A recent Fairfax County audit of overtime pay commended county officials for reducing their overtime payrolls by more than $20 million between 2007 and 2009.

But even with the scrimping, saving and sacrifices, employees from the police to the park authority pulled in more than $42 million in time-and-a-half during fiscal year 2010 — about 4 percent of the county's billion dollar personnel tab.

Here's a breakdown of the average overtime pay per employee for the (pick your descriptor) hardest-working/salary-savviest departments:

Fire and Rescue: $12,943 ($18,962,218 for 1,465 employees)

Public Safety Communications (eg. 911 operators): $12,878 ($2,627,058 for 204 employees)

Police: $10,373 ($17,946,035 for 1,730 employees)

Intellectual Disability Services: $7,940 ($809,878 for 102 employees)

Housing and Community Development: $6,071 ($267,145 for 44 employees)