Eleven Mobile County employees earned six-figure salaries last year, according to county payroll records, with the county’s top engineer bringing home the largest paycheck of any local government employee across the county.
Together, the 11 highest-paid county employees collected roughly $1.4 million, averaging about $129,000 each. That edges out the top-paid group at the city of Mobile, whose 11 highest earners collected around $1.2 million, or about $125,000 apiece. Both figures represent a small slice of Mobile County’s overall $79.6 million payroll, which includes medical and retirement contributions.
Topping the list was County Engineer and Public Works Director Joe Ruffer, who earned $177,076.80 — more than the highest-paid employees in either Baldwin County or the city of Mobile. County Administrator John Pafenbach said Ruffer’s pay, which is set by the state because he is a licensed engineer, reflects nearly four decades of service. “He has been here close to 40 years,” Pafenbach said. “He has simply moved up in his pay scale over the years.”
Mobile County Probate Judge Don Davis ranked second at $155,830.69, with his compensation likewise set by the state. Pafenbach himself ranked third among county employees, earning $139,318.80.
Nearly half of the top-paid list came from the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office, including Sheriff Sam Cochran at $134,042.04 and Mobile County Metro Jail Warden Noah Oliver III at $123,543.60. Rounding out law enforcement’s presence on the list were sheriff’s department deputy chiefs David Wilhelm and Lonnie Parsons, who each earned $103,106.14.
Probate Court chief clerk Joe McEarchern, who ranked fifth at $129,917.60, was the only employee among the group to collect overtime pay, adding $964.08 to his total compensation. Public Works Superintendent Theodore Lawson ranked sixth at $128,864.67, followed by Deputy Administrator Glenn Hodge at $123,763.60 and Environmental Service Director George Melton, who rounded out the list at $102,303.88.
With the exception of Judge Davis, whose benefits are also set by the state, every employee on the list collected more than $20,000 in additional medical and retirement benefits on top of their base salary. The 11 positions collectively span the sheriff’s department, probate court, county commission, engineering department and environmental department.
County officials note that salary figures for positions tied to state pay scales, such as the engineer and probate judge roles, are largely outside local officials’ control, while administrative and law enforcement leadership pay is set through the county’s own budget process.