In 2008, the state Metropolitan Transportation Authority employed 539 police officers who were paid an average of $96,553, including overtime and shift differentials. A salary database of all 78,393 MTA employees during 2008 — searchable by name, title and authority subsidiary — is posted under the “payroll” tab at SeeThroughNY.net.
More than 10 percent of the MTA’s workforce–8,214 individuals in all–took home $100,000 or more in total pay last year. The MTA’s six-figure club included:
• 10 employees who earned more than $250,000, averaging $102,000 over their base salaries;
• 44 employees who earned between $200,000 and $250,000, averaging $89,000 over their base salaries;
• 600 employees who earned between $150,000 and $200,000; and
• 7,560 individuals who earned between $100,000 and $150,000.
Eleven of the 654 employees who earned more than $150,000 in 2008 were Long Island Railroad car repairmen who earned an average of $206,000—which was $143,000 over their average base pay rate of $63,000. Other popular titles in the $150,000-and-over category included:
• 62 Long Island Railroad and Metro-North Railroad conductors;
• 40 police officers;
• 39 gang foremen; and
• 30 Long Island Railroad engineers.
By the way, the SeeThroughNY database does not include fringe benefits, which typically amount to 30-40 percent of salary and benefits, depending on job titles and pension plans.