LADWP Executive Pay Draws Comparison to Utilities
CBS California Investigates compared updated 2026 salary figures from the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power with other California utility companies.
Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Utilities
Live Poll
Do you trust your local utility's leaders to be paid fairly for public service?
The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power provided updated 2026 executive salary figures to CBS California Investigates. The report compared LADWP executive pay with that of other California utility companies, including Southern California Edison, Glendale Water and Power, Burbank Water and Power and Sacramento Municipal Utility District.
Why it matters
The comparison places LADWP's executive and overtime costs alongside peer utilities, which bears on how Los Angeles ratepayers can understand spending at the city utility. LADWP attributed much of its 2025 overtime to wildfire, storm and heat response, and the comparison arrives as the board of commissioners called for a review of a rate increase.
Overtime paid to over 13,000 LADWP employees accounts for 5% of the agency's $10.8 billion budget, and labor costs make up 18% of total spending. Southern California Edison's 2026 executive figures have not yet been released, so a full current-year comparison is not possible.
The players
Los Angeles Department of Water and Power
LADWP is the municipal utility serving the city of Los Angeles, responsible for water and electric service across its service area.
CBS California Investigates
CBS California Investigates is the investigative reporting unit of CBS's California television operations that compared utility executive pay across the state.
California State Controller
The California State Controller is the state official who publishes public employee wage and compensation records, including the 2025 LADWP figures cited in the report.
Southern California Edison
Southern California Edison is an investor-owned electric utility serving much of Southern California and was used as a comparison for executive compensation.
Sacramento Municipal Utility District
The Sacramento Municipal Utility District is a public utility serving the Sacramento region, whose CEO earned among the highest compensation in the comparison.
The details
LADWP executives do not receive bonuses or overtime pay, according to the agency. The agency attributed high supervisor and mechanic wages in 2025 to significant overtime tied to the January Palisades Wildfires, major storms, high-wind conditions, extreme heat and a December atmospheric river event.
Timeline
2025: Salary and overtime figures reported for the prior year.
January 2025: Palisades Wildfires prompted response and recovery overtime.
December 2025: An atmospheric river event prompted additional overtime response.
Late October 2026: The LADWP board of commissioners called for a rate increase review.
2026: Updated LADWP executive salary figures were released.
Market Landscape
Public payroll records published by the California State Controller make it possible to compare municipal and investor-owned utility pay across the state. The comparison places LADWP's executive and overtime spending alongside Southern California Edison, Glendale, Burbank and Sacramento utilities.
Ratepayers in Los Angeles fund LADWP's budget, including labor and overtime costs, so the agency's spending decisions appear on their bills. The board's review of a rate increase is the point where those costs could translate into changes in what residents pay.
The takeaway
Public payroll records make utility compensation comparable across agencies, which helps residents weigh how overtime and executive pay factor into rate decisions. Watching the board's rate review will show how these costs are addressed.
Further reading
For more on the agency's operations and budget, see Utilities coverage of Los Angeles.
More information
Review the California State Controller 2025 LADWP wage records for the underlying compensation data.
Source note: This article includes information reported by CBS News.
Live Poll
Do you trust your local utility's leaders to be paid fairly for public service?
