Exclusive | LADWP workers rake in nearly $800K as LA ratepayers get slammed with sky-high utility bills

The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power paid its five highest-earning workers a staggering $3.84 million last year, including nearly $2.1 million in overtime, as Angelenos struggled to keep up with soaring utility bills, a California Post investigation found.LADWP’s eye-popping paychecks are part of a staggering $2.65 billion annual payroll and benefits bill, with 114 employees pocketing more than half a million dollars apiece.The department’s five highest-paid workers — four distribution supervisors and an electric distribution mechanic — collected a combined $3.84 million, with every one of them earning more in overtime than regular pay, according to wage figures verified with LADWP.The biggest news, opinion and culture shaping California right now.

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Never miss a story One mechanic pulled in a jaw-dropping $505,769 in overtime alone, pushing his total annual wages to $760,685.The utility’s highest-paid supervisor collected $779,192, including $434,281 in overtime.LADWP refused to provide the names of those five employees despite multiple requests from The Post.The publicly owned utility paid its 13,623 employees a whopping $2.3 billion in wages, plus another $350.3 million in employer retirement and health contributions, a California Post review of 2025 compensation records published by the California State Controller found.The 114 employees earning more than $500,000 collectively raked in $66.1 million in a single year,  averaging nearly $580,000 each.The staggering payouts come as Los Angeles ratepayers are being slammed with soaring utility bills and demanding an independent audit of the agency responsible for keeping their lights on.“I’ve paid more this year to LADWP in utility bills than I have in property taxes,” Reed told The Post.Fed up, Reed launched a petition demanding an indepe...