11 January 2002
The survey, covering 90% of colleges in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, revealed that the median principal's salary is £70,000. However, pay varies significantly according to the size of the college, with some salaries exceeding £100,000.
The Association of Colleges, which carried out the survey, said the figures suggested that salary increases for top postholders had been modest in 2001. The average college budget rose by nearly 8% over the year, to £10.4m.
The nationally recommended pay award for lecturers and college support staff in 2001/02 was 3.7%.
Sue Dutton, deputy chief executive of the association, said many of the largest rises for principals were in colleges where workloads and responsibilities had increased following mergers.
PFjan2002