Industry Earnings
Earnings vary by occupation, size of the State or locality, and region of the country. As in most industries, professionals and managers earn more than other workers. Earnings in the occupations having the largest employment in State and local government appear in table 3.
| Occupation | State government | Local government | All industries |
|---|---|---|---|
Police and sheriff's patrol officers | $23.55 | $21.64 | $21.74 |
First-line supervisors/managers of office and administrative support workers | 19.68 | 20.24 | 19.72 |
Child, family, and school social workers | 16.86 | 19.53 | 16.74 |
Correctional officers and jailers | 16.22 | 15.90 | 16.15 |
Fire fighters | 14.94 | 18.78 | 18.43 |
Highway maintenance workers | 14.81 | 14.10 | 14.21 |
Executive secretaries and administrative assistants | 14.78 | 17.76 | 16.81 |
Secretaries, except legal, medical, and executive | 14.17 | 13.78 | 12.55 |
Maintenance and repair workers, general | 13.80 | 15.70 | 14.77 |
Office clerks, general | 12.00 | 12.44 | 10.95 |
The International City/County Management Association (ICMA) reported the 2004 median annual salaries of selected executive and managerial occupations in local government, shown in table 4.
Employer-provided benefits—including health and life insurance and retirement benefits—are more common among State and local government employees than among workers in the private sector.
| Occupation | Salary |
|---|---|
City manager | $88,695 |
Assistant chief administrative officer | 80,232 |
Information services director | 75,582 |
Engineer | 75,556 |
Chief financial officer | 74,867 |
Economic development director | 70,668 |
Public works director | 70,135 |
Fire chief | 70,000 |
Human resources director | 70,000 |
Chief law enforcement official | 69,837 |
Human services director | 64,832 |
Parks and recreation director | 62,988 |
Health officer | 61,536 |
Purchasing director | 59,013 |
Chief librarian | 56,270 |
Treasurer | 52,053 |
Clerk | 46,779 |
Chief elected officials | 7,740 |