Some El Paso County workers are paid so little they qualify for food stamps, county officials say. To qualify, recipients of food stamps cannot exceed 130 percent of the poverty level, which is $26,856 for a family of four.

According to a county analysis of Mountain States Employment Council salary comparison, the county’s average pay for 90 “perfect match” jobs is $54,955, compared to the city of Colorado Springs’ average of $72,129. Perfect match jobs are those for which job descriptions are virtually identical.

The county estimates it would cost $35 million to bring its pay scale up to competitive levels.