The National Institutes of Health have been without a permanent director since the end of 2021. But not for lack of trying: At least two good prospects “have walked away,” according to the Wall Street Journal — not only out of concern that the role has become more politically contentious since the COVID-19 pandemic, but also because the pay is too low.
How to address the first concern is a bit of a long-term project. Answering the second objection, however, is refreshingly straightforward: The NIH job, and government jobs in general, should pay more.
As an Executive Schedule Level IV job, the NIH director pays about $200,000 a year. That’s more than most Americans make, but it’s below the average salary for an American physician — to say nothing of a physician with a complicated political and administrative job. Indeed, hundreds of NIH staffers earn more than the director under a federal program that allows medical professionals to be paid more than standard government employees, albeit generally less than someone with their skills could earn in the private sector.
