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.

Statewide, the 239,288 public school teachers, superintendents, principals and other administrators employed outside New York City were paid a total of $19.4 billion, according to the Empire Center’s annual educator pay report. Full-time educators averaged $99,652. Central New York’s 14,358 full-time educators averaged $80,187, fifth among the state’s nine regions outside New York City.

Central New York includes five counties: Cayuga, Cortland, Madison, Onondaga and Oswego, as defined by the Office of the State Comptroller.

The full payroll data is available at SeeThroughNY.net.

School districts and BOCES in Central New York paid their 19,000 educators a total of $1.2 billion. A total of 13.3 percent were paid $100,000 or more, compared with 34.6 percent statewide.

Among the findings:

• Marcellus CSD (Onondaga County) had the region’s highest average pay for full-time educators, $94,959, followed by Weedsport CSD ($93,420) and Oneida City SD ($90,181). Brookfield CSD had the lowest, $66,606.
• The region’s median full-year superintendent was paid $205,398, third of nine regions, compared with $215,922 statewide. Three superintendents were paid more than the governor’s $250,000 salary.
• School districts in Central New York spent $10,849 in educator pay per student, third of nine regions, compared with $12,345 statewide.
• In Oswego County, the median full-time educator was paid $79,629, 45 percent more than the median full-time worker living there ($55,076).

Ten Highest-Paid Educators – Central New York

Figures are gross pay reported to NYSTRS for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2026, and do not include fringe benefits such as health insurance and employer pension contributions. Full-time educators are those paid more than the annualized state minimum wage ($32,240). Tallies exclude community colleges, charter schools, the Education Department, vocational boards and the Fashion Institute of Technology.

Explore the Data

The tables below open filtered to Central New York. Use the filters to see any other region.

Payroll records for every school district and BOCES can be searched at the Empire Center’s transparency website, SeeThroughNY.net.