Many Workers In Montgomery County Earn $40K+ In Overtime

ROCKVILLE, Md. (AP) -- Montgomery County data show 136 county workers earned at least $40,000 each in overtime pay last year, an increase from 94 workers a year earlier.

The Washington Post reports that the workers are mostly firefighters and corrections officers.

In some cases, overtime pay far exceeded base pay. One corrections officer collected $122,336 in overtime -- the most of any county employee -- on top of a regular salary of $68,201. Six fire department workers pushed annual earnings above $200,000 with more than $90,000 in overtime.

It's common for public safety agencies to face high overtime costs and Montgomery County officials say overtime costs less than hiring new full-time workers. The fire service's overtime costs grew more than 26 percent from 2010 to 2013, from $14.5 million to $18.3 million.

(Copyright 2013 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)