of Massachusetts (UMass) system once again dominated the rankings, with all of the 15 highest-paid state employees hailing from the university, as of Nov. 12.

UMass Men’s Basketball Head Coach Francisco (Frank) Martin held onto the title of the highest-paid state employee for the third consecutive year, with a salary of $1,570,960.

UMass Chan Medical School Chancellor Michael Collins ranked second, earning $1,036,266, while UMass Head Football Coach Joseph Harasymiak came in third with a salary of $974,005.

In total, the University of Massachusetts system accounted for an impressive $1.25 billion in state payroll expenditures, further cementing its central role in the state’s public sector workforce.

Beyond UMass, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) ranked second among state departments in total payroll, with $648.79 million distributed across its employees. The state’s Trial Court followed in third place, with a total payroll of $470.07 million.

For more detailed payroll data and to explore the records for 2025, you can access the full database here.

Correction: The Office of the Comptroller previously shared inaccurate statewide payroll data due to a “technical processing error.” The state’s total payroll is $7.47 billion, not $11.75 billion. Individual payroll numbers for employees and state departments have also been updated in this story to reflect the correct payroll total.