ST. LOUIS — Missouri's 34 highest-paid employees are all psychiatrists at state-run hospitals.
The psychiatrists, many of whom practice in specialties such as neurology or child psychiatry, earned a combined $8.65 million in calendar year 2018, according to state records.
The state's highest-paid employee outside the mental health field was Roger Dorson, deputy commissioner of the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, who earned $191,544. Margie Vandeven, the department's commissioner who was renamed to the post in November, earned $26,521 for the year. Her 2019 year-to-date pay is $144,365.
Gov. Mike Parson, who ascended from lieutenant governor to governor June 1, 2018, earned $72,215 for the year. His 2019 year-to-date pay is $105,942.
Among those who earned more than $10,000 in 2018, the average salary was $33,610. The median salary among the same group was $31,127.
Check out the St. Louis Business Journal story for the full gallery, breakdown and searchable database of the highest-paid state of Missouri employees.
