Where the money goes.
Before asking for another 14 years of sales tax, the agencies should explain their pay. These are among the highest-compensated transit employees in the five-county area, drawn from public compensation records. Figures are total pay and benefits unless noted, for the 2025 reporting year.
The highest-paid transit employees in 2025
These are the top earners across the region’s transit agencies, ranked by total pay and benefits. As in prior years, almost all of them work at BART, and most are in its police department. The single largest total, $676,653, went to an interim finance executive whose pay was lifted by a $478,966 lump-sum payout. But the pattern that stands out is police overtime: a BART police sergeant cleared $673,116 and a senior officer more than $660,000, both above the General Manager’s $584,380.
| Position | Agency | Regular pay | Overtime | Total pay & benefits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assistant General Manager, Finance (interim) | BART | $178,166 +$478,966 lump-sum payout | — | $676,653 |
| Police Sergeant | BART | $173,037 +$101,593 lump-sum payout | $178,616 | $673,116 |
| Senior Police Officer | BART | $173,201 | $231,255 | $664,788 |
| Police Sergeant | BART | $164,232 | $218,959 | $594,932 |
| Police Lieutenant | BART | $235,854 | $126,631 | $594,569 |
| General Manager | BART | $460,731 | — | $584,380 |
| Police Lieutenant | BART | $212,784 | $163,493 | $583,408 |
| Police Sergeant | BART | $202,158 | $160,464 | $579,180 |
| Police Sergeant | BART | $205,415 +$144,983 lump-sum payout | $25,060 | $576,095 |
| Police Lieutenant | BART | $249,023 | $51,528 | $572,437 |
| Police Lieutenant | BART | $254,033 | $87,771 | $559,476 |
| Police Sergeant | BART | $203,999 | $146,295 | $549,520 |
What the top jobs pay
Even setting overtime aside, the leadership of these agencies is richly compensated. These are total pay and benefits for the top standing positions in 2025.
| Position | Agency | Total pay & benefits |
|---|---|---|
| General Manager | BART | $584,380 |
| General Manager | VTA | $538,251 |
| General Manager / CEO | SamTrans | $521,196 |
| Deputy Police Chief | BART | $517,067 |
| General Counsel | VTA | $506,555 |
| General Manager, Public Transportation | SFMTA (Muni) | $499,180 |
| Executve Director | MTC | $498,265 |
| Executive Director, Caltrain | SamTrans | $494,789 |
| Executive Director | SF County Transportation Authority | $461,589 |
| Chief Deputy Executve Director | MTC | $453,640 |
| Chief Capital Megaprojects Delivery Officer | VTA | $421,347 |
| Chief Administrative Officer | SamTrans | $378,391 |
Overtime turns the rank and file into the top earners
Among the region’s highest-paid transit employees, 19 work at BART and 16 of those are in its police department. Their overtime routinely rivals or exceeds their base pay. One senior police officer earned $231,255 in overtime on top of $173,201 in regular pay, for more than $660,000 in total compensation. The General Manager, at $584,380, ranked only sixth at BART.
The executive tier is well paid too
The top jobs are not modestly compensated. The BART General Manager received $584,380 in total pay and benefits in 2025. Santa Clara VTA’s General Manager made $538,251 and its General Counsel $506,555. SamTrans’s General Manager and CEO earned $521,196, San Francisco’s Muni chief $499,180 and the executive directors of Caltrain and the San Francisco County Transportation Authority cleared $494,789 and $461,589. Several of these packages are boosted by deferred-compensation and leave payouts on top of base salary.
A note on AC Transit
AC Transit again does not appear among the region’s top reported transit salaries, consistent with its history of late or non-compliant filings with the State Controller’s office. In its last reported year, 2022, AC Transit’s general manager received $556,045 in total pay and benefits, and the agency later kept him on full pay through September 2025 in an advisory role with no defined duties, an arrangement a board member publicly called a gift of public funds.
Source: California State Controller, Government Compensation in California, reporting year 2025, self-reported by each agency. Total pay and benefits equals reported total wages plus employer-paid retirement and health contributions. Lump-sum amounts reflect cashed-out leave. AC Transit figure (2022) from the State Controller as reported by Oaklandside and NBC Bay Area.