Syracuse City School District superintendent Sharon Contreras was the highest-paid school district employee in the Central New York region during the 2013-14 school year, according to data posted today at SeeThroughNY.net.
Contreras collected a total of $244,232 last year. The 20 highest-paid school district employees in the region, as well as the 50 highest-paid outside New York City, can be viewed here.
Outside New York City, the number of public school employees paid more than $100,000 has jumped from 32,914 in 2008-09 to 48,703 in 2013-14—a 48 percent increase over the last five years. The highest-paid school employee was Joseph Ogeka, Jr., assistant superintendent of Riverhead Central Schools, who was paid $376,340.
The newly updated database includes pay information for 367,867 employees, as reported to the New York State Teachers Retirement System (NYSTRS) for the 12-month period ending June 30, 2014, and to the New York State and Local Retirement System (NYSLRS) for the 12-month period ending March 31, 2014. Not reflected in the data are the costs of fringe benefits such as healthcare, pension contributions and other employee benefits.
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
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
Albany, NY — The Arbeeny family and the Empire Center are marking five years of partnership in remembrance of Norman Arbeeny, who passed away six years ago today after contracting COVID-19 in a Brooklyn nursing home.
To honor Nor Read More
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
New York’s of state and local government union contracts has been updated with the latest collective bargaining agreements for local teachers, police, firefighters, libraries, and public authorities.
Among the on SeeThroughNY.net, the Empire Center Read More
As state lawmakers consider enhancing retirement benefits for government workers, fresh data from the Empire Center confirm that existing pensions are generous compared to national norms. Read More
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.
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A total of 97 retirees from the New York State and Local Retirement System (NYSLRS) were eligible for pensions of $200,000 or more during the 2025 fiscal year, according to , the Empire Center’s government transparency website.
Among the 97 retirees Read More