Checking the directory at Pasadena City Hall (Photo – W.K.)
How frequently do you hear that public employment pay rates are far below what people could make in private industry?
By Todd Maddison
How often have you heard that being a government employee is something only done by those dedicated to public duty and willing to commit themselves to serving the public, knowing they’ll face a lifetime of substandard wages?
And how often have you thought to question that? To look at actual facts?
Transparent California has started collecting compensation data on public employees for 2023, and the City of Pasadena is among the first data sets we’ve obtained. This, like all Transparent California data, comes from the actual payroll data of the City and is provided to us in response to a legal California Public Records Act request.
Let’s take a look at that data to see what we can see…
Over a quarter-million dollars a year
At the highest level, we can see quite a number of city employees whose pay is over a quarter-million dollars a year. Ninety, to be exact. Including City Manager Marquez ($429,131), City Attorney Bagneris ($364,450), Fire Chief Augustin ($326,631) and Police Lieutenant Russo ($343,414.)
Now…most people consider the benefits an employer provides to be valuable. If a new job puts more in your paycheck but the company doesn’t contribute to retirement or healthcare insurance, that means something. Paying for both, out of pocket, can cost tens of thousands a year.
Good benefits
Like most public agencies, Pasadena provides good benefits. The City pays an average of $29,000/year for each full time employee’s normal retirement contribution and healthcare benefits.
In 2023, according to the latest CalPERS numbers the average Pasadena employee retiring after a full 30 year career is paid $101,271 per year. And that number will grow based on inflation, for the rest of their lives. In 2024-25 Pasadena will use $51 million dollars of its tax revenue to fund that additional payment.
Median full-time City employee
While the high-earners are doing well, the employee on the ground appears to be doing well also. In 2023 the median full-time City employee made $101,131 in pay only, and $153,848 in total compensation. According to US Census Bureau data in 2022 (the latest year available) the median pay of a Pasadena resident was $62,644 for men and $56,885 for women. City employees appear to make about $40,000/year more than the residents they “serve.”
Up to the People of Pasadena
Is this too much, too little, or just right? Answering the Goldilocks question is not up to me, it’s up to the people of Pasadena. In an era when revenues are declining, and the city council is approving increases in utility rates, we need to keep all the data in mind to make an informed opinion and do what is best for the ordinary resident.
Todd Maddison is the Director of Research for Transparent California, California’s largest public pay and pension database.
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