Waltham City Employee Salaries: Who Made The Most in 2019

WALTHAM, MA — The police dominated the list of highest paid city employees in 2019, city data show. Some 60 percent of the top 100 earners came from the Police Department, followed by the Fire Department and City Hall employees and then school employees.

Only about eight city employees earned more than $200,000 in 2019 compared to 12 the year before and five the year before that, according to city data obtained by Patch.

The chief of police, Keith MacPherson, who has worked for the city since 1980, went home with the highest pay check and also the highest base salary of the year at $233,641.07. Right after that, a Lieutenant named Michael Moriarty hired in 2017 had the next highest pay check of $229,752.78, which includes bonuses and state incentives in addition to his base salary, which was $144,177.

George Frost, who slid into the role of interim superintendent this year earned $170,125.04, making him the highest paid school department employee.

What about the women you ask? With a woman at the city's helm, that's a good question.

No woman, not even the mayor, made the top 33 highest gross paid slots in Waltham last year. That's slightly lower than 2018, when she was ranked No. 38.

The only woman to crack the top 10 highest base salary was Leanne Wilcinski, a school business manager for the superintendent's office. She had a base salary of $161,778.89 But she landed at No. 34 when it came to gross pay, which was the same.

Wilcinski began working for the City of Waltham in 1987, where she worked in the City Auditor's Office until transferring to School Business Administrator in 2006.

Mayor Jeannette McCarthy was the 56th highest paid person, the fourth woman on the highest paid list with a gross salary of $147,053.24, some $5,733 higher than the year before.

If you're wondering about the city councilors? The highest paid city councilor is the Council President Paul Brasco at $22,751.04. All other city councilors made $21,951. ( about $450 more than last year).

As with last year, 11 of the top 100 highest paid employees were women. And as last year about 23 percent of the top 100 salaries were women.

City employees who earned the most (see Total Gross):

City employees who had the highest salaries, not including overtime etc.:

Previously:

Waltham City Employee Salaries: Who Made The Most in 2018

Waltham City Employee Salaries: Who Made The Most in 2017

Waltham Mayor Among Highest Salaries in Boston Area

Patch reporter Jenna Fisher can be reached at Jenna.Fisher@patch.com or by calling 617-942-0474. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram (@ReporterJenna).