Local water agencies awash in employees making over $100K

Providing water in the desert can be a lucrative line of work, public records show.

— Nearly half (47 percent) of all employees with the Southern Nevada Water Authority and its sister agency, the Las Vegas Valley Water District, were paid at least $100,000 in 2022, public documents show.

“All employees” as a category includes part-time and temporary workers, as well as full-time ones. Included in the pay calculation were base, longevity, overtime and holiday pay, as well as vehicle allowances and vacation sellback. Excluded were sick and vacation pay cashed out by employees leaving the government agencies.

— Some people with non-professional job titles such as secretary, custodian, mechanic, security officer and painter were among those earning at least $100,000.

— Pay for the year among the agencies’ 1,471 employees ranged from $300 to $427,000.

— The average pay for all agency employees was $97,000.

U.S. pay in 2022

— The average annual pay for full-time workers in the U.S. was $55,000, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

— The average annual pay across the country for civil engineers, including water engineers, was $90,000.

— The average annual pay for management, professional and related occupations was $76,000.

Clark County pay in 2022

— The average pay in Clark County was 13 percent below the national average, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Top 5 earners in 2022

Employees paid the most at the water authority and the water district were the following:

1. John Entsminger, general manager: $427,000

2. David Johnson, deputy general manager of operations: $329,000

3. Gregory Walch, general counsel: $304,000

4. Doa Ross, deputy general manager of engineering: $295,000

5. Colby Pellegrino, deputy general manager of resources: $292,000

Contact Mary Hynes at mhynes@reviewjournal.com. Follow @MaryHynes1 on X.