LUBBOCK, Texas (KCBD) – As Lubbock County continues its budget workshops for the next fiscal year, a compensation study commissioned by the county shows its salaries are competitive in some areas but trail the broader market in public safety and professional positions.
The county contracted Crowe, an accounting and consulting firm, to complete the study last July. The goal was to compare county salaries to the broader market and identify ways to attract and retain qualified employees.
Crowe worked with the county from July to November 2025, examining 30 benchmark positions and comparing them against six market sources: the City of Lubbock, Texas Tech University, Hays County, Williamson County, the Economic Research Institute, and Mercer, a national salary database. Regional cost differences were factored in for Hays and Williamson counties.
Overall, the study found the county leads the market for two-thirds of the benchmark positions and lags for the remaining third.
For public safety and professional roles, the market pays an average of seven to ten percent more than Lubbock County. Public safety is identified as the most at-risk category, with four of six positions paying below market.
Staff sergeant, captain, and screening officer positions pay approximately nine percent below the market midpoint. Deputies are nearly four percent below market. In professional positions, some county attorneys are earning nearly seven percent below market.
The county pays above market for several skilled craft positions. Foremen earn 16 percent above market, mechanics earn 13 percent above, and equipment operators earn nearly seven percent above market. Detention officers also counter the public safety trend, earning 13 percent above market.
On total compensation, the study found the county is competitive with the market on health insurance and retirement. However, the county provides 33 days of paid leave, compared to the 37 to 41 days offered for comparable positions elsewhere.
The study included recommendations for both increasing and decreasing pay in certain positions to align with market midpoints. It also recommended an updated compensation policy, which the county and Commissioners Court reviewed in February. Whether any salary recommendations advance through the court in the coming months remains to be seen.
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