A total of 38 school district educators in the Capital Region 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 South Colonie CSD Superintendent David Perry, at $300,918.

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. The Capital Region’s 16,527 full-time educators averaged $86,248, fourth among the state’s nine regions outside New York City.

The Capital Region includes eight counties: Albany, Columbia, Greene, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Schenectady, Warren and Washington, as defined by the Office of the State Comptroller.

The full payroll data is available at SeeThroughNY.net.

School districts and BOCES in the Capital Region paid their 21,294 educators a total of $1.5 billion. A total of 24.8 percent were paid $100,000 or more, compared with 34.6 percent statewide.

Among the findings:

• Shenendehowa CSD (Saratoga County) had the region’s highest average pay for full-time educators, $97,433, followed by South Colonie CSD ($95,991) and Bethlehem CSD ($95,990). Green Island UFSD had the lowest, $70,273.
• The region’s median full-year superintendent was paid $197,004, sixth of nine regions, compared with $215,922 statewide. Five superintendents were paid more than the governor’s $250,000 salary.
• School districts in the Capital Region spent $10,567 in educator pay per student, fifth of nine regions, compared with $12,345 statewide.
• In Washington County, the median full-time educator was paid $74,677, 35 percent more than the median full-time worker living there ($55,179).

Ten Highest-Paid Educators – Capital Region

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 the Capital Region. 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.