New York City firefighters and fire officers retiring last year after full careers were entitled to average annual pension benefits of $151,676, up six percent from the prior year, according to new data added to SeeThroughNY.net, the Empire Center’s government transparency website.
Among the 470 new retirees with at least 20 years of service, nearly eight out of ten (399) were eligible for six-figure pensions; 79 were eligible for pensions over $200,000.
Looking at the most recent data for all New York City Fire Pension Fund retirees, the average pension for all 15,796 FDNY retirees, as of fiscal year 2024, came to $93,905, up 52 percent from $61,560 a decade ago. Both amounts include in-service disability payments for some.
Five hundred and eighty-four retirees were eligible for pensions over $200,000, 26 percent more than the previous year’s total of 464. Out of these, 11 were eligible for pensions over $300,000. As shown in the chart below, as the total number of retirees remained consistent over the last decade, the share of retirees eligible for six-figure pensions has soared, tripling during that time.
The highest pension among all retirees went to the recently retired Chief of Department, John Sudnik, who was eligible for $385,179 after retiring in July of 2023. The next-highest eligible pensions went to:
- Patrick Mcevoy, Former Captain, $364,162
- Mark Ferran, Former Deputy Chief, $355,230
- James McNally, Former Deputy Chief, $337,267
- Michael Vecchi, Former Associate Commissionner, $318,071
The figures include benefits from an optional program that allows members to make extra contributions to the plan, and the pension fund’s “Variable Supplement Fund,” a $12,000 payment to uniformed employees also known as “the Christmas bonus.”
The pensions are constitutionally guaranteed by New York taxpayers and are exempt from New York state income tax. New York City government retirees, including firefighters, also receive city healthcare coverage at no cost.
The data are only publicly available thanks to the Empire Center’s successful 2014 lawsuit.
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.
You may also like
132 NYSLRS Retirees Receive Pensions Over $200K in FY2026
A total of 132 retirees from the New York State and Local Retirement System (NYSLRS) were eligible to collect $200,000 or more in pensions during the 2026 fiscal year, according to , the Empire Center’s government transparency website.
Among the 132 Read More
Empire Center Poll: Just 4 Percent Approve of New York’s Education System
ALBANY, N.Y. — New Yorkers gave the state’s education system a sweeping vote of no confidence: 47 percent said the state should improve student performance, 41 percent said it should improve performance while spending less, and only 4 Read More
New York’s electricity prices climb to third highest in the U.S.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
ALBANY, N.Y. — Empire Center’s shows New York households paid the third-highest residential electricity prices in the country in May 2026, trailing only Hawaii and California.
The latest U.S. Energy Information Administra Read More
Port Authority Payroll Passes $1.2B as 20 Employees Collect $400k+
Twenty Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ) employees collected more than $400,000 each in total pay last year, while average pay agencywide rose three percent, according to , the Empire Center’s government transparency website.
The Por Read More
NYC Employee Pension Payments Rise To $6.2 billion
The pension plan covering most New York city government agencies, including the City’s subway system, had 62 members with pension payments of at least $200,000 last year, according to , the Empire Center’s transparency website.
According to the d Read More
Empire Center Poll: New Yorkers Prioritize Low Energy Prices and Have Little Appetite for Radical Climate Policies
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
ALBANY, N.Y. — New Yorkers across political, geographic, age, and income groups oppose energy and climate policies that raise energy prices or force changes on homeowners, according to new Empire Center analysis Read More
New York’s Electricity Prices Fourth Highest in the Country
New York households are paying the fourth-highest electricity prices in the country, according to the Empire Center's In April 2026, residential electricity prices in New York averaged 29.45 cents per kilowatt-hour - 56 percent above the national average Read More
Fourteen NYC Educators Receive Over Half a Million Dollars in Pensions
Fourteen retired New York City educators received more than $500,000 in pension benefits in 2025, according to , the Empire Center’s government transparency website.
The data was obtained from the New York City Teachers’ Retirement Read More