If you’re sick of pulling in a measly paycheck that doesn’t seem to go very far in the District, you may want to think of a change of careers. And as Fox 5 reported recently in two separate investigative pieces, some of the biggest money may be in the District’s government.

According to their investigation, Fox 5 found that government workers putting in overtime may end up costing the city more annually than simply hiring another person to help with the work. In some instances, municipal workers have doubled or tripled their base salaries, putting their final take above that made by the mayor, the chief of police, and the school superintendent. All told, city employees took in $87 million in overtime pay in 2005, led by the Metropolitan Police Department with $36 million, Fire and EMS with $11 million, and D.C. Public Schools with $7.7 million. At those rates, the city could hire an additional 1,100 employees, pay them all $53,000, and still save money. The police department itself could take in 806 new officers at a starting salary of $44,600 and come in under what they spend now on overtime pay.

Curious? Check out D.C. government job openings here.