“State Police pay higher than reported, data hidden for years” (Boston Globe) should be required reading for young people:
Payroll records for an entire 140-trooper State Police division — including some of the department’s highest earners — have been hidden from public view and weren’t filed with the state comptroller for several years, the Globe has found.
The records for Troop F, which polices Logan International Airport and parts of the Seaport, among other areas, accounted for more than $32.5 million in spending last year and portray a lucrative, overtime-laden operation that outpaces the compensation totals of troopers working in other State Police divisions.
At least 79 percent of Troop F made more last year than Governor Charlie Baker, who earned $151,800. The percentage would be even higher if you included the pay that some workers received in 2017 for time spent in other State Police divisions.
The median hourly wage in Massachusetts was $22.45 (BLS), or about $45,000 per year for full-time work (May 2016 numbers).
Especially in the #MeToo era where being denounced by a coworker means the end of a career, why incur the risk, low pay, and job insecurity of private-sector work? Don’t want to do police work? There are a lot of other highly paid jobs with union protection. The official state web site:
Over 90% of Executive Department employees are covered by a union contract. Unionized roles include: accountants, facility service workers, electricians, correction officers, state troopers, LPNs and RNs, social workers, lawyers, physicians, engineers, and librarians, among hundreds of other roles.
[Using the incomplete data set, a business executive friend was able to look up the state trooper who had pulled her over for speeding. He had earned $450,000 in the preceding year.]
I guess that makes them less susceptible to bribery
@superMike – who says they can’t be bribed? What are politicians for but to bribe the civil servant unions?
A half a million a year to a state trooper? Are they nuts?
I want to see what the librarians make. Working in a library is probably a pretty low stress job, now that most people get their information and media from the internet.
@GermanL: I mean who’s going to try to bribe someone pulling in $200k a year for minor stuff?
@superMike sorry, I didn’t mean to come across as negating so strongly 🙂 I just meant it as a joke since the bribing is probably coming from higher up.
If a state trooper is truly making $400K annually, your state leaders are insane.
It’s always easier to spend other people’s money.
Here in Alabama it’s legal for the county sheriff to take prisoner’s food money and spend it on his beach house instead:
http://www.al.com/news/birmingham/index.ssf/2018/03/etowah_sheriff_pocketed_over_7.html
Mark: In the particular troop covered by the Globe article, the highest paid member received only $351,774, I think, not a full $400k. But on the other hand, his pension and benefits would push the total compensation well over $400,000 per year.
A Boston Police Dept officer (city, not state) earned over $400,000 in 2016 on a cash basis (so more than $500k/year if you consider the pension value). See https://www.fox25boston.com/news/boston-salary-database-bpd/494077124
I think government workers in California earn more, though. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/02/us/california-today-police-firefighter-pay.html says that “In 2015, five San Jose police officers each made more than $400,000.”
Nothing new–Mercenaries always command high salaries, cannot be relied upon, and might in fact bite the hand that feeds them.
Phil,
Thank you for the links. Those pay rates are nothing short of incredible. There’s little wonder these states have money problems and sky high tax rates.