Here's what Milwaukee's elected officials and top city appointees are paid
A proposal from last year would raise top Milwaukee city officials' annual salaries — so, what do officials like the mayor, Common Council members and top appointees make each year?
According to 2022 city salary data, many were near the top in hourly pay — though when employees' overtime was figured in, elected and appointed officials fell farther down the list of the highest-paid at the City of Milwaukee.
A spokesman for Mayor Cavalier Johnson noted when the proposal surfaced in October that the effort to raise top officials' pay was coming after "literally thousands of rank-and-file employees have had their pay rates modified to conform with the current labor market."
Here's how much Milwaukee's top elected leaders, cabinet officials and police and fire chiefs currently make, according to the city's Department of Employee Relations:
What is the Milwaukee's mayor's salary?
The mayor's annual base salary is $147,335.76 — the highest of any elected city official but also just cents higher than the city attorney.
What are the salaries of Milwaukee elected officials besides the mayor?
City Attorney: $147,335.50
Treasurer: $114,040
Comptroller: $125,608
Municipal judges: $133,049
Common Council president: $82,749
Common Council member: $73,222 (Council members also have a vehicle allowance plus mileage reimbursement for city business, according to the Department of Employee Relations.)
What are the salaries of the Milwaukee police chief and fire chief?
Milwaukee's police and fire chiefs currently make between $115,161 and $161,221.
What are the salaries of the Milwaukee mayor's cabinet officials?
State statute determines the positions in the Milwaukee mayor's cabinet. Their salaries are set in city ordinance.
Retirement board executive director: $184,565 to $258,381
Health commissioner: $122,746 to $171,838
Department of Public Works commissioner: $122,746 to $171,838
Department of Administration director: $115,161 to $161,221
City engineer: $115,161 to $161,221
City assessor: $115,161 to $161,221
Department of Neighborhood Services commissioner: $115,161 to $161,221
Department of City Development commissioner: $115,161 to $161,221
Department of Employee Relations director: $115,161 to $161,221
Budget director: $108,037 to $151,255
Chief information officer: $108,037 to $151,255
Fire and Police Commission executive director: $108,037 to $151,255
Intergovernmental Relations Division director: $108,037 to $151,255
City librarian: $108,037 to $151,255
Municipal port director: $108,037 to $151,255
Emergency management director: $83,692 - $117,177
Community Development Grants Administration director: $95,097 to $133,131
Purchasing director: $95,097 to $133,131
Employee benefits director: $95,097 to $133,131
Election Commission executive director: $95,097 to $133,131
City labor negotiator: $95,097 to $133,131
Look up salaries for City of Milwaukee employees
The Journal Sentinel has a database that allows you to search for compensation data of over 12,000 employees over the course of four years, from 2019 to 2022.
Alison Dirr can be reached at adirr@jrn.com.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Here's what Milwaukee's elected officials and top appointees are paid
