42 Hampton town employees earned $100,000 or more in 2023: Here's list of all salaries

HAMPTON — Police and firefighters made up most of the town’s top wage earners in 2023, racking up much of their income through overtime and private details.

Hampton police Sgt. Stephen Champey was the town’s top earner with $179,748.29, including $75,874.84 in overtime pay. The other top 10 earners included police officers, two fire officers and the town manager. Hampton Fire Capt. Nate Denio brought in $148,976.33, the town's 10th-highest earner, $58,748.51 of which was overtime.

Town officials say the high earnings for certain employees reflect the long hours first responders work to keep the town running. They also say the employees logging the most overtime hours are making up for vacant positions.

Searchable database: Salaries for all Hampton town employees in 2023

In Champey’s case, he worked 1,105 hours of overtime in 2023 — an average of 21.25 extra hours of work per week over the year.

“They’re sacrificing time with their families to fill those holes in our scheduling,” Hampton Police Chief Alex Reno said. “And they are compensated as appropriate.”

Vacancies lead to overtime, high earnings

The town spent $14.35 million on wages in 2023, making up a large portion of a budget of just under $33.1 million. Town officials say wages earned by municipal employees are comparable to those in other towns. In some cases, they say they are behind in a time when hiring municipal workers is a challenge.

Fire Chief Michael McMahon said firefighter entry-level pay in Hampton is low compared to other departments. The town’s two unions for firefighters and fire officers are each seeking a new contract with a raise in pay this March. McMahon’s pay is separate from those contracts.

“We’re behind,” McMahon said. “We’re on the low side, and certainly in the Seacoast, we’re behind our peers.”

McMahon said vacancies result in firefighters working overtime.

“We always use a lot (of overtime),” McMahon said. “It’s always a challenge for people to work a lot of extra hours.”

The town has several open positions, according to Hampton’s HR and Administrative Services Director Julie Glover. She said those include five public works laborers, a deputy fire chief, two firefighter positions, two police dispatchers, a part-time assistant town clerk and multiple part-time police officers.

Hampton police have historically relied on part-time officers to help cover the beach during the summer. Reno said the department had 21 part-time positions filled last summer, but 49 were vacant.

Reno said that led to officers within the department picking up overtime shifts. When those shifts are not enough to fill, he said they turn to hiring officers from other departments through details. Outside officers are more expensive, he said, spending overtime keeps costs down for the department overall.

Reno said having the officers on duty is about more than responding to active scenes but also standing ready in case an emergency takes place. The department has tried to provide coverage to neighborhoods where residents want a heightened police presence, like at North Beach when car groups have flocked to the seawall in recent years.

“Those officers are out there in case something happens,” Reno said. “You need competent, trained, courageous people who are willing to go run towards a dangerous situation.”

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Town officials look to stay competitive to retain employees

Hampton had 42 employees who earned over $100,000 in 2023. Others in town included the finance director, Kristi Pulliam, who earned $124,919 in 2023, and Public Works Director Jennifer Hale, who brought in $108,083.10.

Town Manager Jamie Sullivan, who leads the town and its departments, earned $158,424.23 in 2023, slightly more than the town manager in nearby Exeter, a similar-sized town. There, Town Manager Russ Dean received a one-year contract extension in December with a 9% salary increase from $140,932 to $154,000.

Sullivan has been town manager in Hampton since 2020, previously served as police chief and then assistant and deputy town manager. Selectman Jim Waddell said Sullivan has helped the town save money by assisting with contract negotiations where a lawyer may otherwise be necessary. He said Sullivan has also led the town through tough times. The COVID-19 pandemic struck in Sullivan’s first year.

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"I think he’s well paid, but he backs that up by doing a great job,” Waddell said.

The town has made efforts to keep its pay competitive for all its employees. Two years ago, Municipal Resources Inc. conducted a study that compared wages in Hampton to those in other towns. Waddell said Hampton was low in comparison.

“Across the board, most of our people were low or towards the lower end,” Waddell said.

Since then, Waddell said the town has worked to bring people’s wages up. He said it is important to keep employees working in Hampton. He said Sullivan has also recently spent time looking at how Hampton salaries compare to other communities.

“We have to stay competitive,” Waddell said. “If we don’t, we lose our employees.”

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This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Hampton NH top salaries 2023: Police and firefighters lead the way