Albany, NY — 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 Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) last year, according to payroll data provided by the MTA and posted today on SeeThroughNY, the Empire Center’s government transparency website.
Overtime payments at MTA totaled over $1.12 billion in 2021. That’s an increase of $16 million from 2020, but down $221 million from a record high of $1.38 billion in 2018. An April 2019 Empire Center report breaking down that 2018 payout prompted investigations of overtime abuse at MTA that led to criminal charges and convictions, and inspired a managerial effort to reduce overtime hours.
Of the 320 MTA employees with overtime exceeding $100,000 last year, four collected more than $200,000, the latest records show. The top five overtime earners were:
- David P. Negus, LIRR machinist federal inspector, received $224,526 in overtime in addition to $75,751 in regular pay;
- Richard R. Bourt Jr., Metro-North track supervisor, received $222,511 in overtime in addition to $103,363 in regular pay;
- Matthew R. Chirico, Metro-North communications and signals supervisor, received $213,716 in overtime in addition to $103,517 in regular pay;
- Harry L. Dobson, Metro-North structures supervisor, received $201,443 in overtime in addition to $108,345 in regular pay; and
- Daniel K. Slawomirski, LIRR machinist, received $195,821 in overtime in addition to $84,460 in regular pay.
The MTA Headquarters, Bus Company and NYC Transit Authority increased in total overtime in 2021, as shown in the table below.
The table below shows key data concerning the top ten overtime earners at MTA in 2021.
MTA’s total payroll fell to $6.9 billion in 2021, a decline of $230 million, or 3.2 percent, from 2020.
A list of the 100 MTA employees with the highest total pay in 2021 is available here.
The Empire Center has litigated several cases in recent years to protect the public’s right to know how government agencies spend money. The MTA paid the Empire Center’s legal costs to settle a 2015 lawsuit after the agency repeatedly failed to respond to FOIL requests in a timely manner, as required by law.
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
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
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
34 MTA Workers Made $200K+ In Overtime In 2025
Thirty-four employees of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) received more than $200,000 in overtime payments in 2025, as total annual pay surpassed half a million dollars for some, according to , the Empire Center’s governm Read More
Empire Center Breaks Down Albany’s Pork Barrel Spending
Albany legislators steered over $83 million in grants to 293 local projects between April and December 2025 , according to under a Freedom of Information Law request.
The governor and state legislators hand-picked the grantees for mor Read More
Average Pay at Port Authority Surges as 11 Employees Collect $400k+
Eleven Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ) employees collected more than $400,000 each in total pay last year as average pay surged nine percent, according to 2024 payroll , the Empire Center’s government transparency website.
Read More
NYC Employee Pension Payments Cross $6 billion; 70 Members Collect $200k+
The pension plan covering most New York City government agencies, including the City’s subway system, had 70 members with pension payments of at least $200,000 last year, almost quadrupling 2019’s tally of 19, according to new , the Read More