Public sector pay across 13 large U.S. cities

Side-by-side comparison of contract base salary for police officers, firefighters, sanitation workers and transit bus operators — from collective bargaining agreements, official city pay schedules and department careers pages. Every figure is sourced; click the link in any cell to read the original document. This is base pay only — actual paid wages with overtime, longevity, holiday and education incentives are typically much higher.

City Entry base Top base
(post step ladder, pre-longevity)		 Yrs to top Max w/ longevity
(rank-and-file ceiling)		 Comparability Source Effective
Role Entry base Top base Years to top Source Effective Union