The number of New York public school educators receiving over $200,000 in total compensation has more than doubled in the last five years, according to new salary data published Tuesday by the Empire Center.
The findings, drawn from 2023–24 payroll records of the New York State Teachers’ Retirement System (NYSTRS), reveal that 1,688 educators earned more than $200,000—up sharply from 2019. Another 81 educators received over $300,000. In total, 75,056 employees—nearly one-third of all NYSTRS members—received six-figure pay.
The highest-paid educator statewide was Benjamin Ciuffo, a retired assistant superintendent from Jericho Union Free School District, who received $599,524 in total pay. Upstate, the top earner was Timothy Backus, former deputy superintendent at South Colonie Central School District, who was paid $443,517.
Regional disparities in pay were stark. Downstate districts dominated the top tier, with 76 percent of six-figure earners located in Long Island and the Hudson Valley. Long Island alone accounted for 33,834 of them.
Average full-time compensation across the state was $94,732, but that figure rose to $116,066 on Long Island and $110,830 in the Mid-Hudson region. By contrast, the North Country posted the lowest average at $71,127.
In 202 school districts, average educator pay exceeded $100,000. Scarsdale Union Free School District topped the list with an average of $149,705, and nearly 90 percent of its educators earning six figures.
The salary data are publicly available on the Empire Center’s transparency website, SeeThroughNY.net, alongside teacher and superintendent contracts. The Albany-based think tank says the platform allows New Yorkers to examine public spending and compensation trends.
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