Salem's Top Town Wage Earners in 2012

A lot of taxpayer dollars go to the salaries of town and school employees, so we have decided to list those on Salem, NH Patch. You'll note below we've also compared the salaries of Salem's employees to a couple of similarly sized communities in New Hampshire. That information is below the Salem breakdown.

The salary information provided are the Top 50 gross wages, which includes base salary. Items not provided are overtime, outside detail, grants and other.

Outside detail and grants paid to police officers are paid by the organizations who hire them, not from taxpayer dollars.

The chart is ordered by gross pay, not base salary.

School salaries will be presented in a separate post.

Name

Title Base Annual (2012) Gross Wages Shawn J. Patten Deputy Police Chief $93,738.00 $186,848.63 Steve J. Malisos Police Lieutenant $76,537.00 $169,818.03 Shane C. Smith Police Sergeant $63,435.00 $157,526.21 Marc. L. Prescott Police Sergeant $65,020.00 $150,024.84 Joel P. Dolan Police Lieutenant $68,507.00 $135,860.86 Keith R. Hickey Town Manager $130,560.00 $134,837.12 Kristin L. Fili Police Lieutenant Retired $76,537.00 $132,923.50 Kevin J. Breen Fire Chief $98,909.00 $130,484.79 Ronald J. Peddle Police Lieutenant $76,537.00 $129,338.22 Kevin Fitzgerald Police Lieutenant $68,507.00 $128,268.60 Robert Morin Jr. Police Lieutenant $68,507.00 $127,306.38 Michael C. Kelly Police Sergeant $65,020.00 $127,270.10 Jane M Savastano Finance Director $101,584.00 $126,897.87 James S. Chase Police Captain $84,110.00 $124,118.20 Richard S. Nicosia Police Officer $56,472.00 $123,988.96 Mark J. DOnahue Police Detective $57,885.00 $118,562.12 Paul M. Benoit Jr. Police Officer $57,885.00 $116,597.32 Lawrence D. Best Fire Training Officer $57,993.00 $116,105.59 Thomas J. Kench Police Sergeant $60,304.00 $115,608.25 Paul J. Parisi Assistant Fire Chief $92,225.00 $115,077.21 Hicham M. Geha Police Detective $55,117.00 $112,676.67 Paul T. Donovan Police Chief $97,940.00 $112,615.75 Basil J. Chingros Scheduling Officer $57,885.00 $112,106.77 Joseph Defudis Police Officer $52,120.00 $108,507.08 Ryan M. Sambataro Police Officer $55,117.00 $105,223.87 Michael D. Verrocchi Police Officer $55,117..00 $105,095.83 Michael J Wagner Police Sergeant $65,020.00 $104,984.62 Daniel J. Nelson Police Officer $56,472.00 $104,798.37 Brian P. Crane Asst Fire Mechanic $52,554.00 $104,664.65 Randall J. Young Fire Station Officer $58,863.00 $103,468.56 Paul G. Leischner Deputy Fire Chief $78,790.00 $103,406.49 Susan M. Wall Town Clerk $82,858.00 $102,490.67 Robert E. Puff, Jr. Engineering Director $92,349.00 $101,858.03 Gregory S. Pepper Police Officer $57,885.00 $101,451.67 Stephane R. Cattin Fire Captain $63,394.00 $100,524.89 John W. Judson III Fire Station Officer $58,863.00 $100,402.60 Richard J. Russell, Jr. Public Works Director $91,443.00 $99,204.33 Jeffrey S. Emanuelson Fire Marshall $78,790.00 $97,738.78 Michael P. Bernard Police Detective $56,472.00 $97,293.14 John P. Lozowski III Police Captain Retired $89,988.00 $97,004.50 William J Scott Community Development Director $92,349.00 $96,971.27 Michael D. White Police Detective $56,472.00 $95,922.53 Stephen J. McKenna Fire Captain $62,457.00 $95,404.68 Joseph L. Keating Police Officer $44,500.00 $95,261.94 Francis J. Enos Fire Station Officer $58,863.00 $95,081.60 Justin R. Bagley Police Officer $52,120.00 $94,097.38 Matthew F. Norcross Community Affairs Officer $57,885.00 $93,960.02 David M. Wholley Public Works Operations Manager $84,224.00 $92,874.18 John C. Hall Fire Lieutenant $58,863.00 $91,937.28 Robert A. Genest Police Detective $56,472.00 $91,449.89

To give an idea of how Salem stacks up against a couple of similarly sized towns, we went to Merrimack Patch and Londonderry Patch for the salary information they requested of their towns. Merrimack's population of 25,494 is slightly larger than Londonderry, who at the 2010 census record a population of 24,129, and slightly smaller than Salem, with a population of 28,776.

Editor's note: Because the information we asked for in each town was the Top 50 salaries in gross pay, that is how we lined the town-by-town comparison. This of course includes items like outside police detail and overtime, which varies greatly from town-to-town. It is possible and likely there are people within the communities that make a higher base salary than some of the people listed here, but since we didn't have that information, we can't accurately compare that information. To give a base salary comparison we looked at some of the top paid positions in each town and matched those up to give an idea of how the towns compare.

2012 Base Wage Comparison 

 Title Londonderry Merrimack Salem Town Manager $133,077.92 $124,393.30 $130,560 Police Chief $127,887.37 $96,460.16 $97,940 Fire Chief $114,347.57 $95,453.60 $98,909 DPW Director $114,828.97 $94,694.80 $91,443 Finance Director $118,109.65 $91,834.80 $101,584 Community/Economic Development $117,001.40 $82,915.20 $92,349

2012 Top 50 Gross Wages in Londonderry, Merrimack and Salem

Londonderry
Merrimack
Salem
Title Gross Wages Title Gross Wages Title Gross Wages Town Manager $133,077.92 Town Manager $124,393.30 Deputy Police Chief $186,848.63 Fire Battalion Chief, Director of EMS $131,805.22 Patrol Sergeant $106,509.56 Police Lieutenant $169,818.03 Police Sergeant $129,520.42 Police Chief $106,111.26 Police Sergeant $157,526.21 Police Chief $127,887.37 Finance Director $99,989.28 Police Sergeant $150,024.84 Police Lieutenant $122,711.90 Police Lieutenant $99,946.77 Police Lieutenant $135,860.86 Director of Finance and Administration $118,109.65 Police Lieutenant $97,693.97 Town Manager $134,837.12 Director of Planning and Economic Development $117,001.40 Fire Chief $97,057.19 Police Lieutenant Retired $132,923.50 Battalion Chief $116,777.59 DPW Director $96,578.77 Fire Chief $130,484.79 Police Sergeant $115,246.79 Master Patrolman $96,407.51 Police Lieutenant $129,338.22 Public Works Director $114,828.97 Fire Captain $95,191.94 Police Lieutenant $128,268.60 Fire Chief $114,347.57 Fire Lieutenant $95,008.60 Police Lieutenant $127,306.38 Police Sergeant $112,228.24 Police Captain $94,784.90 Police Sergeant $127,270.10 Fire Captain $111,012.83 Fire Captain $94,301.76 Finance Director $126,897.87 Fire Captain $110,850.36 Police Sergeant $94,036.03 Police Captain $124,118.20 Police Sergeant $110,707.76 Police Sergeant $92,872.03 Police Officer $123,988.96 Library Director $110,322.27 Community Service Officer $92,372.57 Police Detective $118,562.12 Patrol Officer $107,925.12 Police Sergeant $91,842.50 Police Officer $116,597.32 Police Lieutenant $105,986.92 Police Lieutenant $91,811.89 Fire Training Officer $116,105.59 Police Lieutenant $105,842.72 Fire Captain $90,641.30 Police Sergeant $115,608.25 Police Sergeant $104,147.18 Detective $90,511.82 Assistant Fire Chief $115,077.21 Police Captain $103,331.95 Police Captain $89,791.02 Police Detective $112,676.67 Fire Lieutenant $100,656.25 Fire Lieutenant $89,587.29 Police Chief $112,615.75 Detective Sergeant $100,466.03 Police Lieutenant $88,804.59 Scheduling Officer $112,106.77 Police Captain $100,030.02 Fire Lieutenant $87,125.93 Police Officer $108,507.08 Patrol Officer $99,756.53 Master Firefighter $86,060.01 Police Officer $105,223.87 K-9 Officer $99,721.45 Master Firefighter $85,926.21 Police Officer $105,095.83 Police Captain $99,343.94 Library Director $85,814.26 Police Sergeant $104,984.62 Marino, Karen $99,158.92 Master Patrolman $85,362.29 Police Officer $104,798.37 Patrol Officer $99,091.05 Assistant DPW Director $84,638.93 Asst Fire Mechanic $104,664.65 Police Sergeant $97,488.57 Fire Captain $84,312.47 Fire Station Officer $103,468.56 Police Sergeant $96,975.06 Chief Operator WWTF $83,388.11 Deputy Fire Chief $103,406.49 Police Sergeant $96,914.49 Master Firefighter $83,178.02 Town Clerk $102,490.67 Fire Lieutenant $96,886.82 Community Development Director $82,951.38 Engineering Director $101,858.03 Patrol Officer $96,768.70 Assistant DPW Director $82,650.98 Police Officer $101,451.67 Patrol Officer $96,632.67 Assistant Chief Fire $82,473.30 Fire Captain $100,524.89 Fire Department
$96,337.59 Master Firefighter $82,169.56 Fire Station Officer $100,402.60 Assistant Director Public Works $96,256.60 Police Lieutenant $81,669.64 Public Works Director $99,204.33 Fire Department
$96,008.90 Police Sergeant $80,348.03 Fire Marshall $97,738.78 Patrol Officer $95,893.58 Master Firefighter $79,488.04 Police Detective $97,293.14 Fire Department
$94,913.45 Master Firefighter $78,860.11 Police Captain Retired $97,004.50 Patrol Officer $94,810.63 Patrolman $78,510.27 Community Development Director $96,971.27 Detective juvenile division $94,148.75 Police Sergeant $78,185.93 Police Detective $95,922.53 Police Lieutenant $93,539.13 Master Firefighter $77,063.83 Fire Captain $95,404.68 Fire Department
$92,891.21 Patrolman $76,768.99 Police Officer $95,261.94 Highway Foreman
$92,834.50 Master Patrolman $76,766.14 Fire Station Officer $95,081.60 Patrol Officer $92,428.92 Patrolman $75,586.87 Police Officer $94,097.38 Fire Lieutenant/EMS Coordinator $91,800.17 Master Patrolman $75,178.70 Community Affairs Officer $93,960.02 Detective $91,636.20 Operation Manager $74,581.17 Public Works Operations Manager $92,874.18 Fire Lieutenant/Paramedic $91,003.50 Detective $74,393.56 Fire Lieutenant $91,937.28 Patrol Officer $90,908.06 Master Patrolman $74,241.33 Police Detective $91,449.89