Who's the highest-paid state employee in Mass.? Hint: It's a college coach

Massachusetts is no longer an outlier — its highest-paid public employee is once again a college coach, like nearly every other state. 

For the first time since 2016, University of Massachusetts basketball coach Frank Martin tops the list of highest-paid Massachusetts employees. Donald Brown, football coach for UMass, comes in slightly below him, at number four. 

WATCH ANYTIME FOR FREE

Stream NBC10 Boston news for free, 24/7, wherever you are.

In 2017, UMass Chan Medical School chancellor Michael Collins was the top-earning state employee, and remained in the top spot until this year.

Massachusetts payroll expenses are at $4.81 billion so far in 2023. 

Nine out of the 10 top-paid public employees in the state are part of the UMass system, which accounts for $808.44 million of payroll expenses and 16.81 percent of the state’s total payroll spending, according to the state's database.

Click here for the top-10 highest-paid employees from Boston Business Journal, halfway through the year