These Are The 25 Highest-Paid MN State Employees: LIST

ST. PAUL, MN — Minnesota’s highest-paid state employees in fiscal year 2025 overwhelmingly worked in one division of the Department of Human Services, according to statewide earnings data.

The Direct Care and Treatment division, which operates the state’s psychiatric hospitals, forensic treatment programs, competency restoration services, and community behavioral health facilities, accounted for most of the top 25 earners.

Many of the roles are medical, forensic, or psychiatric positions that require 24/7 coverage and can involve significant overtime.

The salary totals below include regular wages, overtime, and other compensation earned between July 1, 2024, and June 30, 2025. Work locations come directly from the state’s HR file under the department name.

Top 25 Highest-Paid Minnesota State Employees, FY 2025

1. Frances Broghammer, Direct Care and Treatment Dept, Forensic Services – $619,347.58
2. Shabeer Ahmed, Direct Care and Treatment Dept, Ambulatory Care Clinic – $615,901.94
3. Eve Charity Berryhill, Direct Care and Treatment Dept, Medical/Psychiatrist Doctors – $614,592.13
4. David Jerome Mach, Direct Care and Treatment Dept, Forensic Services – $598,718.33
5. Salima Naqvi, Direct Care and Treatment Dept, Medical/Psychiatrist Doctors – $532,878.74
6. Jill Ellen Schurtz, Minnesota State Board of Investment, Executive – $530,630.76
7. KyleeAnn Sophia Stevens, Direct Care and Treatment Dept, Ambulatory Care Clinic – $522,658.70
8. Matthew R. Kruse, Direct Care and Treatment Dept, Medical/Psychiatrist Doctors – $514,382.21
9. Soniya Hirachan, Direct Care and Treatment Dept, Medical/Psychiatry Nursing – $489,415.58
10. Frederick W. Houts, Direct Care and Treatment Dept, Forensic Services – $488,745.20
11. Maria Harmandayan, Direct Care and Treatment Dept, Staff Physicians Supervisors – $479,702.62
12. Thomas Larry Lissman, Direct Care and Treatment Dept – $477,941.90
13. Scott R. Olson, Minnesota State Colleges and Universities – $473,021.68
14. Benjamin G. Otopalik, Direct Care and Treatment Dept, Medical/Psychiatrist Doctors – $461,767.24
15. Brett H. Larson, Minnesota State Colleges and Universities– $449,684.19
16. Joyce C. Ester, Minnesota State Colleges and Universities, MnSCU OOC Presidents – $429,026.90
17. John S. Barry, Direct Care and Treatment Dept, Staff Physicians Supervisors – $423,655.16
18. Kumara Jayasuriya, Minnesota State Colleges and Universities – $414,128.05
19. Amos Michael Burks, Direct Care and Treatment Dept – $409,724.56
20. John Preston Daniels, Direct Care and Treatment Dept, Staff Physicians Supervisors – $407,416.01
21. John Frawley, Minnesota Zoological Garden – $405,932.80
22. Joshua Jones Griffiths, Direct Care and Treatment Dept – $403,860.26
23. Andrew D. Christensen, Minnesota State Board of Investment, Executive – $402,025.91
24. Chinmoy Gulrajani, Direct Care and Treatment Dept, Staff Physicians Supervisors – $398,613.91
25. Saif Uddin M. Mohsin, Direct Care and Treatment Dept – $394,731.32

Why Direct Care and Treatment dominates the list

Many of Minnesota’s state-operated treatment facilities require continuous staffing and specialized medical training. Positions in forensic psychiatry, competency restoration, and acute behavioral health care can involve long hours, emergency coverage, and mandatory overtime, which significantly increases annual earnings.

Find the full dataset here.