SANFORD — This community tops the list ”“ and has for the last several years ”“ for having the most residents who work at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery.

According to statistics released earlier this year by the Seacoast Shipyard Association, 436 Sanford and Springvale residents work at the facility, bringing home the bacon to the tune of nearly $31 million in annual payroll.

Kittery and Kittery Point came in second with 369 residents earning $27 million; followed by South Berwick, Berwick and Eliot residents, while 205 Lebanon residents commuted to the Kittery “yard.” There were 169 Wells residents who worked at PNS in 2014, 167 Biddeford residents, 99 Saco residents and 75 Kennebunk residents.

In all, 3,292 Maine’s residents were paid $245 million for their work overhauling nuclear submarines at PNS in 2014, the reports states. There were 2,030 New Hampshire residents employed there, earning an annual payroll of $157 million, with residents of Rochester topping the New Hampshire list with 340 residents earning $24 million. There were 156 Massachusetts residents earning $12 million, and 225 residents of other states earning $17 million in 2014. 

Altogether, 5,585 civilian workers earned $432 million at the shipyard in 2014 ”“ and employment was up by about 100 people from 2013 levels, according to the report.

City Manager Steve Buck talked about the report ”“ and the value of the shipyard to Sanford and Springvale during a city council meeting on Tuesday. He pointed out the facility has a continued need for new employees because of expansions and retirement and that is why so much planning has been put into the new high school and technical center.

“Our new high school focuses on this need for future employees and the high degree of training necessary for the various job categories,” Buck said. He pointed out the city’s economic growth council is also working with York County Community College to house technical training programs in Sanford.

Late last year, Portsmouth Naval Shipyard announced it planned to hire 700 workers to deal with an increase in work and to replace workers who are retiring.

“The shipyard’s hiring plan is based on attrition and increased workload challenges,” Shipyard Commander Capt. William Greene told the Associated Press in December, citing scheduled maintenance on Virginia- and Los Angeles-class attack submarines.

— Senior Staff Writer Tammy Wells can be contacted at 324-4444 (local call in Sanford) or 282-1535, ext. 327 or twells@journaltribune.com.