Nearly 500 Maryland Health Employees Out-Earn the Governor — As Disability Services Face $150M in Cuts

By MDBayNews Staff

As Maryland lawmakers debate cutting roughly $150 million from disability services, a new payroll analysis is raising serious questions about priorities inside the Maryland Department of Health (MDH).

According to the analysis shared publicly this week, 494 MDH employees earned more than the Governor’s approximate $180,000 salary in 2024. Even more troubling for taxpayers: nearly 30% of MDH employees collected $49 million in overtime alone, with millions more paid out in loosely defined “other compensation.”

At the same time, Maryland’s Developmental Disabilities Administration (DDA) is proposing rate reductions that advocates warn could destabilize services for thousands of intellectually and developmentally disabled residents.

The optics — and the policy choices — deserve scrutiny.

---

The Numbers That Raise Eyebrows

The payroll data, drawn from Maryland’s Government Pay and Compensation database and analyzed earlier this year, paints a picture of concentrated compensation at the top:

• 494 MDH employees earned more than $180,000.
• These top earners accounted for $141.8 million in total compensation — about 18% of MDH payroll dollars.
• The highest-paid employee received $728,000 in total compensation.
• One employee earned $269,000 in base wages plus $256,450 in additional pay, totaling $525,450.
• Another received $234,000 in base pay and $234,322 in additional pay, totaling $468,322.
• 45 employees earned more than $100,000 in overtime alone.
• The top overtime earner collected $198,000 in overtime, plus $319,000 in base pay and $13,000 categorized as “other.”

MDH reports that overtime costs reflect staffing shortages and operational demands. But when overtime spending reaches tens of millions of dollars, the question becomes whether this is a workforce emergency — or a management failure.

---

Meanwhile: Cuts to Disability Services

While high-end compensation and overtime continue, the DDA is proposing:

• Wage caps for services based on projected — not actual — service use.
• Rate reductions for direct support professionals (DSPs).
• Structural changes that advocates say could impact 4,000 self-directed families and potentially destabilize services for 1,600 residents with the most complex needs.

Maryland residents who rely on DDA services are among the most vulnerable in the state. Their families already face difficult choices navigating workforce shortages, inconsistent provider availability, and rising costs of care.

Direct support professionals — who often earn $21–$23 per hour — provide hands-on daily care. Many receive minimal benefits. Some rely on public assistance themselves.

The contrast is stark: frontline caregivers are being told to accept reductions or capped growth, while six-figure overtime and executive compensation continue largely unchecked.

---

A Question of Priorities

To be clear, not all high salaries are inappropriate. Maryland needs qualified health administrators, clinicians, and public health leaders. Complex systems require experienced professionals.

But fiscal discipline matters — especially when lawmakers claim budget constraints demand cuts to essential services.

If $49 million in overtime was spent in 2024 alone, taxpayers deserve answers:

• Why are staffing shortages chronic?
• Why has overtime ballooned instead of hiring stabilizing?
• Why is “other pay” totaling $11.8 million poorly defined?
• Why are disability programs being squeezed before internal compensation practices are fully audited?

Budget cutting is often framed as unavoidable. But spending decisions reflect values.

If Maryland can find tens of millions for concentrated overtime and executive-level compensation, it can certainly prioritize protecting intellectually and developmentally disabled residents from destabilizing service reductions.

---

Leadership and Accountability

Governor Wes Moore has made “leaving no one behind” a central theme of his administration. That promise now faces a real test.

It is not unreasonable for taxpayers to expect:

1. A comprehensive audit of MDH overtime practices.
2. Transparency around “other compensation.”
3. A freeze or review of high-end compensation growth until frontline services are stabilized.
4. A serious reconsideration of DDA rate reductions.

Maryland’s most vulnerable residents should not shoulder the burden of budget balancing while payroll questions remain unanswered.

Accountability begins at the top.

If lawmakers are serious about reform, the conversation must start inside the agency — not with families already stretched to their limits.

---

Why This Matters

This is not about attacking public employees. It is about restoring trust.

When nearly 500 employees out-earn the Governor — and disability services are on the chopping block — taxpayers are right to demand transparency.

Maryland can protect its vulnerable citizens. But it must choose to do so.

And that choice begins with leadership.

---

Keep MDBayNews Reporting Free

MDBayNews exists to help Marylanders understand decisions made by state and local leaders — especially when those decisions affect daily life, rights, and public services.

If this article helped clarify what’s happening or why it matters, reader support makes it possible to keep publishing clear, independent reporting like this.

👉 Support Local Journalism

Have a tip or documents to share?

We review submissions carefully and confidentially. Anonymous tips are welcome when appropriate.

 👉 Submit a Tip