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.
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