The updated database includes the names, titles, base pay rates and total pay of more than 307,000 individuals who worked in the state’s executive, legislative or judicial branches at any point during calendar year 2019. Taxpayers can search state government payrolls dating back to 2008 on the SeeThroughNY.net website.
The highest-paid employee on the state payroll for the second consecutive year was Dr. Gary Green, a Clinical Associate Professor of Health Science at SUNY Health Science Center at Syracuse. His pay totaled $753,842.
A total of 2,661 state employees, including 1,756 executive branch workers, were paid more than Governor Andrew Cuomo’s newly increased $200,000 salary.
Included in the 100 highest-paid state employees are four SUNY coaches. At SUNY Buffalo, football coach Lance Leipold was paid $663,500 (#6) and basketball coach Nathaniel Oats was paid $442,105 (#61). At SUNY Stony Brook, football coach Charles Priore was paid $465,462 (#46) and athletic director Shawn Heilbron was paid $425,714 (#84).
All but two of the 100 highest-paid state government employees worked for either the State University of New York (SUNY) or the City University of New York (CUNY).
Four of the top 100 earners received six-figure raises. They were Lance Liepold, football coach at SUNY Buffalo, whose base pay was boosted $203,162 to $474,300; Gary Bie, payroll vice president at Stony Brook Hospital, whose base pay was increased $131,561 to $647,718; Carol Gomes, payroll assistant vice president of hospital affairs at Stony Brook Hospital, whose base pay was raised $120,838 to $636,638; and Brian Magee, assistant professor at Downstate Medical Center Clinical, whose base pay was boosted $108,930 to $199,757.
Not reflected in the data are costs of pensions, health insurance for employees and retirees, and other benefits.
The Empire Center, based in Albany, is an independent, not-for-profit, non-partisan think tank dedicated to promoting policies that can make New York a better place to live, work and raise a family.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, ALBANY, N.Y. — New York households’ estimated annual electricity bills rose by $275, or 11 percent. This was the third-largest dollar increase among the 50 states, behind only Hawaii and New Ham Read More
Six school district educators in the North Country 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 Indian River CSD Superintendent Troy Decker, at $240,614. Read More
A total of 21 school district educators in the Southern Tier 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 Ithaca City SD Superintendent Luvelle Brown, at $292,442. Read More
A total of 52 school district educators in the Finger Lakes 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 John Abbott, deputy superintendent of East Irondequoit CSD, at $306,144. Read More
A total of 17 school district educators in the Mohawk Valley 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 Utica City SD Superintendent Christopher Spence, at $281,875. Read More
A total of 36 school district educators in Central 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 East Syracuse Minoa CSD Superintendent Donna Desiato, at $310,881. Read More
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. Read More
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. Read More