Oakland's Top Earners Break the Bank | California News

Oakland’s top earners last year weren’t corporate execs or tech billionaires—they were cops and firefighters, many raking in over half a million dollars thanks to massive overtime pay. A hundred and three city workers hit that mark, costing taxpayers nearly $60 million. City leaders blame understaffing and rising demand for services, pushing them into negotiations with unions over pay, benefits, and overtime rules. The highest-paid employee? A sergeant earning $765K—$400K of it from overtime—making him the top earner for two years running. Even the City Attorney’s office had just one lawyer break the half-million threshold, while elected officials and public servants like librarians earned much more modest salaries. It’s a tense balancing act: keeping essential services running while managing ballooning overtime costs. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/c12f9cfc4cc1f10e