USC president receives pay bump but future raises may slow, SC House Speaker warns

University of South Carolina President Michael Amiridis will now make $440,230 a year after a panel of state lawmakers agreed to raise his salary more than $88,000.

He previously made $352,184, according to state salary data.

The Agency Head Salary Commission gave several raises to state agency and university leaders Thursday afternoon, but House Speaker Murrell Smith, R-Sumter, warned the requests for pay bumps should slow down.

“We’re mindful that we want to keep talent in the agency heads, but by the same token, cannot continue to come here every year and ask for an increase,” Smith said.

“If you had a salary request within the last 18 months or a salary increase, then there’s no need to come and ask us for another increase unless there’s some exigent circumstances,” he continued.

Williamsburg Technical College President Patricia Lee also had her salary increased from $158,201 to $201,018.

The State Fiscal Accountability Authority’s agency head Stephen Gillepsie’s salary went from $254,800 to $305,760, a nearly $51,000 raise.

Sea Grant Consortium agency head Emily Osborne saw her salary go up more than $21,000, from $103,553 to $125,000.