Oneida County paid its 1,825 employees an average of $41,795, more than the other five counties in the region, according to the Empire Center’s 2015 “What They Make” report.

The report uses pay data reported to the New York State and Local Retirement System (NYSLRS) between April 1, 2014 and March 31, 2015. The amounts listed in the report do not include fringe benefits such as health insurance or employer pension contributions, which can add 35 percent or more to the cost for taxpayers.

Users can search the 175,327 pay records of town, city, county and village employees on SeeThroughNY, the Empire Center’s transparency website. The Mohawk Valley data also show:

  • Utica’s 275 uniformed police and fire employees had the highest pay among the region’s uniformed employees, averaging $71,560.
  • Nicholas F. Laino, president of Herkimer County Community College, was the highest paid local government employee. Laino was paid $181,341.
  • New Hartford’s 25 police officers were paid an average of $68,086, the most of any town police department in the region.

The ten highest-paid local government employees in the Mohawk Valley (Fulton, Hamilton, Herkimer, Montgomery, Oneida and Schoharie Counties) were:
wtm15-mv-4034397

The Empire Center is a non-partisan, non-profit independent think tank based in Albany. SeeThroughNY includes payroll and pension data for state and local government employees and retirees; detailed expenditure data for the state Legislature; comparative statistics on local government spending; a searchable database of state revenue and expenditures; and copies of all teacher union contracts and superintendent of schools contracts.

You may also like

Teacher Pensions Added to SeeThroughNY Include 25 Over $300K

New York’s two teacher pension systems last year had 25 retirees eligible to collect pensions of more than $300,000, according to data posted today on SeeThroughNY, the Empire Center’s government transparency website. Read More

Median Teacher Pay Tops $100K In Five Counties, Two Boroughs, 1/4 of NY Districts

A total of 189 out of 685 school districts outside New York City last year had median classroom teacher pay over $100,000, according to data posted today on SeeThroughNY, the Empire Center’s government transparency website, up from 156 five years earlier. Read More

Empire Center Releases First “Empire Index” Poll

The Empire Center for Public Policy today announced the results of its first statewide “Empire Index” poll, examining public sentiment and awareness of major policy issues. Read More

Four NY State Workers Get $300K+ In Overtime

Four New York state employees last year collected more than $300,000 each in overtime, according to 2023 payroll data posted today on SeeThroughNY, the Empire Center’s government transparency website. Read More

How NY Hid the True Cost of 2019 Climate Law—And What Lawmakers Can Do About It

A new report from the Empire Center reveals hidden and rising costs, questionable assumptions and emerging transparency and practical issues resulting from New York’s 2019 Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA). Read More

2023 Local Government Pay Data Posted on SeeThroughNY

Pay records for more than 168,000 county, city, town, village and other public employees were added today to SeeThroughNY, the Empire Center’s government transparency website. In addition to the searchable data, the Empire Center also released the updated edition of What They Make, its annual analysis of the state fiscal year 2023 payrolls for local governments outside New York City. Read More

More NY Pensions Hit $200K

The number of retirees eligible for $200,000+ pensions from the New York State and Local Retirement System (NYSLRS) reached 54 last year, according to new data posted on SeeThroughNY, the Empire Center’s government transparency website. Read More

Hochul Tells It Like It Is — Empire Center Responds to FY25 Budget Proposal

In response to Governor Hochul’s FY25 state budget presentation, Empire Center President & CEO Tim Hoefer issued the following reaction: "Governor Hochul is telling it like it is: New York’s  and spending are out of line with na Read More