The average FDNY firefighter retired with a pension of more than $100,000 over the last seven years, according to an analysis of pension data released Tuesday.
The large number of six-figure pensions are in part due to so many firefighters retiring on disability, which gives them 75% of their final average salary, according to the analysis from the Empire Center, a nonpartisan think tank.
Nondisability pensions are based on 50% of a firefighter’s final average salary.
The average pension for 166 FDNY retirees in 2014 was $100,636, with seven topping out at over $200,000, the Empire Center found.
The largest FDNY pension belonged to Michael Vecchi, who retired in 2013 as an associate commissioner and received a hefty $284,624 pension.
The FDNY pension figures for 15,911 firefighters were released after a long court battle between the Empire Center and the unions repping the firefighters.
The courts ruled that the public has a right to know the amounts of public employees’ pensions and the names of the workers who receive them.
The information was released as Mayor de Blasio is embroiled in a separate fight with the city’s uniformed workers unions — including those who rep the FDNY — over disability pensions.
The mayor’s plan would give newly hired FDNY members 75% of their salaries when they retire on disability only if they quality for Social Security disability benefits.
The unions want all firefighters to get 75% when they retire on disability.