Boston’s city payroll jumps 14% in $100,000-plus earners in one year

The percentage of Boston’s city workers pulling down $100,000 or more has jumped by 14% year-over-year, according to a Herald payroll analysis.

That eye-popping tally includes four police officers who took home $400,000-plus and 65 other city employees who eclipsed $300,000 — mostly police and firefighters, with a wiring inspector rising in the lofty ranks.

In total, 10,409 employees claimed $100,000 or more in 2023, slightly more than 40% of the entire city payroll.

“It’s shocking. People go into law enforcement for all the right reasons, but making $400,000 is not one of them,” said Mike McCormack, a former city councilor.

The payroll for 2023 posted by the city on Wednesday lists base pay to total pay based on overtime, details, “other” and “Quinn Education” for police officers earning degrees in criminal justice. That statute was passed by the state legislature in 1970.

But the growing number of city employees earning $100,000 has fiscal watchdogs concerned.

“Mayor Wu’s payroll looks a lot more like the payroll for Harvard than the city,” said Paul Craney, spokesman for MassFiscal. He was alluding to speculation the mayor was heading over to Harvard Kennedy School. A thread she has repeatedly denied.

Craney said a 14% growth in six-figure pay as Boston faces fiscal pressures is good for the “bureaucrats” but bad for the taxpayers.

“The mayor is clearly patronizing by repaying the bureaucrats,” he added.

The Wu administration pushed back saying the 2023 payroll report — usually released every year in February — includes some retroactive pay.

“The City settled a number of collective bargaining contracts which include contractual increases for those employees covered by those contracts in addition to retroactive pay where applicable,” a spokesman said.

“Additionally, over the last two years, the administration has completed compensation analyses across more areas of the City workforce than before in order to fill key vacancies and ensure City compensation keeps up with cost of living increases,” the spokesman added.

Most city employees are required to live in Boston, with some exceptions negotiated during collective bargaining or waivers granted by the Residency Commission.

The median home price in Boston is $800,000, at last count. And that’s not factoring in a sky-high 7.56% mortgage rate.

Renting a one-bedroom apartment in the city goes for $3,311, according to Apartments.com.

Boston city payroll for 2023: Your Tax Dollars at Work

As for other payroll tidbits, George Williams, project coordinator for the City of Boston’s Task Force on Reparations, earned $24,617 last year until he was terminated after being arrested at City Hall on trespassing and resisting arrest charges in May.

Go to the Herald's "Your Tax Dollars at Work" report online to search the entire city payroll. Send tips to joed@bostonherald.com.