$1.08 million and $1.7 million. That’s the range of the top ten highest salaries at UK — aka one of LEX’s largest employers — according to reports from the Lexington Herald-Leader.
School administrators and athletics staff were among the highest paid employees at the school, but the majority of full-time roles held at UK include professors, research specialists, healthcare workers, and administrators.
UK’s top earners for 2025-26 are...
- Brad White, former UK football defensive coordinator, $1.7 million
- Dr. Robert DiPaola, provost and co-executive vice president for health affairs, $1.48 million
- Mitch Barnhart, athletics director, $1.43 million
If you want to see exactly who is making what, the Herald-Leader broke down the top 10.
UK employs around 10,917 full-time workers, not including hospital and VA workers.
The average salary of all UK employees is $79,548 and a median salary of $61,465, according to the Lexington Herald-Leader.
In 2025, all eligible UK and UK HealthCare employees received a 1.5% pay raise, with a minimum increase of $750, according to a message from President Eli Capilouto.
If you’re curious about the salary for a specific position the Herald-Leader has instructions for how to search the database.
