159 Kalamazoo County employees earn $100,000 or more annually, according to the Mackinac Center for Public Policy.
The highest annual salary earned among Kalamazoo County employees was $243,674 to Michael Rice.
The highest salary was $275,290.07 in 2019.
According to records, 5,548 individuals received compensation for their work from Kalamazoo County in 2020. Of those, 1,930 earned less than $20,000.
A report from members of the Federal Salary Council published on May 2, 2019, argued the pay structures within the U.S. government are skewed and federal workers are overpaid.
Downsizing the Federal Government, a project advocating for smaller government in the face of rising deficits, argued over 2 million federal employees earned $30,000 more on average than private-sector employees in similar fields and have more generous benefit packages.
Highest paid Kalamazoo County employees
| Employer | Employee | Annual salary |
|---|---|---|
| Portage Public Schools | Mark Bielang | $243,674 |
| Kalamazoo Regional Educational Service Agency | David Campbell | $220,628.78 |
| Kalamazoo Public Schools | Gary Start | $197,213.06 |
| Western Michigan University | Peter Strazdas | $184,613.60 |
| Schoolcraft Community Schools | Wayne Stitt | $174,548.94 |
| Western Michigan University | David Lyth | $168,740.25 |
| Kalamazoo Regional Educational Service Agency | Thomas Zahrt | $165,726.66 |
| Kalamazoo Public Schools | Cynthia Green | $162,993.81 |
| Kalamazoo Public Schools | Sheila Dorsey-Smith | $157,562.66 |
| Western Michigan University | Tricia Hennessy | $150,070.10 |
| Kalamazoo Regional Educational Service Agency | Scott Thomas | $148,299.07 |
| Portage Public Schools | Ronald Herron | $147,539.67 |
| Kalamazoo Regional Educational Service Agency | Debra Miller | $145,726.67 |
| Kalamazoo Valley Community College | Steven Walman | $145,273.86 |
| Kalamazoo Regional Educational Service Agency | Mindy Miller | $143,281.29 |
| Kalamazoo Public Schools | Reuquiyah Saunders | $141,422.13 |
| Kalamazoo Public Schools | Nkenge Bergan | $141,422.13 |
| Kalamazoo Valley Community College | Scott Myers | $140,393.89 |
| Vicksburg Community Schools | Keevin O’Neill | $138,810 |
| Kalamazoo Valley Community College | Cynthia Schauer | $138,631.04 |
| Kalamazoo Public Schools | Johnny Edwards | $138,169.96 |
| Kalamazoo Valley Community College | Timothy Welsh | $137,953.92 |
| Kalamazoo Regional Educational Service Agency | Brian Schupbach | $137,491.94 |
| Kalamazoo Valley Community College | Joseph Brady | $136,374.37 |
| Kalamazoo Public Schools | Valerie Boggan | $134,884.88 |
| Kalamazoo Public Schools | Judith Darcangelis | $134,511.98 |
| Gull Lake Community Schools | Raphael Rittenhouse | $134,000 |
| Portage Public Schools | James French | $133,829.97 |
| Portage Public Schools | Eric Alburtus | $133,829.97 |
| Comstock Public Schools | Jeffrey Thoenes | $131,620.37 |
| Kalamazoo Regional Educational Service Agency | Thomas Johnson | $130,487.68 |
| Portage Public Schools | Michael Pascoe | $130,236.93 |
| Vicksburg Community Schools | Stephen Goss | $130,220.93 |
| Portage Public Schools | Jeanine Mattson-Gearhart | $129,934.98 |
| Portage Public Schools | Michael Huber | $129,934.98 |
| Kalamazoo Public Schools | Michael Tanoff | $129,912.10 |
| Western Michigan University | Dean Johnson | $129,637.12 |
| Kalamazoo Valley Community College | Jon Stasiuk | $129,279.66 |
| Kalamazoo Public Schools | Mark Hill | $129,000.29 |
| Kalamazoo Public Schools | Lindsay Noakes | $128,988.02 |
| Kalamazoo Valley Community College | Stephen Louisell | $128,359.01 |
| Climax-Scotts Community Schools | Douglas Newington | $128,128 |
| Portage Public Schools | Daniel Vomastek | $127,863.68 |
| Parchment School District | Jason Misner | $127,000 |
| Kalamazoo Public Schools | Matthew Johnson | $126,778.08 |
| Vicksburg Community Schools | Gail Van Daff | $126,265 |
| Kalamazoo Regional Educational Service Agency | Donald Dailey | $125,247.23 |
| Kalamazoo Regional Educational Service Agency | Bryan Zocher | $125,247.23 |
| Kalamazoo Regional Educational Service Agency | Angela Telfer | $125,247.23 |
| Kalamazoo Valley Community College | Erick Martin | $124,819.60 |
| Kalamazoo Public Schools | Angela Justice | $124,277.92 |
| Kalamazoo Public Schools | Craig McCane | $123,778.17 |
| Kalamazoo Public Schools | Mark Tobolski | $123,026.66 |
| Galesburg-Augusta Community School District | Wendy Maynard-Somers | $122,461 |
| Galesburg-Augusta Community School District | Janan Zimmerman | $122,218 |
| Kalamazoo Valley Community College | Theo Sypris | $121,415.41 |
| Portage Public Schools | Bradley Galin | $121,398.23 |
| Kalamazoo Public Schools | Jeffery Boggan | $121,351.18 |
| Western Michigan University | Teresa Crumpton | $121,242.03 |
| Portage Public Schools | Clinton Wagner | $121,062.47 |
| Kalamazoo Public Schools | Robin Greymountain | $120,604 |
| Kalamazoo Public Schools | Michael Hughes | $120,082.32 |
| Kalamazoo Public Schools | Christopher Aguinaga | $119,999.88 |
| Kalamazoo Public Schools | Atiba McKissack | $119,683.72 |
| Western Michigan University | Joel Fletcher | $119,678.19 |
| Gull Lake Community Schools | Lisa Anderson | $119,377.66 |
| Kalamazoo Valley Community College | Mark Sigfrids | $118,829.89 |
| Portage Public Schools | Elizabeth Hartman | $118,320.16 |
| Kalamazoo Public Schools | Andrew Laboe | $117,881.05 |
| Portage Public Schools | Travis Thomsen | $117,535.31 |
| Western Michigan University | Shashanta James | $117,480.19 |
| Kalamazoo Public Schools | Nathan McLaughlin | $117,066.05 |
| Kalamazoo Public Schools | Janine Vanstee | $116,832.04 |
| Kalamazoo Public Schools | Barry Smith | $116,832.04 |
| Kalamazoo Public Schools | Elizabeth Jackson-Spaner | $116,832.04 |
| Kalamazoo Valley Community College | Patricia Henning | $116,587.92 |
| Kalamazoo Public Schools | Tamica Frison | $116,098.89 |
| Portage Public Schools | Jeffrey Hamilton | $114,969.26 |
| Portage Public Schools | Jason Messenger | $114,941.86 |
| Kalamazoo Public Schools | Craig Lesuer | $114,658.20 |
| Portage Public Schools | Jason Frink | $114,568.02 |
| Kalamazoo Regional Educational Service Agency | Jason Luke | $114,505.83 |
| Western Michigan University | Troy Leinaar | $114,086.90 |
| Kalamazoo Public Schools | Micole Dyson | $114,032.36 |
| Kalamazoo Public Schools | Julie McDonald | $113,918.27 |
| Kalamazoo Regional Educational Service Agency | Adam Danapilis | $113,826.91 |
| Portage Public Schools | Christopher Riker | $113,543.02 |
| Kalamazoo Public Schools | William Hawkins | $113,458.20 |
| Portage Public Schools | Nathan Ledlow | $112,903.60 |
| Kalamazoo Regional Educational Service Agency | Eric Stewart | $112,589.14 |
| Kalamazoo Valley Community College | Sheila Baiers | $112,488.89 |
| Kalamazoo Regional Educational Service Agency | Rachel Roberts | $112,206.32 |
| Kalamazoo Valley Community College | Brian Olson | $112,087.69 |
| Parchment School District | Julie Rohrer | $112,033 |
| Kalamazoo Valley Community College | Ronald Young | $111,879.54 |
| Western Michigan University | Carol Dedow | $111,763.78 |
| Kalamazoo Public Schools | Laura Kayser | $111,101.94 |
| Kalamazoo Public Schools | Geoffery Howe | $110,693.94 |
| Kalamazoo Valley Community College | Timothy Kane | $110,370.93 |
| Kalamazoo Valley Community College | Bruce Punches | $110,310.33 |
| Kalamazoo Valley Community College | Ronald Adams | $110,310.33 |
| Kalamazoo Valley Community College | William Kring | $109,744.20 |
| Western Michigan University | Jeffrey Lillard | $109,638.87 |
| Portage Public Schools | Joseph Wallace | $109,614.79 |
| Kalamazoo Regional Educational Service Agency | Victoria Wentela | $109,250.27 |
| Kalamazoo Public Schools | Dylan Patterson | $108,422.38 |
| Kalamazoo Valley Community College | Robert Post | $108,259.45 |
| Kalamazoo Valley Community College | Julie Stotz-Ghosh | $108,028.60 |
| Kalamazoo Valley Community College | William Dedie | $107,992.39 |
| Kalamazoo Regional Educational Service Agency | Lisa Meredith | $107,275.93 |
| Portage Public Schools | Kelly Hinga | $107,221.86 |
| Kalamazoo Public Schools | Pamela Salak | $107,130.38 |
| Kalamazoo Public Schools | Frank Rocco | $106,950.70 |
| Gull Lake Community Schools | Donald Eastman | $106,690.97 |
| Western Michigan University | George Jarvis | $106,387.46 |
| Portage Public Schools | Daniel Wytko | $106,265.39 |
| Kalamazoo Regional Educational Service Agency | Mary Pickett | $106,081.30 |
| Kalamazoo Regional Educational Service Agency | Kathleen Hurley | $106,007.76 |
| Portage Public Schools | Heather Yankovich | $105,974.91 |
| Portage Public Schools | Jeremy Zonts | $105,743.64 |
| Portage Public Schools | Kelly Jensenius | $105,743.64 |
| Portage Public Schools | Lori Benedict-Kirshman | $105,743.64 |
| Kalamazoo Valley Community College | Verne Mills | $105,367.59 |
| Western Michigan University | David Paul | $104,958.35 |
| Portage Public Schools | Paula Johnson | $104,552.55 |
| Kalamazoo Valley Community College | Lois Baldwin | $104,309.22 |
| Vicksburg Community Schools | Adam Brush | $104,291 |
| Kalamazoo Regional Educational Service Agency | Michael Coats | $104,234.70 |
| Kalamazoo Regional Educational Service Agency | Diane Owen-Rogers | $103,989.24 |
| Kalamazoo Valley Community College | Nancy Vendeville | $103,954.34 |
| Kalamazoo Regional Educational Service Agency | Cameron Buck | $103,817.41 |
| Kalamazoo Regional Educational Service Agency | Kurt Torok | $103,813.04 |
| Kalamazoo Regional Educational Service Agency | Russell Aspinwall | $103,813.04 |
| Vicksburg Community Schools | Michael Barwegen | $103,666.98 |
| Portage Public Schools | James Schafer | $102,837.56 |
| Kalamazoo Regional Educational Service Agency | Karen Robyn | $102,804.06 |
| Kalamazoo Public Schools | Lisa Dewey | $102,468.02 |
| Kalamazoo Public Schools | Vestina Hawkins | $102,431.63 |
| Kalamazoo Valley Community College | Michael Roty | $102,265.02 |
| Kalamazoo Valley Community College | Richard Brill | $102,057.87 |
| Kalamazoo Regional Educational Service Agency | Patricia Mitchell | $102,007.77 |
| Parchment School District | George Stamas | $101,960 |
| Kalamazoo Public Schools | Cheryl Hach | $101,742.36 |
| Kalamazoo Regional Educational Service Agency | Aubree Spencer | $101,347.87 |
| Kalamazoo Public Schools | David Fooy | $101,320.03 |
| Kalamazoo Valley Community College | Caroline Whiting | $101,154.99 |
| Kalamazoo Valley Community College | William Wangler | $101,154.99 |
| Kalamazoo Public Schools | Terry Farmer | $101,109.32 |
| Kalamazoo Public Schools | Caycee Sledge | $101,104.12 |
| Western Michigan University | Jeffrey Landers | $101,049.99 |
| Portage Public Schools | Justin Walker | $100,934.42 |
| Portage Public Schools | Kevin Doerfler | $100,934.42 |
| Comstock Public Schools | Jill Ansel | $100,775.38 |
| Portage Public Schools | Craig Medd | $100,714.17 |
| Kalamazoo Public Schools | Leslie Church | $100,559.02 |
| Kalamazoo Valley Community College | John Abbott | $100,491.22 |
| Kalamazoo Valley Community College | Victoria Hileski | $100,263.01 |
| Kalamazoo Regional Educational Service Agency | Jennifer Sova | $100,140.69 |
| Kalamazoo Public Schools | Gloria Foster-Wimbley | $100,065.57 |
