Excuse me. I’m with Milwaukee Magazine. We’re doing an article for the January issue and I’m wondering if you’d be willing to cooperate. You would? Great! I just need you to take off all your clothes. Then stand right there for a second while I snap a picture of you. We’re going to publish it in the magazine along with your name. How’s that sound?
Not so good, I suppose. But apparently not as bad as…
Excuse me. I’m with Milwaukee Magazine. I’m wondering if you’d be willing to tell me how much money you make. We’re going to publish it in the magazine along with your name. How’s that sound?
Sounds like somebody’s asking for a kick in the teeth. Nevertheless, with mouth guards in tow, we went around town trying to figure out how much people like you earn. In response to our inquiries, you jumped, you flushed, you hiked your eyebrows, flared your nostrils and hung up the phone. More than once. (A fascinating minority of you obliged.) Other salaries were obtained through pure stealth – by checking federal tax filings of nonprofits, proxy statements of public companies and public records of various area governments.
There are all sorts of reasons for this aversion to discussing our paycheck: fear of jealousy, fear of reprisal, fear of laughter, perhaps, and of course the oft-cited “company policy” banning such mention. I can now tell you, after weeks of field research, that Starbucks is particularly effective at driving home that message to its employees. For the life of me, I could not get a single barista to spill the beans. But then, I couldn’t even get my boss to come clean, so what does that mean?
When Milwaukee Magazine released a salaries issue back in March 1983, we included the remuneration of our editor at the time, Frank Kuznik. When I pressed our current editor, Bruce Murphy, he told me to get the hell out of his office. I might as well have asked him to make me a soy latte.
Having been subjected to many such refusals, I remain most struck by the touching rebuff of the sweet-faced, snowy-haired owner of a Downtown dry-cleaning shop. As I threw my little pitch from the customer side of the counter, the old man stood behind the register, frozen in disbelief. “No,” he finally mustered, then turned his slumped shoulders and walked away. I might as well have clubbed a baby seal.
When you touch a person’s wallet, you touch a most sensitive nerve. Or so it seems in Milwaukee. In large East Coast metropolitan areas, blabbing about salaries is more or less standard procedure. “There is no taboo associated with disclosing current compensation,” says Corey Roberts, chief executive officer of RRD Search Inc., a New York-based executive recruitment firm. “It is in the employer’s and employee’s best interests to be open.… We’re in a time of reasonableness and full disclosure, which is healthy.”
Perhaps, but we’re in an entirely different time zone here. In one respect, it makes little sense that wages would be so taboo here or anywhere in the world center of capitalism. Hey, this is America. We bejewel, bedeck, be-car, be-house, offering every possible intimation of our bank account. But when asked to cut the crap and put a figure on ourselves? Well, that’s just too embarrassing.
Still, when viewed as a statistical entity, we Wisconsinites do have reason to be embarrassed. According to the most recent numbers from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Dairy State trails the nation in average annual wage by about $2,200 a year. The Milwaukee metropolitan area fares better, exceeding the national average by $1,090.
But Terry Ludeman, Wisconsin’s chief labor economist, holds the Brew City accountable for not bringing up the state average further. “Our biggest metro area [has] 1.5 million people,” Ludeman laments. “Milwaukee has not kept pace in terms of growth, in terms of new economy and in terms of mobility with other dynamic metro areas,” he says.
The Milwaukee labor force once flourished amid clattering machine tools and streaming beer before getting slammed by every conceivable 20th century economic cataclysm – dehumanization, deindustrialization and internationalization – oh my! Today, we tend to hold our own in professional jobs, where the wage standards are set nationally, but trail in pay for the fancy new jobs of the future.
Nevertheless, as you’ll see from our list, there are definitely some Milwaukeeans who are raking in the dollars. The area has at least one sector that has maintained its competitive edge: insurance. Wisconsin has long been good to those who indemnify the rest of us. Today, for example, actuaries in Milwaukee check in at about $19,990 more than the national norm. Disappointingly, despite all of the hogs rolling out of the Harley-Davidson plant in Waukesha, Milwaukee motorcycle mechanics make about the U.S. average.
However, this seems to be a great town to be a chiropractor, drywaller or insurance sales agent.
Of course, our investigation proves there is no direct relationship between income and the willingness to disclose those earnings; nope, the taboo transcends class. But while we abhor discussing our own salaries, we love peeking at the ledgers of others – in government high and low, in corporate America, charitable groups and anyplace else we can get our grubby hands on.
Yeah, deep down, we all want to know what you make. So go right ahead: Show us yours. Just don’t expect to see mine.
Daniel Libit is an assistant editor of Milwaukee Magazine.
Then and Now
Milwaukee Magazine had its first salaries issue in March 1983. Here’s how today’s wages compare.
Then: Henry Maier, Milwaukee mayor: $58,963
Now: Tom Barrett, Milwaukee mayor: $138,000
Then: Leoda Towns, parking lot attendant, Catholic Knights Building: $10,400
Now: Linda Naylor, parking lot attendant, 411 E. Wisconsin Center: $13,520
Then: Stephen Marcus, president, Marcus Corporation: $95,900 (salary only)
Now: Stephen Marcus, chairman/CEO, Marcus Corporation: $873,000 (salary only)
Then: Dr. Raymond McCall, professor of psychology, Marquette University: $43,000
Now: Dr. Vincent Adesso, professor of psychology, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee: $96,342
Then: Francis Ferguson, chairman/CEO, Northwestern Mutual Insurance: $452,934
Now: Edward Zore, president/CEO, Northwestern Mutual Life Financial Network: $5,060,926
Then: Frank E. Horton, chancellor, UWM: $71,050
Now: Carlos E. Santiago, chancellor, UWM: $240,591
Then: David Babcock, principal French horn player, Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra: $30,000
Now: Samantha George, associate concertmaster and second-chair violinist, Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra: $85,800
Dan Steininger
President/CEO, Catholic Knights Insurance, $248,000
“Any company that succeeds does so because of the efforts throughout the corporation and not the CEO alone. The ratio between the top executive and the rest of the workforce should be fairly reasonable, and up to the mid-’90s it was.…
“Ever since the discovery of stock options and perks, the pay has exploded. Now we’re seeing, on average, a ratio of 400:1. The average employee sees that, and it creates a lack of trust of top management.
“Nobody needs $30-$40 million a year. It is outrageous and crazy. Who in the world needs that money? It is the great male ego at work. Most of it is driven by men who want to prove they have the biggest pay package, people wanting to show off. It has nothing to do with reality. The problem is it is hurting their companies.
“If you’re a CEO like Bill Gates and you’re part of a start-up company… guys like that are a special breed. Most CEOs aren’t geniuses. They are average human beings. They’re competent.”
Mary Angela Theys
Florist, owner of Bouquets on Water, $40,000
Since 1981, I’ve worked in lots of shops. I’ve started some of my own, too. What happened? Let’s just say they turned out to be bad situations with bad partners.…
“Of course, I’ve also been working from home this whole time. Word of mouth -really is the best advertising. I tried moving to Los Angeles, but that only lasted a year.…
“But I wanted some job security, you know? That’s why I took a permanent position at Wisconsin Memorial Park Cemetery. Plus, it may sound strange, but I love doing funerals. Flowers express sympathy better than words ever could. But I was fired in 2003. That’s when I decided to try opening my own shop again. This time, I’m going it alone.…”
Tonya Moore
Vice president and partner, Federated Residential Mortgage Co. $102,000
“In just one year, I grossed the company $1.5 million in sales. I worked my butt off as a loan officer. That’s how I got promoted to vice president. I was up against a lot of competition, and the company wasn’t just going to hand it to me. I may not have my college degree, which I’m currently going to school for, but I have dedication and loyalty.
“I hope I’m opening the door for other women in this business. The nature of this diverse company has helped me out a lot, and buying into it, as one of three partners, was my big break.
“My salary is strictly commission-based, so what I generate through my clientele is what I make. I’m a people person – I can sell just about anything. Some people have it and some don’t; I’m just one of the blessed ones who have it.”
John L. Koethe
Distinguished professor of philosophy, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, $79,512
“I intended to major in physics or mathematics. I just gravitated toward philosophy.I graduated from Princeton with a bachelor’s -degree in philosophy in 1967. Then I went to Harvard, where I wrote my dissertation on skepticism. I got my Ph.D. in 1973 and started working at UWM immediately.…
“I did teach one creative writing class but have no interest in teaching another. I don’t like the professionalization of creative writing. I like not having to think of poetry as my business [Koethe is also a nationally recognized poet]. There’s a certain freedom in doing what I want.…
“Sure, in academia one wishes one were paid more. And sometimes you worry the politicians will get fed up and throw us all out! But my job allows me to do what I want to do, which is a rather nice arrangement.”
Samantha George
Associate concertmaster and second-chair violinist, Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, $85,800
“Professional orchestras are at the same level as professional athletes, except they get paid more. We’re kind of like the athletes, with small muscles. It’s very difficult to succeed in this profession. There are many more people who want jobs in symphonies than there are positions. You practice so hard, and you might be eliminated in the first round.
“My career moved in steps – from a small to large symphony. When I was in my early 20s, I wanted to see how far I could go. And I wanted a salary I could live on. It was about quality of life, since I was also freelancing and never knew where money was coming from. I mean, my violin payments are about the same as my mortgage.
“Now, I feel so fortunate in Milwaukee. The best part of the MSO is the great repertoire we perform. It’s extremely rewarding feeling the audience’s energy and involvement. I’m at the ideal position.…”
Linda Naylor
Parking booth attendant, 411 E. Wisconsin Center, $13,520
“I know I’ll have to work hard to get what I want. This job is good enough, for now. I never have to be in before 2:00, so I can go to school in the mornings. I just got my high school equivalency, so I’ll be starting at MATC soon. I don’t want to do cashier work forever. I want a computer job – that’d be nice.…
“I used to work at Gille’s Custard, but they wanted me to do a lot of heavy lifting even after I got pregnant. Now I have two babies. Those pregnancies threw off my plans. I was at Bay View High School, but left in 12th grade. I’m back on track now.…
“Getting pregnant has turned out to be a good thing. It taught me how to take care of others, sure, but also myself.… Yeah, I don’t have time or money to go out and party. But I don’t want to anymore. I just like staying home with my boyfriend and my kids, maybe renting a movie or something.
“The medical administrative assistance program I’m enrolled in at MATC is a two-year program. By the time my girls are in school, I plan to have a job I can stick with. With what my boyfriend makes at General Mills, we cover rent, the bills and our girls. And we both have weekends off to spend together. Good enough for now.”
Ron Kronforst
Senior account executive in retirement plans, Robert W. Baird & Co., $55,000
“You’d think it would be the same thing day after day, but what keeps me interested is the variety… different brokers, a different product and new clients. Plus, I like the competitive side of things. I either bring in assets of a certain dollar amount or I don’t get the bonus.…
“A friend who was working in retirement plans, sensing my frustration with my stagnated teaching career, told me his company was looking to take on three entry-level analysts. I tossed my application in among 150 others, and he managed to shuffle it to the top of the pile.…
“There are a lot of former teachers working with retirement plans. The skill set isn’t that different. I spend a lot of time educating people on how to manage their money and on why they have to. I’ve been at Baird for five years now and, while I like it here, I could also easily move elsewhere. There are five or six major retirement plan businesses in the area, and people tend to roll around between them. Jumping at opportunities has worked out for me so far. I can’t stop now.”
The Ledger
Top Dogs
James L. Ziemer, CEO/CFO, Harley-Davidson Inc.: $9,741,000
Bud Selig, commissioner, Major League Baseball: $5,000,000
Jeffrey A. Joerres, chairman/CEO, Manpower Inc.: $2,460,000
Stephanie Streeter, chairman/CEO, Banta Corp.: $1,530,000
Allen L. Leverett, CFO, Wisconsin Energy Corp.: $1,430,000
Tom Crean, men’s basketball coach, Marquette University : $1,154,910
John S. Shiely, chairman/CEO, Briggs & Stratton Corp.: $2,102,000
Michael Grebe, president/CEO, The Bradley Foundation: $500,000
Timothy Hoeksoma, chairman/CEO, Midwest Air Group Inc.: $374,000
Julia Taylor, president, Greater Milwaukee Committee: $225,000
Timothy Dolan, archbishop, Milwaukee Catholic Archdiocese: $49,420
The Aesthetically Minded
David Gordon, director/CEO, Milwaukee Art Museum: $263,170
Michael Krause, architect: $70,564
Mary Slough, graphic designer: $44,356
Michael Grober, hair stylist: $25,000
Jennifer Dretzka, landscape maintenance worker: $19,680
Sarah Wilbur, artistic director, Danceworks: $30,000
The Brain Trade
Carlos Santiago, chancellor, UWM: $240,591
Ward Ghory, head of school, University School of Milwaukee: $239,897
Joseph D. Kearney, dean, Marquette Law School: $237,972
Edmundo Centena, psychiatrist, Aurora Psychiatric Hospital: $170,294
Carol Brown, president, Waukesha County Technical College: $158,620
Daniel M. McKinley, executive director, Partners Advancing Values in Education Inc.: $156,600
Lorelei Starck, communications/marketing director, Milwaukee Public Library: $80,141
David Quam, science teacher, Nicolet High School: $88,904
Mary Beth Kuxhause, principal, Bruce Guadalupe Community School: $80,303
Ben Hui, chemist: $59,568
Fernando Campos, neighborhood development coordinator, United Community Center: $52,790
Jackelyn Potratz, librarian: $38,864
Nature Lovers
Martin Aquino, environmental engineer: $121,463
Charles Wikenhauser, director, Milwaukee County Zoo: $112,278
Michael Engelbart, city sanitation services manager: $103,428
Fred. P. Binkowski, scientist, Great Lakes WATER Institute: $80,517
Jan Grocholski, city nursery supervisor and coordinator: $75,158
Clement Ng, microbiologist: $59,566
Jane Pohlman, veterinary manager, Wisconsin Humane Society: $58,550
Aimee Balistreri, urban forestry crew leader: $51,282
Sarah Racine, water chemist: $43,328
Juris Krisans, horticulturist: $35,006
Law and Order
Larry Salustro, general legal counsel/executive vice president, Wisconsin Energy Corp.: $974,050
Diane Sykes, judge, U.S. Court of Appeals 7th Circuit: $171,800
Peggy A. Lautenschlager, Wisconsin attorney general: $127,868
Nannette Hegerty, Milwaukee chief of police: $125,908
Louis Butler, justice, Wisconsin Supreme Court: $123,642
David Clarke Jr., sheriff, Milwaukee County: $121,035
E. Michael McCann, district attorney, Milwaukee County: $115,496
Kitty Brennan, chief judge, Milwaukee County Circuit Court: $110,040
Oscar Perez, deputy inspector, Milwaukee Police Department: $86,424
Jeffrey Myer, litigation director, Legal Action of Wisconsin: $75,247
Gwyn D. Doss, forensic chemist, Milwaukee County: $57,075
Eloisa DeLeon, assistant city attorney: $51,012
Jean Semenuk, paralegal: $47,000
Jason A. Vanier, corrections officer, Milwaukee County: $32,178
Gary George, former attorney and state senator; now inmate at Federal
Prison Camp, Yankton, South Dakota: $0.12/hour
Paid to Play
Michael Redd, guard, Milwaukee Bucks: $15,000,000
Brett Favre, quarterback, Green Bay Packers: $9,500,000
Carlos Lee, left fielder, Milwaukee Brewers: $8,000,000
Andreas Delfs, music director, Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra: $340,000
Christine Harris, president, United Performing Arts Fund: $134,734
Michael Pink, artistic director, Milwaukee Ballet: $103,323
Christopher Libby, managing director, Skylight Opera Theatre: $72,721
Cassie Speer, ballroom dance instructor: $20,000
Carol E. Visser, golf starter: $9,922 (part time)
Astra Miglane-Stanwyck, professional mini-golfer: $4,350 (seasonal)
The Body Shop
Dr. Anthony Linn, surgeon, Columbia St. Mary’s: $1,175,535
Dr. Charles Tiber, internal medicine/oncology, Columbia St. Mary’s: $607,479
Dr. Dharam Pal Jain, cardiologist, Columbia St. Mary’s: $539,726
T. Michael Bolger, CEO/president, Medical College of Wisconsin: $550,979
Dr. Joyce Turley, pediatrics and neonatal/prenatal medicine, MCW: $158,573
Dr. John A. Humphrey, pediatrician, MCW: $161,697
Jack Gorski, senior investigator, Blood Center of Southeastern Wisconsin: $147,469
Wayne Sluss, pharmacist, Aurora Lakeland Medical Center: $139,781
Cherie Lockwood, flight nurse, Milwaukee Regional Medical Center: $85,615
Monica Maroney, chiropractor: $60,000 (part time)
Esperanza Garcia-Mendez, city public health nurse: $51,480
Tracy Carpenter, massage practitioner: $13,000
Paul Haubrich, president, Forest Home Cemetery:
$12,000 (part time)
Bean Counters
John Bailey, senior actuary, Northwestern Mutual Financial Network: $206,192
Martin Morics, city comptroller: $133,484
Wayne Whittow, city treasurer: $133,484
LaQuisha Harrell, city finance and planning manager: $75,786
Jack C. Voight, Wisconsin state treasurer: $62,549
John W. Egan, city accountant: $55,052
Michael Mathias, market analyst: $43,924
David Hernandez, property appraiser: $37,640
David Bolin, bank processing representative: $24,960
Techies
Edward Wozniak, MRI technician, Sinai Samaritan Medical Center: $145,283
Hussein Ahmed, civil engineer: $62,114
Pratik Shah, programmer analyst: $58,908
Eugene Groh, video and electronics technician: $56,973
Hakimah Terry, internet services coordinator: $55,068
Karen Nutter, engineering drafting technician: $35,335
Matthew Burzon, traffic control assistant: $29,016
Lunch Bucket Brigade
James Kirkwood, maintenance technician: $67,044
Foster Finco, plumbing inspector: $57,910
Al Matyas, sewer mason: $57,470
Stephanie Ruffin, elevator inspector: $56,935
Paul Brady, sidewalk repair specialist: $53,702
Duane Kalvoda, machinist: $53,170
Albert LaBelle, ironworker: $52,458
Isidore Alamo Jr., carpenter: $50,939
Allen E. Myers Jr., highway maintenance worker: $47,362
Andrew Guerra, auto body repair technician: $46,046
Elvira Hernandez, water meter reader: $41,690
Felipe Franco, asphalt repair crew leader: $41,548
Jan Jonas, bridge operator: $39,173
Alfreemon Flowers, public works inspector: $39,021
William Birdsall, sanitation worker: $37,086
Lula W. Bordan, airport maintenance worker: $33,176
Brandon J. Nisiewicz, lifeguard: $9,474 (part time)
Keren Becker, parking valet, Pfister Hotel: $7/hour
Political Operatives
Timothy Hoven, lobbyist: $169,351
Herb Kohl, U.S. senator: $162,100
Paul Ryan, U.S. congressman: $162,100
Jim Doyle, Wisconsin governor: $131,768
Elizabeth Burmaster, state superintendent of public instruction: $109,587
Patrick Curley, chief of staff, mayor’s office: $98,057
Dan Vrakas, Waukesha county executive: $90,000
Scott Walker, Milwaukee county executive: $72,724 (voluntary $60,000 pay cut)
Barbara Lawton, Wisconsin lieutenant governor: $69,579
Doug LaFollette, Wisconsin secretary of state: $62,549
Jeannette Bell, West Allis mayor: $56,000
Alberta Darling, Wisconsin state senator: $45,569
Civic-minded
John Miller, president/CEO, Goodwill Industries of Southeastern Wisconsin Inc.: $288,721 Sue Dragisic, president, United Way of Greater Milwaukee: $235,396
Kent Johnson, president/CEO, YMCA of Metropolitan Milwaukee: $194,461
Ghassan Korban, civil engineer: $103,426
Patricia McManus, executive director, Black Health Coalition: $99,450
David Borash, field services director, Boy Scouts Milwaukee County Council: $80,413
Christian Osell, firefighter: $57,000
JoAnn Kurkowski, program director, Eisenhower Center Inc.: $53,160
Paper-pushers
Margarita Gutierrez, lead city teller: $41,170
Dolly May, administrative assistant: $37,353
Carol Talakowski, clerk stenographer: $35,639
Tim Snopek, driver, FedEx: $35,000
Anne Conway, hotel receptionist: $17,160
Down the Hatch
Bonnie Brower, nutritionist: $51,506
Richard Kerhin, bartender, The Social: $25,000
Linda Christnacht, food service assistant, Burger King: $16,666
Mickey Comerford, café employee: $13,650
US vs. U.S.
Comparing Milwaukee mean wages against the nation.
Firefighter Milwaukee: $35,190 U.S. $39,980
Chef/cook Milwaukee: $30,050 U.S. $34,870
Drywall and ceiling tile installer Milwaukee: $49,630 U.S. $37,430
Tax preparer Milwaukee: $27,520 U.S. $32,000
Music director and composer Milwaukee: $29,670 U.S. $46,020
Chiropractor Milwaukee: $143,960 U.S. $84,020
Insurance sales agent Milwaukee: $64,840 U.S. $56,310
Massage therapist Milwaukee: $33,590 U.S. $37,170
Family/general practitioner Milwaukee: $148,920 U.S. $137,980
Interior designer Milwaukee: $35,360 U.S. $46,030
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2004
