Cunningham, Brooke
Commissioner-HealthHealth DepartmentRamsey CountyFull-time
Commissioner. Minnesota state employee pay history, from State of Minnesota salary data.
Pay by fiscal year
Total paid across all records in each year, overtime included, compared with consumer prices.
From FY 2022 to FY 2026, pay went up 176% while consumer prices went up 16%. After inflation, pay is up 137% (it beat inflation).
| Year | Paid | Change | Prices (CPI) | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2026 | $189,360 | +5.0% | +3.1% | +1.8% |
| FY 2025 | $180,294 | +0.3% | +2.6% | −2.3% |
| FY 2024 | $179,778 | −17.8% | +3.3% | −20.5% |
| FY 2023 | $218,823 | +218.4% | +6.3% | +199.6% |
| FY 2022 | $68,723 | — | — | — |
Each change compares a year with the one before. Large swings usually come from a partial year, extra hours or a change of job rather than a raise. Prices: Consumer Price Index (CPI-U, U.S. city average) from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, averaged July to June; FY 2026 uses 11 months because October 2025 was not published.
Compared with the same job title
FY 2026 · Commissioner-Health
Too few people share this job title that year to make a fair comparison.
See everyone with this job titleEvery record
5 records, newest first
| FY | Agency | Job title | County | Base pay | Overtime | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Health Department Commissioner | Commissioner-Health Full-time | Ramsey | $90.06 /hr | — | $189,360 |
| 2025 | Health Department Commissioner | Commissioner-Health Full-time | Ramsey | $86.68 /hr | — | $180,294 |
| 2024 | Health Department Commissioner | Commissioner-Health Full-time | Ramsey | $86.68 /hr | — | $179,778 |
| 2023 | Health Department Commissioner | Commissioner-Health Full-time | Ramsey | $71.84 /hr | — | $218,823 |
| 2022 | Health Department State Prog Admin Mgr Sr | Medical Specialist 3 Full-time | Ramsey | $122.72 /hr | — | $68,723 |
The state reports one pay total per person per year, covering all of their positions, so it appears on one of that year’s lines and the others show no separate pay.
Highest paid in Health Department
FY 2026, amount paid
- Lynfield, Ruth$319,013Medical Specialist 4
- Lehnertz, Nicholas$273,587Medical Specialist 2
- Stadheim, Ruth$229,052State Prog Admin Coordinator
- Benson, Robin Christopher$188,266General Counsel 3
- Underwood, Wendy Lynne$187,354Deputy Commr Health
- Smith, Kirk E$185,409Epidemiologist Program Manager
- Desai, Jay$185,344Epidemiologist Program Manager
- Kunas, Myra L$179,172Asst Commr Health
Highest paid as Commissioner-Health
FY 2026, amount paid
No one else with a pay figure that year.