CDC Director Takes a $165,300 Pay Cut

Robert Redfield’s record-setting salary was nearly double that of his predecessors.

Written byDiana Kwon

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Robert Redfield, the new director for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), has agreed to have his controversial $375,000 salary reduced to $209,700, Caitlin B. Oakley, a spokesperson for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), told reporters yesterday (May 8).

“Dr. Redfield did not want his compensation to become a distraction from the important work of the C.D.C. and asked that his salary be reduced,” Oakley said, according to The New York Times. “Dr. Redfield is being paid in accordance with the formula used to pay the prior three C.D.C. directors.”

According to the Times, Redfield’s initial pay was granted through Title 42, a provision that allows HHS to offer salaries higher than the approved government rates to scientists who possess ...

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Meet the Author

Diana Kwon
Diana is a freelance science journalist who covers the life sciences, health, and academic life. She’s a regular contributor to The Scientist and her work has appeared in several other publications, including Scientific American, Knowable, and Quanta. Diana was a former intern at The Scientist and she holds a master’s degree in neuroscience from McGill University. She’s currently based in Berlin, Germany.
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