824 Dalhousie employees make more than $100K

Nova Scotia universities and other publicly funded institutions have disclosed the salaries of all employees who make more than $100,000 per year.

Nova Scotia students pay some of the highest tuition fees in the country and a healthy chunk of that cash goes to pay professors and top administrators.

One of the most expensive is Dalhousie University. The province's largest university also has the most top earners, according to the documents.

A total of 824 people who work at Dalhousie earned more than $100,000 during last fiscal year.

Saint Mary's University has the second-most members of the $100,000 club. A total of 188 of its faculty and staff took home top salaries during the last fiscal year.

St. Francis Xavier University in Antigonish came a close third with 147.

The earnings can include overtime, retirement or severance payments, lump sums or vacation time payouts. Car allowances, club memberships and living allowance are also factored into those compensation figures.

Earning more than the premier

When it comes to current university presidents, the top earner is Dalhousie's Richard Florizone, who took home $325,652 last year.

Colin Dodds of Saint Mary's made $310,796 and Acadia's Ray Ivany earned $280,166.

Tom Traves, who is the former president at Dalhousie, earned more than any sitting president last year, at $442,141. His contract stated that for every five years he worked, he would get an extra year of salary. That means he will be paid the same amount for the next two years. He will earn more than $1.3 million in the first three years after he stopped working. 

Also of note is the fact Ramsay Duff, who is the vice-president of finance at St. FX, also took home more than any president last year. He made $385,730. The university says that's because, on top of his regular salary, he was awarded a one-time payment it won't talk about, and extra money to take on interim duties as vice-president of recruitment and student experience.

Sean Riley recently retired as president of St. FX. Kent MacDonald took over Friday. 

By comparison, Nova Scotia Premier Stephen McNeil makes $202,026.

The NDP government, under Darrell Dexter, brought in the Public Sector Disclosure Act in the fall of 2010, forcing all public bodies and organizations to disclose once a year earnings of more than $100,000. This is only the second year there have been disclosures.  

Number of employees who earn more than $100K/year

Top Earning University Presidents​ 2013-14