San Antonio’s City Employees: A Look into 2023 Compensation
This year in San Antonio, the city has officially supported 15,501 employees, contributing a hefty $970 million in wages alone. When we add everything together, including benefits and other compensations, the total figure rises to over $1.4 billion across all departments. Let’s break down what this means for the hardworking people serving our community.
Understanding Employee Categories
The city’s employees fall into three main categories: uniformed fire personnel, uniformed police officers, and civilian staff. Now, what’s interesting is how their salaries and benefits are determined. For civilian employees, the City Council sets their compensation. Meanwhile, for the brave souls in uniform—both fire and police—salaries and benefits are dictated through collective bargaining agreements that are negotiated by various public safety unions.
According to the Fiscal Year 2023 City Compensation Report, the distribution of employees is quite varied. Last year, we had around 1,821 uniformed fire employees who received approximately $195.1 million in wages along with $289.6 million in total compensation. Then, there were over 2,500 uniformed police employees who earned around $272.8 million in wages, equating to a total compensation of about $404.3 million. Finally, a massive group of more than 11,000 civilian employees brought home $504.1 million in wages and received $675.1 million in total compensation.
Interesting Compensation Details
It’s also noteworthy that the figures for uniformed fire and police roles include various arbitration awards and settlements. Additionally, total compensation does not just encompass wages; it includes an array of extra benefits that the city provides, like pension matching, health care contributions for both current employees and retirees, plus wellness contributions.
The Top Earners in San Antonio
When we delve into the salary specifics, we find out that the top dog among San Antonio’s city employees in 2023 is none other than City Manager Erik Walsh, who pocketed a staggering $506,281 in total compensation. His base pay was $363,240, but with additional leave payouts and other incentives accumulating to around $100,000, his compensation package is indeed impressive.
Turning our gaze to the uniformed employees, District Fire Chief Daniel Gonzalez stands out as the highest-paid uniformed worker, with total compensation hitting $337,450. Quite remarkably, a big chunk of that—around $133,785—came from overtime, which exceeded his base pay of $103,634.
Not to be forgotten in this story is Police Officer Mark Walaski, who had a notable compensation of $324,412. This included not only his base salary but also $83,838 from arbitration and settlements, $48,241 in overtime, and benefits adding up to about $89,000.
Top Earners Summary
It’s dazzling to consider that the top 30 earners in the city raked in over $290,000 each in total compensation. If we extend that to the top 100, each of those employees also earned upwards of $250,000.
As we reflect on these figures, it becomes clear that the dedicated employees of San Antonio are an integral part of our community. Their hard work and service earn not just wages but also essential benefits that contribute to a thriving city.
