Ontario County had the Finger Lakes region's highest average county-government pay at $75,199, while Rochester police officers held eight of the region's 10 highest-paid local government positions, according to a new Empire Center analysis.
The Albany-based think tank's What They Make 2026 report uses payroll data submitted to the New York State and Local Retirement System for fiscal year 2025-26. Across the nine-county region used in the report, 20,526 employees averaged $60,208 in reported pay.
The region's local government payroll totaled $1.24 billion. Its average pay ranked fourth among nine regions outside New York City, while police and fire personnel averaged $111,906, the third-highest regional figure.
Ontario County ranks eighth statewide
Ontario County's average employee pay ranked eighth among counties statewide. The analysis found 22.1% of its county employees were paid at least $100,000.
Monroe County's 4,944 employees averaged $65,293. Across the Finger Lakes region, 15.6% of local government employees received at least $100,000, compared with about one in five statewide.
The report defines the Finger Lakes region as Genesee, Livingston, Monroe, Ontario, Orleans, Seneca, Wayne, Wyoming and Yates counties. That definition does not include every county sometimes described as part of the Finger Lakes.
Thirteen employees in the region received more than Gov. Kathy Hochul's $250,000 salary. The figures exclude fringe benefits such as health insurance and employer pension contributions.
Rochester employees lead individual earnings
Robert Hill, a Rochester police officer, was the region's highest-paid local government employee at $314,040. Rochester's Mark Lee followed at $297,658.
Monroe County employee Nadia Granger received $275,891, the highest reported pay for a non-police employee in the region.
The rest of the top 10 were Rochester police/fire employees Karl Berg, $275,152; Mark Mura, $271,748; Raymond Dearcop, $268,955; Stephen Ward, $266,962; Myron Moses, $262,438; and Nicholas Mazzola, $258,415; along with Irondequoit police/fire employee Andrew Wigton, $261,178.
The City of Rochester's 3,067 employees averaged $85,147, eighth among the state's 61 cities. Its 1,106 police and fire employees averaged $128,308.
Rochester's payroll amounted to $1,236 per resident, the fourth-highest figure among cities statewide, according to the analysis.
Towns and fire districts also stand out
Greece had the region's largest town payroll: $26.8 million for 386 employees. Gates had the highest average town employee pay, at $76,116.
Gates' police and fire employees averaged $132,763, the highest figure in the region. Brockport followed at $131,961, then Irondequoit at $130,127, Rochester at $128,308 and Greece at $127,021.
The Empire Center said Brockport had the best-paid village police department outside Long Island and the Mid-Hudson region.
Four regional fire districts were among the state's 13 highest-paying special districts with at least 10 employees. St. Paul Boulevard's 23 employees averaged $131,407; Ridge Road's 76 averaged $123,952; North Greece's 60 averaged $114,007; and Gates' 92 averaged $112,442.
Local government payrolls across the region totaled $1,011 per resident, the third-highest regional figure. Wyoming County's combined county, town and village payroll amounted to $1,697 per resident, third among counties statewide.
Limits of the reported figures
Two employees were reported at exactly $250,000, the pension earnings limit for Tier 6 retirement-system members. Their actual pay was likely higher, according to the Empire Center.
Statewide, the report counted 179,222 county, city, town and village employees outside New York City, with total pay of $12 billion and an average of $67,037.
The Empire Center makes individual payroll records and local government comparisons available through SeeThroughNY.
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