Oxford, UCL and Imperial employees highest paid university staff in the UK, TaxPayers’ Alliance reveals

Chief executive of the TPA says 'there is clearly a serious problem and taxpayers have every right to be concerned' if financial rewards are being given to failing institutions

The higher education employee with the largest total remuneration package in the UK in 2013/14 was an employee at the University of Oxford with £690,199 (Oli Scarff/Getty Images)

Hundreds of university staff across the UK are enjoying six-figure salaries, despite the need for pay restraint across the public sector, according to the TaxPayers’ Alliance (TPA).

Through a combination of Freedom of Information requests to schools, multi-academy trusts and universities - alongside analysis of annual statements of accounts - the TPA, which describes itself as an independent grassroots campaign for lower taxes, found there were at least 7,554 university employees who received total remuneration greater than £100,000 in 2013/14.

In comparison to Prime Minister David Cameron’s salary - which sits at £142,000 - it emerged that there were 2,146 university employees who received remuneration greater than £150,000. Another 641 received remuneration greater than £200,000.

The University of Oxford, University College London (UCL), and Imperial College London made up the top three universities that officially earned the most in the UK.

In London, the TPA revealed the highest paid individual to be a professor at the London Business School who is receiving a remuneration package of £647,500. In Scotland, the highest paid in higher education was the principal of the University of Strathclyde (£345,000), and an employee at Wales’ Cardiff University was earning £265,000.

Chief executive of the TPA, Jonathan Isaby, acknowledged how taxpayers would not begrudge a world-class academic a good salary if they ‘produce great results and motivate their students’. However, he added: “Too often, this is not what we find.

“Where institutions fail - but financial rewards continue to flow to those at the top regardless - there is clearly a serious problem and taxpayers have every right to be concerned.

“The pay and perks enjoyed by those working at our schools and universities - and indeed across the entire public sector - must more accurately reflect how well they are doing their jobs.”

To see the complete comprehensive list of universities - and to see how the TPA conducted its research - click here