PITTSBURGH — In a meeting on Thursday of the joint compensation subcommittee and the executive committee, trustees at the University of Pittsburgh voted to approve a big boost to Chancellor Joan Gabel’s salary.
The vote takes her annual base salary from $950,000 per year to $1.25 million per year starting Jan. 1, 2026, a nearly 32% increase.
In a statement, Gabel thanked the board — but shared that she plans to invest the increase in her compensation back into the university community.
“With gratitude to the Board of Trustees for recognizing our shared successes, and with deep appreciation for this unique and challenging moment for many in our Pitt community, I am donating the raise this year to support students through our Finish Line Grants, to provide for faculty and staff who rely on our emergency funds, and to establish a scholarship in my parents’ honor that recognizes the power of Pitt teaching and research,” Gabel said. “Serving as Chancellor of the University of Pittsburgh is a profound honor, and I am grateful for the opportunity to support our people and our impact.”
According to board chair John Verbanac, a number of factors were considered in the decision. One such factor was the turnover rate of chancellors at institutions within the Association of American Universities, an organization of research universities of which Pitt is a member. Verbanac said that since Gabel took office in April 2023, “nearly 60% of chancellors for AAU public and private institutions have turned over within that short period of time.”
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