Hill AFB's $1.43 billion payroll leads facility's growing economic impact

The economic impact of Hill Air Force Base continues to grow.

The base recently released its 2018 economic impact statement, which shows it had a $3.6 billion impact on the Utah economy last year. That compares with $3.4 billion reported for 2017. The figures include payroll, expenditures and the dollar value of jobs created.{mprestriction ids="1,3"}

The annual report was prepared by Hill’s cost and economics division and was calculated using identifiable off-base local area spending from gross expenditures.

The report for 2018 indicates Hill had an annual federal payroll of $1.43 billion, up from $1.38 billion in 2017, and annual expenditures of approximately $760 million, up from $665 million the prior year. It also showed Hill AFB created approximately $1.38 billion in jobs, up from about $1.35 billion in 2017.

The 2018 expenditures figure includes $73.9 million for construction, up from nearly $41 million the year before. Spending for services totaled $577.2 million, up from $513.2 million, while procurement of materials, equipment and supplies was $108.9 million, down from $111.4 million in 2017.

The report indicated that the base created 29,596 total indirect jobs, including 21,120 civilian jobs. The total was essentially flat when compared with 29,675 in 2017. The estimated dollar value of jobs created was $1.38 billion, up from $1.349 billion in 2017.

The base had 25,709 total personnel last year, including 5,788 military, 3,621 military dependents and 16,300 civilians. In 2017, personnel totaled 25,500, including 5,785 military, 3,362 dependents and 16,353 civilians.

Among 4,562 active-duty personnel, 4,129 live off-base and 433 live on-base. Their dependents total 3,621, including 2,679 living off-base and 942 living on-base.

Active-duty salaries totaled about $270.9 million, up from $263.8 million in 2017. Civilians working through funds appropriated by Congress earned $1.12 billion last year, compared with nearly $1.1 billion in 2017, and accounted for 78.5 percent of the base’s annual payroll.{/mprestriction}