Study: Va. City's Pay for Police, Other First Responders Lags Behind

VIRGINIA BEACH, VA — Police officers, firefighters and emergency medical services personnel in Virginia Beach are bringing home less money than their counterparts in comparable localities in and outside Virginia, according to a new compensation study.

Those specific employees’ pay is 5 to 10% below the comparable market average. For example, a police officer is paid $52,280 in Virginia Beach, while the market average is $58,302. A fire captain earns $89,327 in Virginia Beach. The market average for the same job is $103,244.

“There is a lag that is occurring,” said Patrick Bracken, senior vice president of The Segal Group, which conducted the compensation study.

Bracken presented the findings at Tuesday’s City Council meeting. Three market segments representing Virginia Beach’s competition were included in the analysis, including several Virginia public sector employers as well as cities and counties outside Virginia with a similar population size and private sector data sources.

For Virginia Beach to bring nearly 60 job titles up to the market average it will cost the city nearly $30 million, City Manager Patrick Duhaney said.

At a retreat last month, the council learned that more than $1 billion is needed over six years to fund existing and new capital improvement projects. They recommended Duhaney scale back or delay some projects rather than increase the real estate tax to pay for them. Employee raises will stretch the upcoming budget even thinner.

“Some of this really should not be a surprise to us because our public safety people have been telling us that they don’t have as much time off as other localities, and they’re not being paid as much,” said Vice Mayor Rosemary Wilson. “So now we have the proof.”

The City Council asked for the salary survey last year after the City Council decided not to allow employee groups the ability to collectively bargain for higher wages and improved working conditions.

The study looked at 7,500 full- and part-time workers in general government positions and public safety and found that 58 job types lag the market by at least 5%.

The Segal Group measured the city’s market position for base pay, supplemental pay, benefits and working arrangements. Overtime hours were not factored in, and constitutional officers, City Council appointees and elected officials were excluded from the study.

It recommended two cost models: remain competitive or lead the market. To keep a competitive edge, Virginia Beach could give 48% of its employees a wage increase at a cost of roughly $21 million, but that figure doesn’t include pay-related fringe benefit costs. To be a leading employer in the market, the city could give 76% of its employees a raise, which would cost $55.5 million.

Mayor Bobby Dyer said he wants Duhaney to start looking at raises for public safety employees first.

“When you think about the nature of work that our public safety (employees) do, and literally putting their lives on the line… Give them at least a consideration if we can work it out,” the mayor said.

Segal Group compared Virginia Beach to 10 Virginia public sector employers; five cities and counties outside Virginia with a similar population size and cost of living; and five private sector data sources.

Some of sources in the commonwealth included Virginia Beach public schools, Hampton Roads Sanitation District, Chesapeake, Newport News, Norfolk, Fairfax County, Loudoun County, Richmond and the federal government.

In 2022, Virginia Beach approved a step pay raise program for city workers based on years of service and raised the minimum wage for city employees to $15 an hour. About 80% of the workforce qualifies for the step plan.

In the 2024-25 fiscal budget, employees received a roughly 3.5% pay increase as part of the program. And all other employees also received an approximate 3.5% raise. The total pay increases added up to $19.5 million, according to the city.

Duhaney said the step plan will continue, and he will explore other wage increase options.

Other findings from the study included that Virginia Beach’s paid time off plus paid holidays is six to eight days lower than the city’s peer employees in Virginia and three to six days lower than those employers outside of Virginia. However, Virginia Beach employees pay less for health-related benefits compared to their Virginia peers.

More than 30 positions are paid 5% above the market average including lifeguard, heavy equipment operator and convention center manager.

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