A total of 45 school district educators in Western New York were paid more than $200,000 in fiscal year 2025-26, according to payroll data reported to the New York State Teachers’ Retirement System (NYSTRS). The highest paid was Sean Croft, former superintendent of Starpoint CSD, at $315,619.

Statewide, the 239,288 public school teachers, superintendents, principals and other administrators employed outside New York City were paid a total of $19.4 billion, according to the Empire Center’s annual educator pay report. Full-time educators averaged $99,652. Western New York’s 21,412 full-time educators averaged $87,032, third among the state’s nine regions outside New York City.

Western New York includes five counties: Allegany, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Erie and Niagara, as defined by the Office of the State Comptroller.

The full payroll data is available at SeeThroughNY.net.

School districts and BOCES in Western New York paid their 26,101 educators a total of $1.9 billion. A total of 31.4 percent were paid $100,000 or more, compared with 34.6 percent statewide.

Among the findings:

• Depew UFSD (Erie County) had the region’s highest average pay for full-time educators, $99,475, followed by Niagara Falls City SD ($98,592) and Buffalo City SD ($95,664). Canaseraga CSD had the lowest, $66,592.
• The region’s median full-year superintendent was paid $199,438, fourth of nine regions, compared with $215,922 statewide. Four superintendents were paid more than the governor’s $250,000 salary.
• School districts in Western New York spent $10,660 in educator pay per student, fourth of nine regions, compared with $12,345 statewide.
• In Niagara County, the median full-time educator was paid $91,208, 58 percent more than the median full-time worker living there ($57,591).

Ten Highest-Paid Educators – Western New York

Figures are gross pay reported to NYSTRS for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2026, and do not include fringe benefits such as health insurance and employer pension contributions. Full-time educators are those paid more than the annualized state minimum wage ($32,240). Tallies exclude community colleges, charter schools, the Education Department, vocational boards and the Fashion Institute of Technology.

Explore the Data

The tables below open filtered to Western New York. Use the filters to see any other region.

Payroll records for every school district and BOCES can be searched at the Empire Center’s transparency website, SeeThroughNY.net.