How much does the average Miami-Dade worker make? Search our database on government pay

In Miami-Dade County, the average police officer earned $126,000 last year. The average park worker earned $24,000.

A Miami Herald review of compensation data from the county shows a wide range of pay for a local government where the top-paid employee, County Attorney Geri Bonzon-Keenan, earned $453,000 and the average worker took home $93,160.

READ MORE: Who earns the most overtime pay in Miami-Dade government? Search our county data

For its analysis, the Herald used a compensation database provided by the county with year-end earnings for more than 34,000 employees. To eliminate employees who worked a low number of hours or only a portion of the year, the Herald analysis ignored any yearly compensation below $20,000. That screen eliminated about 5,500 employees from the original database.

The result is a broad look at pay ranges around the county bureaucracy, as well as a detailed roster of compensation at one of the largest workforces in Miami-Dade itself. Only the school system, with about 35,000 workers, employs more people in the county’s public and private sectors, according to state and local figures.

The Herald calculated average pay for any county position held by at least 10 employees in 2023.

Police officer is the most common position, with more than 2,000 entries. Next on the list: correctional officers in the county jail system. Of the more than 1,500 employees who held that position in 2023, the average pay was $107,000. Rounding out the list of five most common jobs and their average pay: bus operator ($69,000), firefighter ($114,000) and police sergeant ($159,000).

In the chart below, the Herald ranked county employees by total compensation in 2023. The chart excludes one-time payments associated with retirement or leaving county employment.

This story was originally published December 13, 2024 at 5:00 AM.