Payroll data detailing $6 billion in annual pay for more than 86,000 public employees at 383 agencies including the Thruway Authority, New York City Health + Hospitals and the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) were added today to SeeThroughNY, the Empire Center’s government transparency website.
Noteworthy details in the latest update include:
- Headcount at the state Thruway Authority is down nearly half (3,754 to 1,971) compared to 2017, after toll collectors in late 2020 were replaced by an electronic system. Payroll fell from $152 million in 2017 to $128 million last year (16 percent). Adjusting for inflation, this equates to a 30 percent drop in payroll.
- A total of 37 NYSERDA employees were paid over $200,000 last year, up from just one in 2019.
- Employers reported giving salary increases of at least $50,000 to 267 employees during fiscal 2022. While many of these raises involved title changes, some—primarily among public hospital leadership—did not.
Not reflected in the payroll data are the costs of pensions, health insurance for employees and retirees, and other benefits.
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