Salt Lake County approves pay raise for many county employees

Emma Pitts
·2 min read
A snowplow clears the freshly fallen snow on 3300 South in Salt Lake County April 15, 2015. Salt Lake County has approved pay raises of its county employees.
A snowplow clears the freshly fallen snow on 3300 South in Salt Lake County April 15, 2015. Salt Lake County has approved pay raises of its county employees. | Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News

A boost in earnings is expected to hit the bank accounts of a number of workers in Salt Lake City following Salt Lake County’s approval of Mayor Jenny Wilson’s push to increase pay for “many hourly lower-grade employees.”

In order to better equalize the pay rate of county employees, Salt Lake County performed a review of the area's pay structure, placing emphasis on individuals at the bottom of the pay scale. Rather than salary being based solely on job grade, the County will also take into account a person’s time and contributions to the public in their career.

“Ensuring our employees are fairly compensated is not just about maintaining competitiveness; it’s about respect and recognition of their invaluable contributions,” Wilson said in a press release. “We cannot be part of the problem of persisting low wages. By offering salaries that allow our employees to more economic freedom, we ultimately save taxpayer dollars by reducing turnover and the high costs associated with rehiring and training.”

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The pay raise will apply to 180 county employees.

Last December, the Salt Lake County Council unanimously approved the county’s 2024 budget that prioritizes issues such as the “slowdown in tax revenues, the downward bias in property taxes, inflation and increased healthcare costs.”

The overall adjustments to the budget increase to a total of $252,027, which the mayor considers crucial for the sustainability and efficiency of the county’s workforce.

“Fair compensation is not just a financial issue; it’s a moral imperative,” Mayor Wilson said. “Our public employees, from those who drive our snowplows to our IT specialists, deserve a living wage. It’s time we align our practices with this principle.”

According to the press release, the key salary adjustments include the following:

  • $124,044 is proposed to correct disparities for grades 8-10, where all employees, irrespective of their experience, begin at a uniform rate of $15 per hour.

  • $18,832 is planned to resolve internal equity issues within the Flood Control positions.

  • A budget change of $109,151 is suggested to address salary inconsistencies among IT Software Engineers.