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Which City Worker Is Making Top Dollar In Baltimore?

BALTIMORE (WJZ)--Which city workers are taking home the most money? The answer may surprise you. Some first responders are making hundreds of thousands of dollars, many doubling their salaries in overtime.

WJZ's Meghan McCorkell has a look at the top earners.

The highest paid city employee is a police lieutenant who netted more than $235,000 more than doubling his salary in overtime.

A paramedic is making more than two and a half times her salary, taking home more than $200,000.

And though the mayor brings home a healthy annual salary, she doesn't crack the top ten for gross pay. However, the Executive Director of the Mayor's Office does, making more than $183,000.

The compensation is for fiscal year 2015, which stretches from July last year to June 30th this year.

WJZ has learned out of the top 100 highest grossing city workers, 87 of them work for the police or fire department and all of them grossing more than $149,000.

"It's not surprising. We know that's common that a lot of fire and police. They've been working a lot of overtime," said Brandon Scott.

City Councilman Brandon Scott and Vice Chair of the Public Safety Committee says he's putting pressure on the police and fire departments to keep extra hours in check.

"We have to continue to monitor overtime, make sure it's not being abused and make sure it's being used for public safety, which is the use that it should be used for," Scott said.

But with the riots this spring that overtime was necessary.

Scott says "It includes April and May so we expect, and it includes the months we've had this big spike in violence."

$20 million dollars was taken out of the city's rainy day fund to cover the costs of the riots, much of it, for police overtime.

State's Attorney Marilyn Mosby has the highest salary in the city, but she's only held the job since January, so she didn't take home the most money.

A full database of the earnings of city workers can be found HERE.

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