Massachusetts General Laws

Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 48, § 57G (2026)

Compensation of certain heads of fire and police departments

✓ current as of July 2026

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Section 57G. The permanent, full-time fire chief or chief engineer of a fire department in any city, other than Boston, or town or fire district, and the permanent, full-time chief of police or superintendent of police, or city marshall, in any city, other than Boston, or town shall receive an annual base rate of compensation which shall not be less than the following ratios of the highest annual rate of compensation of a permanent, full-time firefighter, or a permanent, full-time police officer or patrolman, as the case may be:

1. In departments having less than twelve permanent, full-time police officers or firefighters, the ratio shall be: 1.5.

2. In departments having not less than twelve nor more than twenty-nine permanent, full-time police officers or firefighters, the ratio shall be: 1.8.

3. In departments having thirty or more permanent, full-time police officers or firefighters, the ratio shall be: 2.0.

The provisions of this section relative to a city, town or fire district shall be in effect only in a city, town or fire district which accepts this section.

Notes of Decisions

Cited in 4 cases, 1976–1981 · leading case: Kardas v. Bd. of Selectmen, 392 N.E.2d 544 (Mass. App. Ct. 1979).

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Kardas v. Bd. of Selectmen, 392 N.E.2d 544 (Mass. App. Ct. 1979). · cites it 5× “Under G. L. c. 48, § 57G (the ratio act), 2 the plaintiff is entitled to receive an "annual base rate of compensation” not less than twice "the highest annual rate of compensation” of a full-time police officer or patrolman.”

Labor Relations Comm'n v. Town of Natick, 339 N.E.2d 900 (Mass. 1976). “415, § 1, if that section is accepted by the municipality, a police or fire chief’s salary must be established at a proportion in excess of that of permanent, full time fire fighters or police officers, as the case may be. Even if no mandated proportion exists, the salary of…”

Bd. of Selectmen v. Mun. Court, City of Boston, 418 N.E.2d 640 (Mass. App. Ct. 1981). “See G. L. c. 48, § 57G. In doing so we emphasized that career incentive pay was not uniformly paid to all officers but was available only to those who had taken courses which furthered so much of their education as was related to their police work.”

Pilch v. Town of Ware, 397 N.E.2d 1123 (Mass. App. Ct. 1979). “The plaintiff, the Ware police chief from 1950 to June 30, 1974, commenced an action against the defendant (the town) for wages he claims are due him under G. L. c. 48, § 57G, as originally inserted by St.”

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