A few unusual suspects were the highest-paid city employees in the city, namely four steam fitters who cashed in thanks to overtime pay. Meanwhile, public university workers were among the top-earning state employees in New York.
Crain’s two lists of highest-paid city employees and highest-paid state employees in New York each rank 25 public workers by 2023 total compensation using Empire Center data.
The Department of Citywide Administrative Services yields four steam fitters on our list, with three ranking among the top five highest-paid city employees. These four tradespeople, who often maintain piping systems, took home an average total compensation of $409,361 thanks to overtime, each earning a base salary of only $107,750.
Meanwhile, the city’s Department of Corrections features the most employees on the list; eight workers earned an average total pay of $355,871 in 2023. However, these employees’ average salary was only $131,572.
And Dayrell Taylor, administrative chief for the Manhattan district attorney tops the list with a total compensation of $579,096, despite having a base salary of $200,025.
Combined, these 25 city employees earned $9.4 million in compensation, with base salary making up only $4.2 million of that total. Median 2023 total pay among these workers was $363,346, while median base salary was just $135,511.
State-level employees also cashed in on overtime in 2023. On Crain’s list of highest-paid state employees, SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University has the most workers; eight employees who earned an average of $620,573 in compensation. Of these employees, the university’s dean, F. Charles Bruincardi (No. 6) earned the most with a total pay of $710,691.
SUNY Upstate Medical University follows with four employees on the list, who took home an average compensation of $680,381. Leading this group, and topping the list, is the university’s CEO Robert Corona with $897,825.
Combined, these 25 state employees earned nearly $16.5 million in total compensation and median pay of $627,095.
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