How much did state workers make in New York in 2013?
The Empire Center released its updated state government payroll at SeeThroughNY.net Tuesday, covering more than 287,000 government workers. According to the website, 1,316 state government employees earned more than Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s $179,000 annual salary in 2013.
Topping the list of highest paid employees in the State University of New York and City University of New York systems is Antonio Alfonso, chairman of the Department of Surgery at SUNY Downstate Medical Center. His pay totaled $1,086,145.
Behind Alfonso is Alain Kal-
oyeros, senior vice president and CEO of the SUNY College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering in Albany. His total pay in 2013 was $823,732. SUNY Chancellor Nancy Zimpher’s total pay was $657,954.
Annual payroll increased overall by more than $1 billion over the past three years. In 2013, state legislators earned an average of $92,216, about $12,000 more than their base salary.
“The change from 2008 to 2013 in average pay was a 35 percent increase,” said Timothy Hoefer, executive director of the Empire Center. “The size of the workforce was reduced by 77,000 during that time, with a lot of people who were paid lower let go. That explains the huge increase in the average.”
The data provided by the Empire Center does not include the cost of pensions, health insurance and other benefits. SeeThroughNY.net provides payroll records dating back to 2008.
Hoefer said he is looking to expand the website in the near future to provide more information, so state taxpayers know where their money is going. In 2013, the website had just shy of 6 million page views.
“The goal is to be able to put up all spending on every level,” Hoefer said. “We are always trying to think of new tools for people to look at. It’s not all about the numbers, but putting them into context.”
© 2014, Daily Gazette
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