Town Workforce Size and Staffing Trends

January 9, 2026
1 min read

Wayland employs a large workforce to deliver town and school services. But while the town has a relatively high share of six-figure earners, the composition and scale of those earnings differ from patterns seen in larger or more public-safety-heavy municipalities.

As of late 2025, according to the Payroll Department, the town and schools together had approximately 1,254 active employees across all roles, including full-time, part-time, and seasonal positions. Roughly 73% of these employees work for the School Department, while about 27% are employed by municipal (Town) departments. This distribution underscores that public education accounts for the majority of staffing in Wayland.
The single largest employee group is classroom teachers.

The Wayland Teachers Association represents 343 teachers, followed by 355 school employees in non-union roles, including administrators, specialists, and instructional support staff. Municipal departments are significantly smaller by comparison.

The Fire Department employs 26 uniformed firefighters, while the Police Department has 19 unionized officers along with a small number of non-union command staff. Other municipal groups include 57 Department of Public Works employees represented by the Teamsters, 57 AFSCME employees covering clerical and other town functions, and approximately 40 town management or non-union professional staff.


Top Earners in FY2025

The highest-paid individuals in FY2025 illustrate how total compensation is concentrated among a small number of senior leadership and public safety roles.
The top 10 earners and their FY2025 gross pay were:

  • David Fleishman, Superintendent of Schools, $281,978
  • Michael McCall, Town Manager, $261,941
  • Sean Fitzgerald, Police Sergeant, $249,765
  • Susan Bottan, School Business Administrator, $195,640
  • Edward Burman, Police Chief (retired), $192,229
  • Elizabeth Gavron, Assistant Superintendent, $191,660
  • Neil McPherson, Fire Chief, $187,654
  • Timothy Henderson, Police Sergeant, $187,477
  • Tyler Castagno, Police Detective Sergeant, $183,336
  • Brian Keveny, Finance Director/Town Accountant, $178,925

SOURCE: Wayland Payroll Department

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