Amarillo Gazette

Commission On State Emergency Communication paid an average compensation of $81,278 during 2019, this was more than the public employee average of $51,268, according to data compiled by The Texas Tribune.

The highest paid public employee in Texas was James Willson, who earned $553,500 as the chief scientific officer at the Cancer Prevention And Research Institute Of Texas.

The national median hourly wage is $19.14 according to the most recent data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. According to the OECD, the average yearly wage in the US is more than $60,000.

When calculating average compensation, only employees categorized as full time were included.

Rank	Employee	Amount Earned
1	Melissa Merriweather	$132,835
2	Susan Seet	$118,775
3	Patrick Tyler	$111,793
4	Mia Villarreal	$102,000
5	Robert Cadenhead	$93,403
6	Lorrain Meek	$83,406
7	Heather Barnes	$80,000
7	Monica Watt	$80,000
9	Roberto Gonzalez	$78,500
10	Kevin Rohrer	$74,988
11	Jacqueline Doan	$72,000
11	Johnnie Johnson	$72,000
13	Kelley Williams	$68,034
14	Melinda Crockom	$60,000
14	James Johnson	$60,000
16	Joyce Guillen	$47,000
16	Grace Milam	$47,000