Metro plans to pay out $45 million more to its employees next year, with average salaries jumping more than 3.25 percent to reach $73,991 per year. That would be the second year in a row that salaries have grown, rising by a combined average 9.6 percent over two years even as wages nationwide have grown by far less.
| Average Metro salary |
| 2010 fiscal year: $67,533 |
| 2011 fiscal year: $71,660 |
| Proposed 2012 fiscal year: $73,991 |
| Source: Metro |
Metro spokeswoman Lisa Farbstein said about half the increase covers a 3 percent raise for union workers that the agency is fighting in court, but budgeting for in case the agency loses. Some union employees also receive an annual 1.4 percent step increase under an old collective bargaining agreement, she added.
But Amalgamated Transit Union Local 689 President Jackie Jeter said her union’s rank-and-file bus drivers and train operators typically earn far less than the average. Employees with eight years of seniority typically earn less than $60,000 a year, she said.
Some of the increase comes because the agency is hiring higher priced workers, which raises the average salary. And Metro plans to hire even more of them.
After adding 121 new positions in the current budget, the transit agency plans to add 263 new jobs in the next budget year, as The Washington Examiner first reported Wednesday. Most of those new positions are desk jobs, including 100 information technology jobs, 37 more slots in financial services and 80 more for the deputy general manager’s staff.
“Some of the new capital jobs on safety and reliability projects are well-paying because they require technical expertise, such as engineers and project managers,” Farbstein said.
Metro also is also on the hook for benefits. The agency would bear an average of $31,401 per employee for fringe benefits such as health care and pensions, under its budget proposal.
That would bring its average cost for its entire 11,232-strong work force to more than $105,000 per year.
As with any average, the numbers include the lowest-paid workers as well as General Manager Richard Sarles, who will be pulling down $350,000 a year under his new three-year contract.
A December survey from human resources consultant group Aon Hewitt found that businesses expected to raise salaries by far less than Metro, with 2.8 percent expected in 2011, after 2.4 percent increases in 2010. If Metro’s budget is approved as is, the average salary would have grown by $6,458, or 9.6 percent over two years.
