Eric Simpkin earned $104,000 during 2020, a 26.4 percent increase over the previous year, working for the Illinois Department of Transportation as a highway maintainer, according to data provided by the Illinois Comptroller Office.
Marcello Valle saw the largest increase in pay working as a highway maintainer for the Illinois Department of Transportation in 2020, earning $58,900 more than in 2019.
Top 100 highest paid public employees as highway maintainers
| Rank | Employee | Employer | 2020 amount earned |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Stephen Newcomb | Illinois Department of Transportation | $162,700 |
| 2 | Mauro Garcia | Illinois Department of Transportation | $162,300 |
| 3 | Lloyd Hinton | Illinois Department of Transportation | $147,200 |
| 4 | Kristopher Wilkins | Illinois Department of Transportation | $133,500 |
| 5 | Marcello Valle | Illinois Department of Transportation | $129,600 |
| 6 | Jorge Pineda Torres | Illinois Department of Transportation | $124,700 |
| 7 | Gerald Washington | Illinois Department of Transportation | $123,700 |
| 8 | Michael Brown | Illinois Department of Transportation | $120,300 |
| 9 | Dimitrius Coleman | Illinois Department of Transportation | $119,300 |
| 10 | Arvin Maldonado | Illinois Department of Transportation | $118,800 |
| 11 | Nicolas Quezada | Illinois Department of Transportation | $110,700 |
| 11 | Ahmad Tawil | Illinois Department of Transportation | $110,700 |
| 13 | Earl King | Illinois Department of Transportation | $110,400 |
| 13 | Victor Lopez | Illinois Department of Transportation | $110,400 |
| 15 | Lawrence Lukaszewski | Illinois Department of Transportation | $110,300 |
| 16 | James Blakely | Illinois Department of Transportation | $110,100 |
| 17 | Angel Lopez | Illinois Department of Transportation | $109,600 |
| 18 | Pedro Barrera | Illinois Department of Transportation | $108,900 |
| 18 | Christopher Medina | Illinois Department of Transportation | $108,900 |
| 20 | Cristobal Lopez | Illinois Department of Transportation | $106,800 |
| 21 | Terry Dean | Illinois Department of Transportation | $106,700 |
| 22 | William Washington | Illinois Department of Transportation | $106,300 |
| 23 | Carlos Segui | Illinois Department of Transportation | $105,600 |
| 23 | Robert Whiteman | Illinois Department of Transportation | $105,600 |
| 25 | Keith Emerson | Illinois Department of Transportation | $105,500 |
| 26 | Joel Riggs | Illinois Department of Transportation | $105,300 |
| 27 | Jose Garcia | Illinois Department of Transportation | $105,200 |
| 28 | Augusto Gallardo | Illinois Department of Transportation | $105,100 |
| 29 | Richard Dombrowski | Illinois Department of Transportation | $104,900 |
| 30 | Eric Simpkin | Illinois Department of Transportation | $104,000 |
| 31 | Barry Brown | Illinois Department of Transportation | $103,300 |
| 32 | Aaron Bunnell | Illinois Department of Transportation | $103,100 |
| 33 | Marshall Cooper | Illinois Department of Transportation | $102,700 |
| 33 | Dennis Royster | Illinois Department of Transportation | $102,700 |
| 35 | David Walker | Illinois Department of Transportation | $102,600 |
| 36 | Sean Huber | Illinois Department of Transportation | $102,300 |
| 36 | Ronald Kaminski | Illinois Department of Transportation | $102,300 |
| 38 | Daniel Joyce | Illinois Department of Transportation | $101,900 |
| 39 | Leonard Reed | Illinois Department of Transportation | $101,200 |
| 39 | Derek Wilson | Illinois Department of Transportation | $101,200 |
| 41 | Tomasz Marciniak | Illinois Department of Transportation | $100,900 |
| 42 | Blair Roby | Illinois Department of Transportation | $100,500 |
| 43 | Donato Latrofa | Illinois Department of Transportation | $100,400 |
| 43 | Richard Parzych | Illinois Department of Transportation | $100,400 |
| 45 | James Smith | Illinois Department of Transportation | $100,100 |
| 45 | Jimmie Soto | Illinois Department of Transportation | $100,100 |
| 47 | John Sowa | Illinois Department of Transportation | $99,900 |
| 47 | Vernon Tillman | Illinois Department of Transportation | $99,900 |
| 49 | Bobby Hert | Illinois Department of Transportation | $99,700 |
| 50 | Bruce Ray | Illinois Department of Transportation | $99,500 |
| 51 | Jose Carnalla | Illinois Department of Transportation | $99,400 |
| 51 | Thomas Conners | Illinois Department of Transportation | $99,400 |
| 53 | Gregory Callans | Illinois Department of Transportation | $99,200 |
| 54 | Anthony Gates | Illinois Department of Transportation | $99,000 |
| 55 | Anthony Jones | Illinois Department of Transportation | $98,900 |
| 56 | Martin Tate | Illinois Department of Transportation | $98,600 |
| 57 | Carlos Garcia | Illinois Department of Transportation | $98,500 |
| 58 | Alan Moyzis | Illinois Department of Transportation | $98,300 |
| 58 | Jermaine Roby | Illinois Department of Transportation | $98,300 |
| 60 | Abdul-Kareem Ahmad | Illinois Department of Transportation | $98,200 |
| 60 | Barry Lama | Illinois Department of Transportation | $98,200 |
| 62 | Luther Wakefield | Illinois Department of Transportation | $97,800 |
| 63 | Mauricio Garcia | Illinois Department of Transportation | $97,700 |
| 63 | Laurence Keltner | Illinois Department of Transportation | $97,700 |
| 63 | Daniel Maldonado | Illinois Department of Transportation | $97,700 |
| 63 | Emile Mitchell | Illinois Department of Transportation | $97,700 |
| 67 | James Dial | Illinois Department of Transportation | $97,600 |
| 68 | Paul Buti | Illinois Department of Transportation | $97,500 |
| 69 | Irving Bradley | Illinois Department of Transportation | $97,400 |
| 70 | Michael Carter | Illinois Department of Transportation | $97,300 |
| 70 | Terry Hall | Illinois Department of Transportation | $97,300 |
| 70 | Kevin Lorick | Illinois Department of Transportation | $97,300 |
| 73 | Adolfo Parravicini | Illinois Department of Transportation | $97,100 |
| 73 | Andrew Tomac | Illinois Department of Transportation | $97,100 |
| 75 | Paulino Torres | Illinois Department of Transportation | $97,000 |
| 76 | Steve Spina | Illinois Department of Transportation | $96,900 |
| 77 | David Alms | Illinois Department of Transportation | $96,700 |
| 78 | John Hoffman | Illinois Department of Transportation | $96,600 |
| 78 | Jerome Lockhart | Illinois Department of Transportation | $96,600 |
| 80 | Paul Rodriguez | Illinois Department of Transportation | $96,200 |
| 81 | Steven Jadzak | Illinois Department of Transportation | $95,800 |
| 81 | James Palaggi | Illinois Department of Transportation | $95,800 |
| 81 | James Visny | Illinois Department of Transportation | $95,800 |
| 84 | Peter Lewis | Illinois Department of Transportation | $95,700 |
| 85 | Michael Marulli | Illinois Department of Transportation | $95,500 |
| 86 | David Debok | Illinois Department of Transportation | $95,400 |
| 86 | Joseph Goosinow | Illinois Department of Transportation | $95,400 |
| 88 | Scott Bulthuis | Illinois Department of Transportation | $95,300 |
| 89 | Alejandro Garcia | Illinois Department of Transportation | $95,100 |
| 89 | Robert Petersen | Illinois Department of Transportation | $95,100 |
| 91 | Kenneth Thomas | Illinois Department of Transportation | $95,000 |
| 92 | Joseph Jones | Illinois Department of Transportation | $94,900 |
| 93 | Travis Cotner | Illinois Department of Transportation | $94,600 |
| 93 | Todd Obert | Illinois Department of Transportation | $94,600 |
| 95 | Paul Spagnola | Illinois Department of Transportation | $94,500 |
| 96 | Thomas Zajicek | Illinois Department of Transportation | $94,400 |
| 97 | Jesus Padilla | Illinois Department of Transportation | $94,300 |
| 98 | Salvador Avalos | Illinois Department of Transportation | $94,200 |
| 99 | Larry Eddy | Illinois Department of Transportation | $94,100 |
| 99 | Jason Hilliard | Illinois Department of Transportation | $94,100 |
