WORCESTER—Police overtime once again pushed dozens of Worcester employees into the top ranks of city earners in 2025, according to a newly released payroll report that shows how total compensation continues to outpace base salaries.
A total of 92 city and school employees earned more than $200,000 last year, with 78 of them working in the police department. Overall municipal payroll reached about $589.5 million, up roughly 4% from the previous year.
At the top of the list, City Manager Eric D. Batista earned $354,103 in total compensation, including more than $58,000 beyond his base salary.
But much of the list that follows is dominated by police officers and supervisors, many of whom saw their earnings climb well above base pay due to overtime and detail work.
Police Lt. Stanley A. Roy Jr. ranked second overall with $305,609 in total pay, followed by Police Capt. Christopher L. Curtis at $295,839 and Police Capt. Aaron R. Theodoss at $285,051. Police Chief Paul B. Saucier was the fifth-highest paid employee at $284,178.
School officials also appear among the top earners, including Worcester Public Schools Deputy Superintendent Marie D. Morse, who earned $278,671, and Superintendent Brian E. Allen, who earned $276,110. Allen assumed the superintendent role midway through the year after previously serving as deputy superintendent.
The number of employees earning more than $200,000 dipped slightly from 98 in 2024 but remains well above the 69 recorded in 2023, reflecting continued reliance on overtime in key departments.
In a letter accompanying the report, Batista said the data is intended “to promote transparency regarding compensation for all City of Worcester wage earners.”
The figures also show how widely total earnings can vary from base pay. Several police officers earned six figures in overtime alone, pushing their total compensation into the upper tiers of the list.
Fire department leadership is also represented near the top, including Fire Chief Martin Dyer, who earned $267,799, and Deputy Fire Chief Samuel Richesson, who earned $230,136.
The full report spans dozens of pages and includes thousands of employees, organized from highest to lowest total earnings.
