Pender County spent more than $47 million in salaries during the past fiscal year for its 725 salaried employees, a figure that doesn't include more than 300 part-time and temporary employees. Salaries ranged from $21,664 for part-time positions to $199,263 for the county's highest-paid employee.
The average annual salary for a Pender County employee was $65,132, while the median salary was $60,097, according to information obtained by the StarNews.
More than half of the county's employees earn between $50,001 and $75,000 annually. Just over 2% make more than $125,000, while about 3% earn between $100,001 and $125,000. About 18% earn between $75,001 and $100,000, and another 18% earn between $25,001 and $50,000. Only 0.6% make less than $25,000.
The average salary among the county's 10 highest-paid employees is $156,528. Here's a look at the top earners and what they do.
Anahita Shaya, dentist
Shaya earns a salary of $199,263 and has been with the county since July 5, 2025. Shaya performs dental care for the Pender County Dental Clinic. The clinic offers exams, cleanings, tooth extractions and more.
Colby Sawyer, county manager
Sawyer earns a salary of $180,250 and has been with the county since Dec. 1, 2025. The county manager is the chief administrator of the county government and supervises all county departments under the control of the Board of County Commissioners. The county manager appoints employees, executes the resolutions of the commissioners, oversees projects, prepares the annual budget, and more.
Carolyn Moser, director of health and human services
Moser earns a salary of $165,251 and has been with the county since Aug. 15, 2011. The health and human services director oversees the county’s health and social services departments.
James Proctor, utilities director
Proctor earns a salary of $160,805 and has been with the county since Sept. 23, 2019. The utilities director leads the water and wastewater enterprise for the county, including planning future utility infrastructure.
Margaret Blue, assistant county manager
Blue earns a salary of $149,876 and has been with the county since March 3, 2019.
The assistant county manager performs executive work under the county manager, including assisting with projects, managing designated departments, preparing reports, and more. Blue leads the finance department for Pender County.
Quinton Morgan, lead staff attorney
Morgan earns a salary of $147,282 and has been with the county since Aug. 22, 2022. The lead staff attorney oversees the legal affairs of the county, including providing legal counsel to the Board of County Commissioners, County Manager’s Office, and other county departments.
Richard Sauer, emergency services director
Sauer earns a salary of $143,119 and has been with the county since April 13, 2026. The emergency services director oversees the Emergency Management Department, Fire Marshal’s Office, and EMS and Fire Services following the county’s recent EMS merger.
Sarah Fulton, assistant county manager
Fulton earns a salary of $142,070 and has been with the county since Feb. 24, 2020. The assistant county manager performs executive work under the county manager, including assisting with projects, managing designated departments, preparing reports, and more. Fulton focuses on strategy and long-range planning for Pender County.
Ashley Batts, physician extender II
Batts earns a salary of $141,750 and has been with the county since Jan. 22, 2019. The physician extender position provides preventive and acute care for patients in all health department programs.
Jerry Tuberville, director of inspections and permitting
Tuberville earns a salary of $135,610 and has been with the county since Oct. 27, 2025. The Inspections and Permitting department oversee building safety and code compliance for Pender County.
How much do elected officials get paid?
According to the salary database, each board member of the Pender County Board of Commissioners gets paid $10.41 per hour, which is $21,664 annually. The chairman, Randy Burton, gets paid $12.60, which is $26,192 annually.
To see more salaries, you can go to https://data.starnewsonline.com/salary/
Charlie Kingree is the Pender County and trending topics reporter for the StarNews. He can be reached at ckingree@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: Who are Pender County's highest-paid employees? | Exclusive
