Harrisburg, Pa. ? Joe Paterno’s salary is no longer one of the most closely guarded secrets in college sports – the Penn State coach will earn more than $500,000 this year.

The State Employees’ Retirement System released Paterno’s salary Thursday, more than a week after the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled that his salary and other top Penn State officials are public information.

Paterno was paid $427,220 in the first 10 months of 2007 – putting his year-end salary on track to be $512,664. He was paid $490,638 last year, according to the retirement system.

“I’m paid well, I’m not overpaid,” Paterno said earlier in the day, during an interview with reporters about his upcoming College Football Hall of Fame induction. “I got all the money I need.”

But it’s not even close to what some other big-name coaches are making. Alabama’s Nick Saban is the highest paid coach at $4 million per year, while Oklahoma’s Bob Stoops makes over $3 million. Ohio State’s Jim Tressel, Florida’s Urban Meyer and South Carolina’s Steve Spurrier make upward of $2 million annually.

Many coaches receive substantial bonuses or outside income, but the retirement system data did not show other forms of compensation.

The disclosure of Paterno’s salary was forced by The Patriot News in Harrisburg, which asked the retirement system nearly five years ago to release the salaries of Paterno and three other school officials.

Penn State, which had refused to make the information public, also opposed the release by the retirement system on the grounds that it would be unfair to the affected employees and might hurt morale or make it more difficult to recruit and retain talent.

The legal wrangling ended last week, when the state Supreme Court upheld a lower court order to release the information. The justices said the lower court properly balanced the public’s right against the effects the disclosure might have on reputations and personal security.