Payments made to city of Richmond employees who worked overtime dipped in 2024, but the city still paid more than $26 million to its staff, with numerous workers taking home five figures in overtime pay every month. 

The majority of that spending went to the police and fire departments, which accounted for 41% and 26% of the city’s overtime pay in 2024, respectively. 

For many employees, overtime can be unusually lucrative: At least 44 employees earned more than $10,000 in overtime pay in a single month last year. 

Among the highest earners were a Police Department employee who took home $17,233 in March and a Fire and Emergency Services employee who racked up $20,083 for 255 hours of overtime in December, although a city spokesperson warned overtime for Fire Department workers is typically paid out on a six-week cycle rather than a monthly one. Even on a six-week cycle, that would be 42.5 hours per week of overtime.

The January 2025 report supplied to City Council reflected even higher hours, with 37 police and fire employees taking home more than $10,000 in overtime pay. The highest, a Fire and Emergency Services worker, got a staggering $25,195 for 338.5 hours of overtime.