Scituate payroll: Which town employees are paid the most

Hannah Morse, The Patriot Ledger
Updated ·1 min read

SCITUATE − Unfilled positions in Scituate’s public safety departments drove up overtime pay – and therefore the overall payroll – in 2023.

The town spent more than $20.6 million on town employee pay last year, not including school staff. More than half of this came from the police and fire departments.

“We’re seeing more vacancies than normal,” Town Administrator Jim Boudreau said.

The number of empty positions varies depending on the time of year, but as of mid-March it was two in the police department and five in the fire department, Boudreau said.

It’s not only vacancies that affect overtime.

“People take vacation. People take sick time,” Boudreau said. “You have to fill that shift.”

The 50-person fire department received almost $5.4 million in 2023. The police department with 56 people received more than $5 million last year.

Seven of the 10 highest-paid town employees in Scituate in 2022 made the list again last year. The majority were fire and police personnel, except for Boudreau and School Superintendent William Burkhead.

The annual pay of these employees increased year over year by between 5% and 22%.

The 10 highest-paid town employees in Scituate in 2023

  • Fire Capt. Eric Norlin, $243,191

  • Town Administrator James Boudreau, $223,250

  • School Superintendent William Burkhead, $214,725

  • Firefighter Ryan Delosh, $195,271

  • Police officer Taylor Billings, $191,696

More: Check out the town of Scituate's 2023 payroll here

  • Firefighter Michael Ehlers, $187,775

  • Firefighter Daniel Mendes, $182,102

  • Police Chief Mark Thompson, $180,077

  • Police Lt. Paul Norton, $175,091

  • Police Sgt. Kenneth Bates, $170,249

Hannah Morse covers growth and development for The Patriot Ledger. Contact her at hmorse@patriotledger.com.

This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: Who makes the most money in Scituate, MA? 2023 payroll