The latest report on public payrolls is out, and it shows several county and city employees banking hundreds of thousands of dollars.
But, the highest paid employees in the county aren't elected officials or even department heads. They are an assortment of doctors and managers at Kern Medical Center.
It may or may not come as a surprise, but the surgeon who patches you up in the emergency room of KMC is among the county's highest paid employees.
"How much do ball players makes? How much do teachers make? Who decides this and how fair is this? But, ultimately we have to deal with the market realities of how much physicians make," said KMC CEO Paul Hensler.
The latest update from the State Controller's office includes a detailed breakdown of wages, including regular and overtime pay and benefits like vacation and bonuses.
Mike Turnipseed of the Kern Taxpayer's Association contends the information is key.
"It's good that's published, that people see what their money is going to," he says.
The highest paid in Kern County was an orthopedic surgeon, or orthopod, at KMC at $716,000. That includes $580,000 in base pay and $130,000 in other compensation.
"The year that that particular one went over $700,000 is the year we lost one of our orthopods. Uh, there just still seems to be an unlimited amount of orthopedic work that needs to be done," said Hensler.
The chief of surgery, a neurosurgeon and another doctor at KMC all cleared half a million dollars last year. In each of those specialties, the median is around $400,000 to $500,000.
In Bakersfield, City Manager Alan Tandy is the top paid at $226,000.
But, a variety of high-ranking firefighters and police staffers also clear six figures every year.
At both the city and county levels, base salaries are often heavily inflated by overtime.
The guys that fight the fires, that are at the station, over 50 percent make over $100,000 a year.
Turnipseed says the county and city payments seem to be mostly on par with other comparably sized areas like San Joaquin and Riverside.
But, if you're surprised by six-figure public salaries, he has some advice. "You need to be talking to supervisors, city council boards, school boards who negotiate these salaries and express your concern."
But, the highest paid employees in the county aren't elected officials or even department heads. They are an assortment of doctors and managers at Kern Medical Center.
It may or may not come as a surprise, but the surgeon who patches you up in the emergency room of KMC is among the county's highest paid employees.
"How much do ball players makes? How much do teachers make? Who decides this and how fair is this? But, ultimately we have to deal with the market realities of how much physicians make," said KMC CEO Paul Hensler.
The latest update from the State Controller's office includes a detailed breakdown of wages, including regular and overtime pay and benefits like vacation and bonuses.
Mike Turnipseed of the Kern Taxpayer's Association contends the information is key.
"It's good that's published, that people see what their money is going to," he says.
The highest paid in Kern County was an orthopedic surgeon, or orthopod, at KMC at $716,000. That includes $580,000 in base pay and $130,000 in other compensation.
"The year that that particular one went over $700,000 is the year we lost one of our orthopods. Uh, there just still seems to be an unlimited amount of orthopedic work that needs to be done," said Hensler.
The chief of surgery, a neurosurgeon and another doctor at KMC all cleared half a million dollars last year. In each of those specialties, the median is around $400,000 to $500,000.
In Bakersfield, City Manager Alan Tandy is the top paid at $226,000.
But, a variety of high-ranking firefighters and police staffers also clear six figures every year.
At both the city and county levels, base salaries are often heavily inflated by overtime.
The guys that fight the fires, that are at the station, over 50 percent make over $100,000 a year.
Turnipseed says the county and city payments seem to be mostly on par with other comparably sized areas like San Joaquin and Riverside.
But, if you're surprised by six-figure public salaries, he has some advice. "You need to be talking to supervisors, city council boards, school boards who negotiate these salaries and express your concern."