Who earned the most: The 500 highest paid public employees

The average municipal employee in Clark County, an accountant or a maintenance worker, for example, makes between $40,000 and $60,000 each year.

But for employees on the top end of the pay scale — those responsible for overseeing McCarran International Airport or managing the rest of the employees — compensation, including salaries and benefits, can reach into the hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Using data from the valley's four largest municipal governments — Clark County, Las Vegas, Henderson and North Las Vegas, plus Metro Police — the Sun has made a list of the valley's 500 highest paid public employees in 2012.

It's important to note this data provide a snapshot of compensation in 2012. Several of the largest compensation totals are the result of one-time payouts to employees who were retiring and cashing out benefits or receiving a severance package. For instance, the top payout went to the family that cashed out the benefits accumulated by a fire captain who had died.

Items included in the other pay and benefits category include longevity pay, vacation buyback, severance packages, bonuses or other allowances in collective bargaining agreements, in addition to insurance and other fringe benefits.

Related stories:

• Municipalities’ combined payroll of nearly $2 billion puts nearly 30,000 to work
• Just ask custodians: Average pay for same basic job varies widely

The table below shows 50 employees at a time; arrows at the bottom allow you to see the next set of employees. Click on a column header to sort the information by that column.

Data provided by Clark County, Las Vegas, Henderson, North Las Vegas and Metro Police; Compiled by Conor Shine.