Who Makes What
The next cold day you feel sorry for a tollbooth collector on the Massachusetts Turnpike — assuming that you ever have — keep in mind that he makes more than a Boston police bomb squad officer. Thinking of switching careers? It may interest you to know that the unlikely occupation of candlestick maker pays $85,000 a year in these parts.
Money is on everyone's minds, what with the free fall on Wall Street, corporate layoffs, and reports of greedy CEOs. So we cornered bartenders, pestered car salesmen, and scoured corporate and public records to come up with our most detailed (and personal) list to date of what people around here take home in their paychecks. From doctors and teachers to gravediggers and strippers, here's the scoop on what Bostonians earn.
Voyeuristic? Maybe. But there are lessons to be drawn. Starting pay for lawyers at the city's top firms is four times higher than what we pay public defenders. Pedro Martinez's multimillion-dollar salary breaks down to almost $70,000 per inning pitched — more than the annual salary of an average Boston public school teacher. The chairman and CEO of Ames department stores made $1.8 million last year; it's still unclear whether the company's employees will get any severance pay now that Ames is going out of business. Security guards at Logan Airport still start at $23,600 — less than what telemarketers make. People who care for the elderly at an assisted living center get paid less than dog groomers. And the president of the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals earns more than the president of the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children.
So go ahead: Take a peek. And see how your salary stacks up.
THE FINANCIAL DISTRICT
$5.8 million plus an office and use of the company jet
Terrence Murray, chairman and retired CEO, FleetBoston
$3.2 million
Chad Gifford, CEO, FleetBoston
$2.5 million
Daniel Burnham, CEO, Raytheon
$703 million
Raytheon's losses last year
$2.2 million
James Kilts, CEO, Gillette
$2.1 million
Henri Termeer, CEO, Genzyme
$1.8 million
Joseph Ettore, chairman and CEO, Ames Department Stores
Undetermined
Severance pay for employees now that Ames is closing
$1.7 million
Joseph Tucci, CEO, EMC
$849,172
Ronald Sargent, CEO, Staples
THE JOCKS
$15.5 million
Manny Ramirez, left fielder, Boston Red Sox
$13.5 million
Pedro Martinez, pitcher, Boston Red Sox
$67,839
Martinez's salary, per inning pitched
$11.3 million
Antoine Walker, forward, Boston Celtics
$3.9 million
Tom Brady, quarterback, New England Patriots
$1.8 million
Bill Belichick, coach, New England Patriots
$1.8 million
Joe Thornton, center, Boston Bruins
$386,750
Albert Skinner, basketball coach, Boston College
$365,374
Thomas O'Brien, football coach, Boston College
$260,000
Shea Hillenbrand, third baseman, Boston Red Sox
$125,000
Adin Brown, goalkeeper, New England Revolution
$85,000
Kristine Lilly, midfielder, Boston Breakers
CULTURE CLUB
$317,188
Malcolm Lowe, concertmaster, Boston Symphony Orchestra
$147,269
Charles Schlueter, principal trumpet, BSO
$99,580
BSO musician, starting
$47,500
Prima ballerina, Boston Ballet
$30,000
Stage manager, Boston Ballet
$466,311
Malcolm Rogers, director, Museum of Fine Arts
$239,650
Anne Hawley, director, Gardner Museum
$58,740
Stan Kozak, head gardener, Gardner Museum
$110/day
Movie extra, with union contract
$600/night
Victoria, stripper at the Glass Slipper, with tips
HOSPITALITY SUITE
$28,000
Sarah Wadman, waitress, Davio's Restaurant
$34,000
Karen Clodgo, waitress, Pour House Bar & Grill
$45,000
Waiter, Radius, including tips
$14,040
Counter worker, Dunkin' Donuts, starting
$50,000
Manager, J. P. Licks, starting
$7/hour
Delivery driver, Boston House of Pizza
$50,000
Masa Igarashi, sushi chef, Shino Express Sushi
$24,000
Christopher Ellsworth, part-time bartender, White Star Tavern
$39,000
Keith Mahoney, bartender, Solas Irish Pub
$24,960
Martin Greaves, bartender, Omni Parker House
$46,308
Norman Wood, health inspector, City of Boston
$19,250
Hotel chambermaid
$35,000
Lobsterman
$10,400
Cashier, Stop & Shop (25 hours/week)
$40,000
Marie Mabardi, travel agent, Great Getaways, Boston
$47,000
Paul “Captain Cookie” Valcour, Duck Tours guide (April-November)
CLASS DISTINCTIONS
$650,000
John Silber, chancellor, Boston University
$355,500
Charles Vest, president, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
$326,000
Richard Freeland, president, Northeastern University
$296,890
Jehuda Reinharz, president, Brandeis University
$280,626
David Sargent, president, Suffolk University
$280,000
William Bulger, president, University of Massachusetts system
$224,059
Diana Walsh, president, Wellesley College
$197,085
Jacqueline Liebergott, president, Emerson College
$152,350
Mary Fifield, president, Bunker Hill Community College
$4.1 million
Jack Meyer, president, Harvard Management Company
$14.8 million
Jeffrey Larson, foreign equity investor, Harvard Management Company
$13.6 million
David Mittelman, bond specialist, Harvard Management Company
$404,840
Farshad Rafii, professor of technology management, Babson College, and founding director of the Center for Technology and Enterprise
$326,003
Elizabeth Warren, professor, Harvard Law School (includes mortgage subsidy, housing allowance, “other compensation”)
$144,700
Full professor, Harvard University
$123,200
Full professor, MIT
$111,400
Full professor, Boston College
$101,500
Full professor, Amherst College
$90,000
Full professor, UMass Amherst
$171,600
Thomas Payzant, superintendent, Boston Public Schools
$140,400
Richard Silverman, superintendent, Brookline Public Schools
$101,000
Jennifer Huntington, principal, Newton North High School
$84,937
Thomas Hennessey, headmaster, Boston High School
$71,054
Phyllis Siwiec, teacher, Boston Public Schools
$42,286
Joseph Daniels, senior custodian/nights, Boston Public Schools
$41,843
Ellen Peterson, first-grade teacher, Weymouth Public Schools
$41,600
Nanny, Beacon Hill Nannies
$30,663
Thelma Albert, cafeteria manager, Boston Public Schools
$30,000
Vicky Shepard, childcare director, Children's Circle, Burlington
$28,000
John Rex, Les Petits Nursery School, Brookline
$20,894
Lianna Manos-Mohamed, library assistant, Boston Public Library, Brighton branch
REAL ESTATE
$70,500
Asim Oguz, real estate sales agent, Boston
$35,934
Yolanda Thomas, housing inspector, City of Boston
WELFARE STATE
$10,188
Social Security retiree, average
$9,888
Widow or widower, average
$9,336
Disabled person, average
$5,923
Welfare recipient in Massachusetts
$512/week
Unemployment insurance recipient, maximum
$46,293
Welfare caseworker
LAW AND ORDER
$150,000
Lawyer, Testa, Hurwitz & Thibeault, starting
$135,000
Lawyer, Ropes & Gray, starting
$125,000
Lawyer, Hale & Dorr, starting
$115,000
Lawyer, Nutter, McClennen & Fish, starting
$117,500
Daniel Conley, Suffolk County district attorney
$33,000
Public defender, starting
$126,943
Martha Sosman, justice, Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court
$117,467
Joseph Trainor, state appellate court judge
$112,777
Robert Cornetta, Salem District Court judge
$41,000
Probation officer
$53,743
FBI agent
$124,000
Paul Evans, Boston police commissioner
$131,011
Ronnie Watson, Cambridge police commissioner
$112,139
Daniel O'Leary, Brookline police chief
$50,498
Robert Cappucci, Boston police officer
$133,521
Cappucci's pay, with overtime
$51,028
Joseph Britt, Boston police detective
$120,609
Britt's pay, with overtime
$51,166
Stephen Chin, Boston Police bomb squad officer
$41,474
Massachusetts state trooper, starting
$30,054
9-1-1 dispatcher, Lexington
$120,000
Paul Christian, Boston fire commissioner
$123,188
Gerald Reardon, Cambridge fire commissioner
$107,240
John Spillane, Brookline fire chief
$43,112
Patrick Flaherty, firefighter, Boston Fire Department
PLANES, TRAINS, AND AUTOMOBILES
$52,161
Roger Bessette, toll collector, Massachusetts Turnpike
$20,280
Katrina Hill, toll collector, Tobin Bridge
$32,000
Pilot, Cape Air, starting
$177,000
Pilot, Federal Express
$32,760
Baggage handler, Logan Airport
$52,088
Flight attendant
$23,600
Logan Airport security guard, U.S. Transportation Security Administration, starting
$36,171
Driver, Federal Express
$39,915
Driver, U.S. Postal Service
$48,069
Driver, UPS
$24,000
Della D'Alessandro, bicycle messenger, Fly Over the City, Boston
$136,000
Paul Fay, used-car salesperson, Best Used Cars, Weymouth
$50,000
Jade Vigilio, new-car salesperson, Boston VW
$55,000
Ladville Powell, auto mechanic, Ideal Engine Automotive, Boston
$19,760
Lesor Ogbafu, valet parker, Sheraton Boston
$16,910
Parking lot attendant
$50,000
Truck driver, Coca-Cola Bottling Company, Needham
$26,000
Wilfort Dolcius, limo driver, Lifestyle Transportation International, Everett
$20,800
Benito Vernet, cab driver, Independent Taxi Company
$31,221
MBTA bus driver
$31,517
MBTA streetcar operator
$250,000
Craig Coy, CEO and executive director, Massachusetts Port Authority
$121,139
Michael Leone, port director, Massport
$125,000
Joseph Lawless, director of maritime and bridge security, Massport
$215,000
Thomas Kinton, aviation director, Massport
$49,608
Stephen Pierro, janitor, Logan Airport
$23,642
Jean Blanchard, control clerk, Registry of Motor Vehicles
$25,704
Michael Cappellano, parking meter reader, Boston
$79,519
Lev Bentsman, bridge engineer, Big Dig
$24,612
Duane Adams, project assistant, Big Dig
$155,000
Michael Lewis, director, Big Dig
$27,801
Anthony Saunders, snowplow driver, City of Boston
MIXED MEDIA
$39,080
Reporter, Boston Globe, starting
$65,528
Reporter, Boston Globe, top scale
$67,038
Assistant metro editor, Boston Globe, starting
$74,013
Assistant metro editor, Boston Globe, top scale
$51,743
Reporter, Boston Herald
$53,030
Assignment editor, Boston Herald
$95,040
Jose Juves, Massport spokesman
$92,699
Carole Brennan, press secretary to Mayor Tom Menino
$15,000
Vernard Milton, vendor, Metro newspaper
$650,000
Natalie Jacobson, TV anchorwoman, WCVB-TV, Channel 5
$57,250
Brooke Murphy, Web-site designer, Boston Web Design
$61,000
Matthew Jorgenson, webmaster
$110,000
Larry Kovner, technical writer
$25/hour
Satellite TV installer, Blue Sky Satellite, Boston
$32,820
Larry Quemere, telemarketer, Appointment Setters, Boston
$23,023
Telephone operator, Verizon, maximum
BUTCHER, BAKER, CANDLESTICK MAKER
$42,000
Teresa Bonar, butcher, Savenor's Market
$30,000
Korinn Koslofsky, baker, Flour Bakery + Café
$85,000
Agostino DiBari, candlestick maker, Honey Candle Company, Orleans
HOLY ORDER
$175,000
Rabbi, large suburban Boston congregation
$85,700
Unitarian minister, midsize suburban Boston congregation
$25,000
Catholic priest
POLITICS AS USUAL
$135,000
Acting Governor Jane Swift
$150,000
Boston Mayor Thomas Menino
$100,000
Menino's lifetime pension, per year
$120,000
Menino's pension if he's reelected in 2009
$150,000
U.S. Senator John Kerry
$675 million
Kerry's net worth
$150,000
U.S. Senator Edward Kennedy
$35 million
Kennedy's net worth
$50,123
State senator
$50,123
State representative
$186,000
Thomas Finneran, House speaker (includes $100,000 from private law practice)
$218,400
Gus Thornton, president, Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
$176,110
Joyce Strom, president, Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children
$115,500
Catherine D'Amato, CEO, Greater Boston Food Bank
$67,019
Stephen Balfour, associate director, AIDS Action Committee of Massachusetts
DOCTORS' ORDERS
$388,270
Victor Dzau, chairman, department of medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital
$479,294
James Mongan, president, Massachusetts General Hospital
$369,089
Heart surgeon
$270,000
Anesthesiologist
$250,824
Ophthalmologist
$235,797
Obstetrician/gynecologist
$178,000
Physical therapist
$173,470
Dentist
$151,855
Psychiatrist
$111,514
Orthodontist
$78,785
Chiropractor
$77,300
Pharmacist
$60,000
Veterinarian
$61,468
Arlene Swan-Mahoney, school nurse, Boston Public Schools
$51,450
Hospital nurse
$45,000
Home nurse
$21,840
Caregiver, Atrium Assisted Living Center, Danvers
$150,000
Richard Evans, state medical examiner
$75,000
Arthur C. Hasiotis, director, Commonwealth Cremation and Funeral Service, Brighton
$25,704
Maurice Jackson, gravedigger, City of Boston