PHOTOS: Georgia's highest paid state employees

ConfigSection

PHOTOS: Georgia's highest paid state employees

From football coaches to medical university leaders to investment officers for the Teachers Retirement System, these were the highest paid state employees.

University of Georgia head coach Kirby Smart was the highest paid state employee in the fiscal 2021 at $6.9 million. The budget year ended in June, months before he led the Bulldogs to their first national title in 41 years.

Georgia Tech head coach Geoff Collins made $3.52 million and is the 2nd highest paid state employee. Here's a look at some of the top paid state employees, according state’s Open Georgia salary website. (Hyosub Shin / Hyosub.Shin@ajc.com)

Tom Crean, UGA head basketball coach, $3.2 million.

Georgia Tech head basketball coach Josh Pastner $2 million.

James D. St. Louis, chief of pediatric and congenital heart surgery at Augusta University, is the highest noncoach earner at $1.35 million.

Fernando Vale Diaz, neurosurgery chairman at Augusta University, $985,500.

Angel Cabrera, president, Georgia Institute of Technology, $975,000

Charles Cary, chief investment officer, Teachers Retirement System, was the highest paid employee at a state agency. He earned $1,018,238 in the last budget year.

Griffith Lynch, executive director, Georgia Ports Authority, $873,698. (AJC Photo/Stephen B. Morton)

Steve Wrigley, chancellor, University System of Georgia, $523,924. Wrigley recently retired. RYON HORNE / RHORNE@AJC.COM

School superintendent are some of the highest paid leaders. Gwinnett County Schools superintendent J. Alvin Wilbanks, who led the largest school system in the state for 25 years, made $642,000. Wilbanks' contract was not renewed in 2021. (Rebecca Wright for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution)

Morcease Beasley, Clayton County superintendent, $440,566 (Alyssa Pointer / Alyssa.Pointer@ajc.com)

Christopher Ragsdale (center), Cobb County superintendent, $432,105. AJC file photo

1/13

University of Georgia head coach Kirby Smart was the highest paid state employee in the fiscal 2021 at $6.9 million. The budget year ended in June, months before he led the Bulldogs to their first national title in 41 years.

Today's Gallery Headlines

Georgia students organize protests against ICE after Minnesota killings

PHOTOS: Snellville's Brookwood High School students rally and march against ICE

Ice storm warning

PHOTOS: Scenes from icy winter storm in Metro Atlanta

As storm inches closer to Georgia, metro Atlanta braces for ice threat

PHOTOS: Georgia readies for incoming ice storm

01202026 day of protests

PHOTOS: Metro Atlanta ICE protest join national effort

More Galleries

MLK service at Ebenezer

PHOTOS: MLK Day service 2026

aajc 011926 hawks-mlkgame

PHOTOS: Hawks and Bucks in action on MLK Day

PHOTOS: Georgia's first snowfall of the year

PHOTOS: Georgia's first snowfall of the year

atlanta hawks, boston celtics

PHOTOS: Hawks fall at home to Celtics