In 2023, police officers and high level administrators in the Boston Public School system topped the list of Boston’s highest paid municipal employees.
According to salary data provided by The City of Boston, in 2023, Lieutenant Stanley Demesmin of the Boston Police Department made the most in the city, raking in $426,425.10 gross for the year. Other police officers who made the top ten list were Captain Haseeb Hosein, who came in second with $408,826.00, Officer Kendra Conway, who grossed $408,593.58, Lieutenant Sean Smith who came in fourth with $402,215.20, and Captain John Danilecki, who came in fifth with $385,879.32.
This year, the only non-police officers in the top ten highest earners were Mary Skipper, the Superintendent of Boston Public Schools, ranking seventh with $382,095.71, and Charles Grandson IV, the Chief Equity & Strategy Officer of Boston Public Schools, who placed ninth with $381,530.96. The complete top ten list is as follows:
| Name | Total Gross |
|---|---|
| 1. Lieutenant Stanley Demesmin | $426,425.10 |
| 2. Captain Haseeb Hosein | $408,826.00 |
| 3. Officer Kendra Conway | $408,593.58 |
| 4. Lieutenant Sean Smith | $402,215.20 |
| 5. Captain John Danilecki | $385,879.32 |
| 6. Sergeant Jarrod Gero | $383,405.77 |
| 7. Superintendent Mary Skipper | $382,095.71 |
| 8. Captain Timothy Connolly | $381,846.75 |
| 9. Charles Grandson IV | $381,530.96 |
| 10. Sergeant Thomas Barrett | $363,883.93 |
Why do police officers rake in so much? It’s not based on their regular salary. Take Lt. Demesmin, for instance, his regular salary was only $145,775.26 in 2023, so why did he gross $426,425.10? That’s because he made $23,862 working detail, $221,579.41 overtime, and $29,155.26 because of the Quinn Education Bill, which offers base salary increases for police officers who earn degrees in law enforcement and criminal justice while working. Lt. Demesmin also made $6,053.17 in the “other” category, which includes various forms of compensation such as bonuses and legal settlements.
Officer Conway was the only Boston police officer whose salary neared her total gross earnings, with a salary of $359,942.30 and a gross of $408,593.58 last year. Likewise, Superintendent Skipper’s salary was $303,461.48 and came out to $382,095.71 gross with $78,634.23 in “other” pay. Meanwhile, the Chief Equity & Strategy Officer of Boston Public Schools, Grandson, had a base salary of $150,958.73 but more than doubled his earnings last year with an additional $230,572.23 in “other” pay, bringing his total gross income to $381,530.96.
Below is the complete 2023 salary list for all 10,410 City of Boston employees. To find a specific individual, enter their name (first, middle, and/or last) into the search bar above the table.
