Overtime spending by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) last year reached a record $1.2 billion, a 20 percent increase over the 2016 level, according to data posted today on SeeThroughNY.net, the Empire Center’s transparency website.
MTA pay totaled $6.7 billion in 2017, including $5.4 billion in regular (non-overtime) pay. Regular earnings increased by $198 million, or 4 percent, from 2016 to 2017.
Key trends revealed by the data include the following:
- The bulk of the added MTA overtime in 2017 was collected by employees of the New York City Transit Authority—a total of about $750 million, up 26 percent from 2016.
- The leading MTA overtime earners were employed by the Long Island Railroad (LIRR), where 174 workers collected at least $100,000 above their base pay—including nine who earned overtime of more than $200,000.
- Topping MTA’s 2017 overtime list was LIRR foreman Raymond A. Murphy, who added $295,490 to his base pay of $103,566, bringing his total pay for the year to $405,021. The only MTA workers to earn more were two other LIRR foremen, Joseph Biondo and Joseph Ruzzo, who were paid $447,128 and $405,237 respectively, and MTA headquarters president Michael Horodniceanu, whose salary was $446,602.
The list of the 50 highest-paid MTA employees can be downloaded here. All of the MTA’s labor union contracts are now also available at SeeThroughNY.net for the first time. Explore over 100 contracts, which cover 29 unions and date back to 1986, here.
Overtime spending at each MTA unit is detailed below:
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
Average Pay Spiked at Port Authority in 2021
Average pay for Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ) employees increased nearly 10 percent last year, to $123,000. Read More
Over 700 MTA Employees Earned More in OT than Regular Pay in 2021, Data Show
More than 300 employees were paid at least $100,000 in overtime and at least 734 earned more in overtime than in regular pay at the MTA last year Read More
Legislative Spending Unevenly Divided Among Members
Spending by state lawmakers on office personnel and administrative costs varies widely, with some paying out nearly twice as much as others Read More
State OT, Salaries Up in 2021
Overtime pay for state employees rose to nearly $1 billion, and salaries increased by six percent during the 2021 calendar year, according to data posted today to SeeThroughNY.net Read More
Public School Retiree Pensions Set New Record
Average pension benefits for newly retired public educators outside New York City reached a record high last year Read More
Most Long Island Educators Paid at Least $100,000 Last Year
18% of all public-school teachers and administrators employed by school districts outside New York City were paid over $100,000 last year Read More
New Public Authority Payroll Data Now Posted at SeeThroughNY
2020 payroll data for a total of 79,146 employees at 331 different New York State public authorities is now posted at SeeThroughNY.net, the Empire Center’s transparency website. Read More
$139K Average Pension for New Full-Career FDNY Retirees
Nearly three-quarters of those retiring last year from the City of New York’s Fire Department (FDNY) were eligible for six-figure pensions Read More
Enjoying our work? Sign up for email alerts on our latest news and research.
Together, we can make New York a better place to live and work!