BOSTON — The city payroll increased from $1.6 billion to $1.7 billion for 2018. And the highest earners were police officers, according to payroll data released on Friday. Nearly 550 officers earned more than $200,000. Some 54 fire department employees and another five city employees and just three school department officials earned more than $200,000.

Mayor Marty Walsh was not one of them. But he was among the city's highest earners last year, bringing home $191,615.46, according to city payroll data. The highest paid city employee was Keith Barry a wire inspector for the Inspectional Services department. He earned $250,672.23.

Non School, Fire, Police City Employees top 10 highest earners: But when it came to highest overall earners, Boston Police officers lead the pack. The top five highest earners, which included two officers who made more than $600,000 each, went home with so much because of back pay awards after they were reinstated.

Boston Police Department top 10 highest earners for 2018: When it came to the school department, former Superintendent of Schools Tommy Chang walked out with a whopping $450,583.20. A teacher who got injury pay was the second highest paid at $245,468.70.

And then there were the firefighters. A department chief earned the most in the department taking home $260,160.29, more than Boston Fire Commissioner Joe Finn who earned $247,269.28.

Total earnings for calendar year 2018 were $1.721 billion, 8.2 percent or $129.3 million greater than calendar year 2017 earnings.



According to the city the increase was mainly driven by:

Increase in regular pay due to recently settled contracts. The largest driver was BTU base wage increases employees received as part of the contract settlement paid in early November 2017.

Increase in retro pay due to timing of settled contracts with school and public safety unions.

Reimbursed police overtime pay, due to the National Grid and Marriott strikes. Last year included the following "unusually high police earnings," because of reinstatements with back pay awarded in 2018: