the City of L.A. Los Angeles
2022 City of LA Payroll Employee Residence Analysis
When it comes to payroll, where do your tax dollars “literally” go?
Payroll is one of the largest expenses of our City's budget. Some questions we get asked frequently are “How many City employees live in the City of LA?” and “What’s the potential amount of those dollars getting reinvested back into our city?”
Although City employees are not required to live in the City, some of the benefits of City employees living in the city they work in include:
- • Reinvesting tax dollars back into the city (e.g. local spending / local taxes)
- • Increases in our city budget due to more local revenue which means more spending on city resources and services
- • More engagement with the local communities they serve as City employees
- • Shorter commutes and faster response time in case of work emergencies
- • Less traffic, greenhouse gas emissions and stress on workers and their families
Where people choose to live is the product of many factors – including affordability, lifestyle choices and family ties. But a close match between City staff and the communities they serve strengthens not only the economic health of Los Angeles, it also strengthens the bonds of connection and public trust.
Programs like “Targeted Local Hire” foster that relationship, but reform of the Civil Service system is needed to expand those opportunities beyond entry-level positions which are usually lower paying positions compared to other city jobs as evidenced by our analysis. This is especially important considering that our City suffers from chronic staffing vacancies where 1 out of every 6 jobs are unfilled. Other large cities have implemented incentives for employees, including first responders, to live in the communities they serve. Continued progress toward promoting additional affordable housing in our city, especially workforce housing and transit-oriented community projects, can offer more and better choices that are affordable to City workers.
| Lived in City of LA | # of Employees | % of Employees | Total Payroll | % of Total Payroll |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NO | 32,066 | 63.73% | $3,635,090,608 | 75.31% |
| YES | 18,243 | 36.27% | $1,191,730,268 | 24.69% |
| Grand Total | 50,312 | 100.00% | $4,826,820,876 | 100.00% |
City of LA
Employee Resident #
- Outside of City of LA: 32,066 employees (63.73%)
- Inside of City of LA: 18,243 employees (36.27%)
Total # of Employees: 50,312
City of LA
Employee Resident Payroll $
- Outside of City of LA: $3,635,090,608 (75.31% of total payroll)
- Inside of City of LA: $1,191,730,268 (24.69% of total payroll)
Total Payroll: $4,826,820,876
| City | # of Employees | Payroll Amount |
|---|
| Out of State | # of Employees | Payroll Amount |
|---|
| Lived in City of LA | Paid More Than $50K | # of Employees | % of Group | Total Payroll | % of Group |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NO | YES | 25,716 | 80.20% | $3,513,156,405 | 96.65% |
| NO | NO | 6,350 | 19.80% | $121,934,203 | 3.35% |
| YES | YES | 9,238 | 50.63% | $1,052,846,656 | 88.35% |
| YES | NO | 9,008 | 49.37% | $138,883,612 | 11.65% |
| Grand Total | 50,312 | $4,826,820,876 |
City Employees Outside of City of LA
Making More Than $50K
- Employees with Pay > $50K: 25,716 (80.20% of group)
- Employees with Pay < $50K: 6,350 (19.80% of group)
Total # of Employees: 32,066
City Employees Inside of City of LA
Making More Than $50K
- Employees with Pay > $50K: 9,238 (50.63% of group)
- Employees with Pay < $50K: 9,008 (49.37% of group)
Total # of Employees: 18,246
| Lived in City of LA | Pay More Than $100K | # of Employees | % of Group | Total Payroll | % of Group |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NO | NO | 13,767 | 42.93% | $690,709,935 | 19.00% |
| NO | YES | 18,299 | 57.07% | $2,944,380,673 | 81.00% |
| YES | NO | 13,335 | 73.08% | $461,525,658 | 38.73% |
| YES | YES | 4,911 | 26.92% | $730,204,610 | 61.27% |
| Grand Total | 50,312 | $4,826,820,876 |
City Employees Outside of City of LA
Making More Than $100K
- Employees with Pay > $100K: 18,299 (57.07% of group)
- Employees with Pay < $100K: 13,767 (42.93% of group)
Total # of Employees: 32,066
City Employees Inside of City of LA
Making More Than $100K
- Employees with Pay < $100K: 13,335 (73.08% of group)
- Employees with Pay > $100K: 4,911 (26.92% of group)
Total # of Employees: 18,246
| CD# | # of Employees | Total Payroll |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1,303 | $66,678,213 |
| 2 | 910 | $54,961,671 |
| 3 | 935 | $66,364,079 |
| 4 | 843 | $60,431,772 |
| 5 | 531 | $37,761,477 |
| 6 | 1,075 | $58,384,133 |
| 7 | 1,838 | $129,734,888 |
| 8 | 1,664 | $95,900,964 |
| 9 | 879 | $38,564,640 |
| 10 | 1,317 | $76,359,934 |
| 11 | 828 | $70,629,156 |
| 12 | 1,607 | $149,554,159 |
| 13 | 1,167 | $64,958,330 |
| 14 | 1,858 | $111,557,608 |
| 15 | 1,491 | $109,889,245 |
| Grand Total | 18,246 | $1,191,730,268 |
Visual summary of Council District values for # of Employees. Refer to the data table above for exact numbers.
| Department | Lived in City of LA | # of Employees | % of Dept. | Payroll Amount | % of Dept. Payroll | % of Total Payroll |
|---|
| MOU | Bargaining Unit | Lived in City of LA | # of Employees | % of MOU | Payroll Amount | % of MOU Payroll | % of Total Payroll |
|---|