Government salary transparency for Texas — how we built it

PUBLIC UTILITY COMMISSION OF TEXAS

Texas public payroll data for PUBLIC UTILITY COMMISSION OF TEXAS. We have 25 employee records on file from the most recent state release. Below: a breakdown of pay, common roles, and the full employee list.

25Employees on file
$211,337Average annual pay
$265,000Highest annual pay
$86,676Lowest annual pay
Common roles: GENERAL COUNSEL IV DIRECTOR VI GENERAL COUNSEL V COMMISSIONER DIRECTOR VII DEPUTY DIRECTOR III ATTORNEY III FINANCIAL EXAMINER III

About this agency

PUBLIC UTILITY COMMISSION OF TEXAS is part of the Other State Agencies sector of Texas state government. The OpenPayrolls dataset includes 25 distinct employee records associated with this agency, drawn from the most recent state payroll release. Reported pay ranges from $86,676 at the low end to $265,000 at the high end, with an average of $211,337 across all roles.

Like every state agency listed here, PUBLIC UTILITY COMMISSION OF TEXAS is funded primarily through legislative appropriations and dedicated revenue. Compensation reported in this database represents the employee's annualized base salary at the time of the data snapshot — not necessarily the amount actually paid out during the calendar year, which can differ because of partial-year employment, mid-year promotions, supplemental funding sources (federal grants, athletic revenue at universities, fee-supported programs), and overtime. See our methodology for the full caveats.

The roles most commonly held at this agency are GENERAL COUNSEL IV, DIRECTOR VI, GENERAL COUNSEL V, COMMISSIONER, DIRECTOR VII, DEPUTY DIRECTOR III, ATTORNEY III, FINANCIAL EXAMINER III. To compare what people in any of these titles earn across other Texas agencies, click the role above. You can also see how PUBLIC UTILITY COMMISSION OF TEXAS compares to other employers in Austin, or against peer organizations on the Other State Agencies page.

Employees at PUBLIC UTILITY COMMISSION OF TEXAS

Page 1 of 1 · Showing 25 of 25 records, sorted by annual pay (highest first).

NameJob titleAnnual payTypeHire date
Thomas Gleeson COMMISSION, CHAIR $265,000 ERF - EXEMPT REGULAR FULL-TIME December 8, 2008
Shelah Cisneros GENERAL COUNSEL V $264,144 CRF - CLASSIFIED REGULAR FULL-TIME August 1, 2019
Constance Corona EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR $257,858 ERF - EXEMPT REGULAR FULL-TIME December 1, 2017
Courtney Hjaltman COMMISSIONER $250,000 ERF - EXEMPT REGULAR FULL-TIME June 26, 2024
Kathleen Jackson COMMISSIONER $250,000 ERF - EXEMPT REGULAR FULL-TIME August 9, 2022
Morgan Johnson COMMISSIONER $250,000 ERF - EXEMPT REGULAR FULL-TIME October 24, 2025
Hayley Hall DEPUTY DIRECTOR III $249,192 CRF - CLASSIFIED REGULAR FULL-TIME February 1, 2022
Philip English DEPUTY DIRECTOR III $249,192 CRF - CLASSIFIED REGULAR FULL-TIME July 30, 2018
Davida Dwyer GENERAL COUNSEL V $238,500 CRF - CLASSIFIED REGULAR FULL-TIME December 16, 2024
Marisa Lopez Wagley GENERAL COUNSEL V $238,386 CRF - CLASSIFIED REGULAR FULL-TIME January 1, 2022
David Smeltzer GENERAL COUNSEL IV $223,770 CRF - CLASSIFIED REGULAR FULL-TIME November 1, 2013
Jena Abel GENERAL COUNSEL IV $222,727 CRF - CLASSIFIED REGULAR FULL-TIME June 26, 2023
Mark Hovenkamp GENERAL COUNSEL IV $220,107 CRF - CLASSIFIED REGULAR FULL-TIME February 1, 2008
Hunter Burkhalter GENERAL COUNSEL IV $220,107 CRF - CLASSIFIED REGULAR FULL-TIME May 14, 2018
Richard Parsons DIRECTOR VII $216,972 CRF - CLASSIFIED REGULAR FULL-TIME January 1, 2022
Harika Basaran DIRECTOR VII $211,104 CRF - CLASSIFIED REGULAR FULL-TIME October 1, 2019
David Gordon GENERAL COUNSEL IV $202,362 CRF - CLASSIFIED REGULAR FULL-TIME August 23, 2021
Darryl Tietjen DIRECTOR VI $200,568 CRF - CLASSIFIED REGULAR FULL-TIME January 31, 1991
Therese Harris DIRECTOR VI $200,568 CRF - CLASSIFIED REGULAR FULL-TIME April 12, 2010
Tracie Tolle DIRECTOR VI $200,568 CRF - CLASSIFIED REGULAR FULL-TIME November 1, 2023
Nathan Lilie DIRECTOR V $188,544 CRF - CLASSIFIED REGULAR FULL-TIME August 7, 2023
Christopher Roelse MANAGER VIII $169,692 CRF - CLASSIFIED REGULAR FULL-TIME April 11, 2022
Cheri Hasz ATTORNEY III $117,393 CRF - CLASSIFIED REGULAR FULL-TIME September 1, 2021
Amritha Ganga IT BUSINESS ANALYST III $90,000 CRF - CLASSIFIED REGULAR FULL-TIME February 1, 2026
Frederick Quijano FINANCIAL EXAMINER III $86,676 CRF - CLASSIFIED REGULAR FULL-TIME August 20, 2018

How to read these numbers

The annual pay column shows the salary that the agency reports for that employee at the time of the data snapshot. It is the standard apples-to-apples figure used by Texas budget analysts: monthly base rate × 12 for salaried employees, or hourly rate × scheduled hours × 52 for hourly staff. It does not include benefits, retirement contributions, performance bonuses, settlement payments, contract buyouts, deferred compensation, or supplements paid from foundation or grant funds — all of which can be substantial at universities and large agencies.

Two employees with the same title and similar tenure can earn very different amounts at the same agency for legitimate reasons: market-pay adjustments approved by the agency head, longevity pay required by Texas Government Code Chapter 659, hazardous-duty pay for eligible peace officers, or temporary stipends during periods of acting leadership. Before drawing conclusions about any single record, look at the methodology page for the full set of caveats and read the agency's own pay plan if it has one.