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Ohio state government salary

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This page describes the compensation, salaries, and benefits that Ohio's public employees receive from state and local government.

Twelve percent of Ohioans identify themselves as working for federal, state, or local government.[1] Although Ohio is the seventh most populous state, it has the lowest percentage of government workers among the 50 states, according to a Gallup study.[1]

The Ohio Citizens Accounting Standards Board has provided a state employee salary database based upon records from the state Department of Administrative services.

The median personal income for all Ohioans is $31,284, but public employees of the state of Ohio had a median pay about 33 percent higher at $41,350 last year. And nearly 1,000 state employees made more than $100,000 in 2010, according to a Dayton Business Journal review of state worker pay provided by the Ohio Department of Administrative Services. This does not include employees of state colleges, which often have administration officials and even athletic department employees who earn more than $100,000. [2] A database of Ohio public employee salaries can be found here. The Buckeye Institute has also provided information on certain salaries received by Ohio State University employees. The database is available here. It has also found that Ohio state workers today receive approximately 34% more in total compensation than their private-sector counterparts.[3]

[edit] Elected officials' salaries

State Government Employee Salaries[4]
Office'10 SalaryCurrent Official
Governor $144,269[5] John Kasich
Lieutenant Governor $142,501 MaryTaylor
Secretary of State $109,554 Jon Husted
Attorney General $109,554 Mike DeWine
Treasurer $109,554 Josh Mandel

The salary of Ohio's governor ranks 14th among U.S. governors' salaries. The average salary earned by U.S. governors is $128,735. The median salary earned by U.S. governors is $129,962.[6]

[edit] Legislators' salary

Ohio state legislators receive a salary of $60,584 per year.[7] Legislators do not receive a per diem.[7]

[edit] Judicial salaries

Ohio Judicial Salaries[8]
Position'10 SalaryCurrent Justice
Chief Justice $150,850 Maureen O'Connor
Associate Justice $141,600 Paul Pfeifer
Associate Justice $141,600 Evelyn Stratton
Associate Justice $141,600 Yvette McGee Brown
Associate Justice $141,600 Terrence O'Donnell
Associate Justice $141,600 Judith Ann Lanzinger
Associate Justice $141,600 Robert Cupp

The salary of Ohio's chief justice ranks 28th among U.S. chief justices' salaries. The average salary earned by U.S. chief justices is $155,230. The median salary earned by U.S. chief justices is $151,284.[8]

The salary of Ohio's associate justices ranks 31st among U.S. associate justices' salaries. The average salary earned by U.S. associate justices is $151,142. The median salary earned by U.S. associate justices is $145,984.[8]

[edit] State and local employees

According to 2008 Census data, the state of Ohio and local governments in the state employed a total of 750,760 people.[9] Of those employees, 539,008 were full-time employees receiving a net pay of $2,188,567,523 per month and 211,752 were part-time employees paid $208,806,484 per month.[9] More than 54% of those employees, or 409,618 employees, were in education or higher education.[9]

Mental health professionals and IT workers are the most highly paid public salaries in the state, exceeding $100,000 annually.[10]

The Buckeye Institute posted a state employee salary database here and a local employee salary database here.

[edit] Senate Bill 5 and union issues

Sen. Shannon Jones introduced Senate Bill 5, the text of which can be found here. The Ohio legislature approved the bill and Governor John Kasich signed it into law.[11][12] Senate Bill 5 limits the collective-bargaining rights of 400,000 public employees[13] including 42,000 state workers in addition to 19,500 workers in the state's university and college system.[14] It also requires state employees to pay at least 20% of their health insurance premiums, eliminates tenure as a consideration when deciding on layoffs, and institutes merit-based pay for some public sector workers.[15] The bill also ends salary schedules.[16] In addition, public employees who strike would have two days of wages deducted from their paychecks for each day of a strike, and public employees violating a court injunction against a strike would face additional fines and jail time.[17] Opponents have vowed to have a referendum on the bill on the November ballot[18]


Union Provisions in House Budget The House budget proposal includes provisions on merit pay for public workers similar to those in Senate Bill 5. The House budget includes a measure that would end continuing contracts for new teachers and include criteria for teacher performance evaluations that appear similar to what is in Senate Bill 5. Some questions whether the inclusion of such provisions is meant to counter the referendum on Senate Bill 5.[19]

[edit] State employee benefits

Employees of the State of Ohio receive many benefits in addition to their salary.

[edit]

Holidays

State employees receive 10 paid holidays[20]

  • New Year's Day
  • Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
  • Presidents' Day
  • New Year's Day
  • Memorial Day
  • Independence Day
  • Labor Day
  • Columbus Day
  • Veterans' Day
  • Thanksgiving Day
  • Christmas Day

[edit] Insurance

Medical Employees who are a permanent full-time or permanent part-time employee are eligible for medical insurance.[21] Employees may choose among PPO and HMO offerings from five providers. The premiums paid by employees for individual coverage range from $26.74 to $30.50 per month.[22] For family coverage, employees pay between $78.91 and $89.25.[22] The state pays the remainder of the premium cost.[22]

Employees who are enrolled in any of the health plans are automatically enrolled in pharmacy benefits.[23]

Dental If an exempt employee has one year of continuous state service, the state pays the full cost for the employee and eligible dependents to participate in a dental plan.[24]

Vision The State of Ohio provides exempt employees who have more than one year of continuous state service with vision care benefits at no cost. Employees may choose between two vision plans.[25]

Life The State of Ohio provides certain exempt employees who have more than one year of continuous state service with basic term life insurance benefits. The amount of life insurance is equal to one times the employee’s annual salary, rounded up to the next closest $1,000.[26] Employees are eligible to enroll in a supplemental life insurance program, administered by Prudential, at their own cost.[27]

Long Term Care State of Ohio employees may purchase long term care through the State's provider.[28]

[edit] Retirement

Main article: Ohio public pensions

Employees participate in Ohio Public Employees Retirement System.[29] Staff contribute 10% of their salary each pay period to the retirement plan, which is deducted on a pre-tax basis, and the state contributes 14% of the employee's salary.[30][31]

Employees may also participate in the Ohio Public Employees Deferred Compensation Plan.

The state legislatures earn $19,605 in gross retirement benefits annually, typically what a teacher or a police officer would make.[32]

[edit] Journalists denied pension records

Eight newspapers were denied access to the state's public employee pension.[33] State Reps. Stephen Dyer and Matt Lundy were both troubled about the denial of the request, and would like to open the records to the public.

The newspapers requested records of salaries, benefits, ages, years of service and contributions to the systems by individual. There are 400,000 people receiving benefits in Ohio currently. The newspapers asked the systems to withhold names, addresses and any information that would identify individuals.[34]

[edit] Other benefits

  • Flexible Spending Accounts - Employees can establish a dependent care spending account and a health care spending account.[35]
  • Employee Assistant Program is a screening, information, referral and support service for state employees and their family members. The Ohio EAP is designed to help you cope with personal problems.[36]
  • For employees with a federal adjusted gross income of under $35,000, the state offers childcare vouchers that are cash grants once a year for work-related child care expenses.[37]

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

[edit] References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Gallup "Gov't. Employment Ranges From 38% in D.C. to 12% in Ohio" August 6, 2010
  2. ↑ Dayton Business Journal, Analysis: Ohio generous with public salaries, May 15, 2011
  3. ↑ Reason "What's Round on The Ends and High in The Middle? Ohio's Public Sector Salaries, That's What" July 7, 2010
  4. ↑ The Council of States Governments The Book of States 2010 Table 4.11
  5. ↑ The Council of State Governments The Book of States 2010 Table 4.3
  6. ↑ The Council of State Governments, "The Book of the States: 2008"
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 National Conference of State Legislators 2010 Legislator Compensation Data
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 The National Center for State Courts, "Judicial Salary Resource Center" as of Jan. 1, 2010
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 2008 Ohio Public Employment U.S. Census Data
  10. ↑ MSNBC's Red Tap Chronicles, Does your city manager earn $800,000?, Sept. 23, 2010
  11. ↑ The Cleveland Plain Dealer "Ohio House approves overhaul of collective bargaining law" March 30, 2011
  12. ↑ The Atlanta Journal Constitution "Ohio House OKs collective bargaining limits" March 30, 2011
  13. ↑ The Wall Street Journal "Budget Battles Roil Straitened States" Feb. 25, 2011
  14. ↑ Reuters "Ohio Republicans may modify state worker union bill before vote" Feb. 25, 2011
  15. ↑ CNN.com "Debate over workers' rights heats up in Ohio" Feb. 18, 2011
  16. ↑ WTOV.com "Unions Rallying Against Senate Bill 5 In Columbus Tuesday" Feb. 21, 2011
  17. ↑ ABCNews.com "Ohio Public Employee Unions Lose; Wisconsin And Indiana Democrats Seek Deals" March 2, 2011
  18. ↑ The Columbus Dispatch "SB 5 opponents move swiftly to get referendum on ballot" April 4, 2011
  19. ↑ The Columbus Dispatch "House GOP budget hits the casinos, adds $70 million in spending" April 28, 2011
  20. ↑ Benefits
  21. ↑ Medical Insurance Information
  22. ↑ 22.0 22.1 22.2 Cost Comparison Chart
  23. ↑ Pharmacy Benefits
  24. ↑ Dental Benefits
  25. ↑ Vision Insurance
  26. ↑ Life Insurance
  27. ↑ Supplemental Life Insurance
  28. ↑ Long Term Care
  29. ↑ Ohio Public Employees Retirement System
  30. ↑ Contributions
  31. ↑ Cleveland Plain Dealer Sept. 7, 2009 "Equalize State Employee Tax Pay"
  32. ↑ Watchdog, Golden Parachutes for South Carolina State Lawmakers?, Aug. 17, 2010
  33. ↑ Ohio Watchdog, Ohio Newspapers Denied Access to Public Employee’s Pension Information, Aug. 13, 2010
  34. ↑ Dispatch, Lawmakers want to open pension records, Aug. 13, 2010
  35. ↑ Flexible Spending Accounts
  36. ↑ Employee Assistant Program
  37. ↑ Childcare Vouchers
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