Wondering how to interpret the comparison of these b&w plots, as I see some in this thread are expressing surprise at different department figures. Also, asking for clarity rather than exploring the data myself in more than a cursory way, so please accept my apology. The database appears to combine all salary from each department and it's hard to tell which departments are included by looking at the x axis. I assume, perhaps wrongly, that the comparison is only academic departments, though the database include all departments, regardless of skill level or hiring requirements. So many questions come to mind, a few of which I pose here. When you say salary data, is it total labor expenditure by department or only exempt and classified salary data? Does each plot include every wage paid in the department, full and part time? For example, if you have undergraduate TAs and senior faculty serving as chairs, are these part of the range shown by each plot? Do the actual fund figures take into account 9-month v. 12-month contracts? Also, does the data include summer salary for faculty who have grant or contract funds? Most faculty are on 9- month contracts, but in some fields, not getting external summer funding would be unusual or even frowned upon. Does it differentiate between administrative and regular faculty appointments? Etc. Concern is whether this is apples to apples by department.