Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy CEO salary and executive pay
Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy paid its CEO, Charles Mountain, $667,437 for the fiscal year ending September 2025. That is up $33,463 (5.3%) from the fiscal year ending September 2024. Total revenue on that return was $468,809,827, up 4.1% from $450,393,254 for the fiscal year ending September 2024. Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy ranks 15th of 15 research institutes on this site by CEO pay. Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy has 4 Form 990 returns on record, for fiscal years ending 2022 to 2025.
Last updated from IRS e-file data. EIN 86-0138043, Washington, DC.
CEO, fiscal year ending September 2025
$667,437
- Total revenue
- $468,809,827
- CEO pay vs. peers
- Higher than 8%
Source: Form 990, fiscal year ending September 2025, IRS object ID 202602249349301735.View the filing
Peers: the 207 other organizations on this site with revenue of $50 million to $500 million. Ranked 190th of 208 by top pay as a share of revenue. Pay is 0.14% of revenue, our calculation from the same return. Revenue is Part I, line 12; peers are compared on their latest full-year returns.
Highest-paid people on the latest return
On the latest return, 2 people were paid more than $500,000, none of them more than $1 million.
| Name and title | Total |
|---|---|
| Charles Mountain CEO PRESIDENT | $667,437 |
| Jennifer LotzNOIRLAB - GEMINI/STSCI DIR | $518,596 |
| Kenneth SembachASTRONOMER | $447,694 |
| Heidi HammelVP FOR SCIENCE | $419,267 |
| Dave LiskaASSO. DIR. ENG&IT (THRU 9/24) | $410,441 |
Also paid on the latest return: Barbara Lam (VP OF OPERATIONS/CFO), $402,229; Patrick McCarthy (NOIRLAB DIRECTOR), $395,865; Nancy Levenson (INTERIM DIRECTOR, STSCI), $391,422; Jean Eisen (VP FOR CORPORATE STRATEGY), $386,719; Victor Krabbendam (VP CONSTRUCTION - PROJECT), $367,796; Dana Lehr (VP PROGRAMS), $348,068; Stuartt Corder (NOIRLAB DEPUTY DIRECTOR), $346,215; Thomas Rimmele (NSO - ASSO. DIRECTOR - DK), $340,543; Neill Reid (ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR - SCIEN), $337,147; Zelijko Ivezic (RUBIN OPS CONSTRUCTION DIR), $335,025; Jon Tuma (VP OF HUMAN RESOURCES), $332,198; Philip Puxley (VP FOR SPECIAL PROJECTS), $325,542; Marc Postman (ACTING DEP. DIR. - STSCI (THRU 2/24)), $321,340; Jedediah McCormick (ASSO. DIR. - ADMIN), $303,805; Jennifer Hopps (INT. ASSO. DIR. ENG/TECH), $302,931; and 5 more.
Also listed in Part VII of the latest return, with no pay reported: Karen Bjorkman (CHAIR), Andrew Baker (VICE CHAIR (THRU 06/25)), Emily Cobabe-Ammann (VICE CHAIR), Elizabeth Barton (DIRECTOR (THRU 06/25)), George Blumenthal (DIRECTOR), James Bullock (DIRECTOR), Kelle Cruz (DIRECTOR), Roger Davies (DIRECTOR), Megan Donahue (DIRECTOR), Brenna Flaugher (DIRECTOR), Raja Guha Thakurta (DIRECTOR), Tim Heckman (DIRECTOR), Leopoldo Infante (DIRECTOR), Dan Jaffe (DIRECTOR (THRU 06/25)), James McAteer (DIRECTOR), Sally Oey (DIRECTOR (THRU 06/25)), Jerome Oglesby (DIRECTOR (THRU 06/25)), Katie Olsen (DIRECTOR), David Reitze (DIRECTOR), Willie Rockward (DIRECTOR (THRU 06/25)), Monica Rubio (DIRECTOR).
CEO pay by year
Each row is the CEO on that year's return.
| Fiscal year ending | Name and title | Total | Revenue | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 2025 | Charles Mountain CEO PRESIDENT | $667,437 | $468,809,827 | Filing |
| Sep 2024 | Charles Mountain CEO PRESIDENT | $633,974 | $450,393,254 | Filing |
| Sep 2023 | Charles Mountain CEO PRESIDENT/DIRECTOR | $610,423 | $420,912,916 | Filing |
| Sep 2022 | Charles Mountain CEO PRESIDENT/DIRECTOR | $592,847 | $380,284,932 | Filing |
How this pay was reported
The parts of each total, as reported on the return for the fiscal year ending September 2025.
Source: Form 990, fiscal year ending September 2025, IRS object ID 202602249349301735.View the filing
| Part VII | Schedule J | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name and title | From org | Other | Base | Bonus | Other | Deferred | Nontaxable | Total |
| Charles MountainPRESIDENT | $603,661 | $63,776 | $563,298 | $10,000 | $30,363 | $34,500 | $29,276 | $667,437 |
| Jennifer LotzNOIRLAB - GEMINI/STSCI DIR | $448,598 | $69,998 | $371,487 | $20,000 | $57,111 | $34,500 | $35,498 | $518,596 |
| Kenneth SembachASTRONOMER | $387,279 | $60,415 | $386,247 | $0 | $1,032 | $34,500 | $25,915 | $447,694 |
| Heidi HammelVP FOR SCIENCE | $349,384 | $69,883 | $341,772 | $7,000 | $612 | $34,500 | $35,383 | $419,267 |
| Dave LiskaASSO. DIR. ENG&IT (THRU 9/24) | $380,347 | $30,094 | $225,012 | $0 | $155,335 | $20,136 | $9,958 | $410,441 |
These figures come from Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy's Form 990 returns, as the IRS publishes them. The methodology page explains how they're chosen. To report an error, email corrections@ceopaycheck.com.
How Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy compares
Ranked 15th of 15 research institutes by CEO pay.
- Previous in this ranking: 14th, Aspen Institute, $911,570
Closest in revenue among organizations in the same revenue band:
Pew Charitable Trusts$1,286,231 (CEO), fiscal year ending Jun 2025
Art Institute of Chicago$1,163,144 (highest-paid), fiscal year ending Jun 2025
Rotary Foundation$852,448 (CEO), fiscal year ending Jun 2025
Suzanne & Walter Scott Foundation$973,900 (CEO), fiscal year ending Dec 2024
Southwest Key Programs$1,166,741 (CEO), fiscal year ending Aug 2025
Common questions
Charles Mountain (PRESIDENT) was paid $667,437 for the fiscal year ending September 2025: $603,661 from Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy and $63,776 in other compensation (Part VII columns D and F).
The CEO, Charles Mountain, was the highest-paid person on the latest return, at $667,437.
Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy paid its CEO, Charles Mountain, $667,437 for the fiscal year ending September 2025. That is up $33,463 (5.3%) from the fiscal year ending September 2024. The earliest return on record is for the fiscal year ending September 2022, when the CEO was Charles Mountain, paid $592,847. By fiscal year end: September 2022, $592,847 (Charles Mountain); September 2023, $610,423; September 2024, $633,974; September 2025, $667,437.
Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy's return for the fiscal year ending September 2025 reports total expenses of $465,014,744 and total revenue of $468,809,827 (Part I, lines 18 and 12), so revenue exceeded expenses by $3,795,083. Expenses were $447,255,915 for the fiscal year ending September 2024, so they rose 4.0%. The CEO's pay of $667,437 equals 0.14% of expenses, our calculation.
From the 4 Form 990 returns Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy filed with the IRS for fiscal years ending 2022 to 2025. The latest full-year return was filed on August 12, 2026. Schedule J of the fiscal year ending September 2025 return breaks down pay for all 5 people in the pay breakdown above.