An LA firefighter made $700k. Here are the highest-paid public officials in the US

It’s well known that the president makes $400,000 a year and members of Congress make $174,000. But there are some state and city officials in the U.S. who make so much money that they’re in the top 10%, and even the top 5%, of earners in this country.

Here are just a few:

University sports coaches 

The highest-paid employee in at least 40 states is a university football or basketball coach.

University of Alabama’s Nick Saban is making $11.7 million this year. That doesn’t make him a “one percenter,” that makes him a “one-tenth percenter.” 

Saban is followed closely by Clemson University’s Dabo Swinney, who makes $10.54 million and University of Georgia’s Kirby Smart, who earns $10.5 million in salary. However, Smart earns bonuses if the Bulldogs go to the playoffs or earn a title. 

Highly-paid elected officials 

District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser earns $250,000 a year while members of the district’s council make $115,000. Bowser’s salary is nearly four times the median per capita income in the district, which according to the latest census was just under $64,000. 

The boss earns less

There are highly-compensated mayors who are paid less than people who work for them. 

San Francisco Mayor London Breed’s total compensation was $357,084 in 2022. But the highest paid employee in the city was the managing director of Retirement Services who made $620,353. 

Six-figure overtime 

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass makes $301,588 a year. While the mayor’s salary is impressive, it is still thousands of dollars less than the city’s highest paid employees.

Who are they? Here’s a hint: they wear suits and drive around in really expensive trucks.

They are firefighters.

Thanks to overtime, three of them were the highest paid employees in Los Angeles in 2022, coming in at $699,478, $583,585, and $580,214.

The state controller’s list of the city’s highest paid employees is filled with firefighters because low staffing requires them to work extra hours. 

Cost-Of-Living Adjustment (COLA)

Los Angeles, District of Columbia, and San Francisco are three of the most expensive cities in the country.

When adjusting for the cost of living, the mayor of Omaha, Nebraska, actually makes about $45,000 more than New York City Mayor Eric Adams because it costs 165% more to live in NYC. 

Omaha’s mayor makes $114,068, which is the equivalent of $302,743 in New York. Adams earns $258,000.  

Perks 

In addition to money, perks also factor into the value of jobs. As a perk, four U.S. mayors get to live in an official residence, like Gracie Mansion in New York City.

It’s tough to put a price tag on that but a nearby 3-bed 3-bath condo on the Upper East Side is renting for $12,500 a month. 

One popular perk for city managers and school district superintendents is a car allowance. The city manager in San Antonio gets at least $500 a month. At that rate, he could lease a Tesla Model 3 and still have money left over to pay insurance. 

But perhaps the best perk is a $100,000 non-taxable travel account for the president – finally, an explanation for all of Biden and Trump’s weekends away.