No wonder people seem to be paying their way into an MTA job: according to a study [pdf] released yesterday, average salaries at the transit agency increased by 3 percent, to $71,237 from 2010, and payroll itself swelled by $71 million, or 1.4 percent, despite the fact that the MTA shed 852 employees last year. According to the Empire Center (i.e. the Manhattan Institute), "For the third consecutive year, more than 10 percent of the MTA's workforce—7,993 individuals—took home $100,000 or more in total pay." Perhaps MTA employees have been working both smarter and harder to make up for the loss of their peers. more ›

If you felt left behind by all your CEO buddies who were getting raises, don't sweat it, you're in good company: judges in New York haven't received a raise in 12 years, and their pay is ranked 46th in the nation. But before you ready your tiny violins for a class of people that make over $100K a year, consider that the exodus of judges just means MORE LAWYERS. more ›

Previously we told you that it was time to make a career move to the MTA. Sure, the hours are long, but you could while them away with dreaming of your massive pension. Forget that: public education, now that's where the money is. Bloomberg News reports that Long Island school superintendent James Hunderfund is entitled to a net salary of around $540,000 from the combination of his $316K pension he earned at a previous job along with his current $225K salary from the Malverne school district. more ›

As MTA megaprojects including the Second Avenue Subway and the 7 train expansion have fallen behind schedule and gone up in cost, salaries and staff at the department in charge of overseeing such projects have increased for five years straight. Under the guidance of the MTA Capital Construction department, the price of major developments has surged and setbacks have become commonplace—yet the department has grown from 39 employees in 2004 to 151 in 2009, and its payroll has ballooned by $10.6 million. more ›

NY1 has an exclusive report on "three dozen aides of state senators whose salaries noticeably grew over the past three months." Senate Democrats won the majority for the first time in over years and are paying accordingly: Nassau Sen. Craig Johnson's chief of staff's "salary climbed 63 percent, from $47,500 in 2008 to $77,500 this year" while Bronx Sen. Jeff Klein's chief of staff "saw his wages grow by 36 percent, from $55,000 in 2008 to $75,000 this year. Four other people in Klein's office saw salary increases, but their positions stayed the same." Now in the majority, Senate Dems have more responsibilities—Klein is the deputy majority leader—and Senate Majority Leader Malcolm Smith tells NY1, "Remember, staff don't get paid for a Saturday and Sunday and overtime. So even a salary bump, if you had to pay them by the hour, they're being paid a whole lot less than what they're worth in terms of the time that they're putting in." And it's payback from the days of the Brunomobile. more ›

The NY Times treats us to a trend piece, sounding off the alarms of a newsflash: ambitious young people subsist on low incomes in NYC! Some choice quotes are sprinkled throughout:
• “For a little while I only ate grapefruits for my lunch because they have a lot of nutrients and they got me through the day.”
• “If I shop, I can’t have a social life and I can’t eat.”
• Before moving from San Francisco last fall, Ms. Werkheiser realized that paying salon prices for platinum tresses in New York would require cutting back on needs like food and shelter. “So I went natural,” said Ms. Werkheiser. “I dyed it dark, a New York brunette.”
• “I find in other cities guys are more apt to buy you drinks and expect nothing from it. Here, if they do buy you a drink, which is rare, you have to suffer through flirtations. It’s true,” she said, adding, “It’s really cheesy.”

Seattle's police department is capitalizing on the NYPD's current budget and recruiting woes by giving potential recruits less of a reason to sign up to join the force in New York. Seattle is paying for a huge billboard along the West Side Highway advertising for recruits. The billboard and bus stop ads link to a site that details much higher rookie pay and faster wage increases. Per the Daily News,

Seattle pays its police recruits $47,334 a year and the annual salary rises to a maximum base pay of $67,045 in just six years. more ›

Not only is the NYPD having trouble getting potential recruits to sit for the entrance exam to the Police Academy, but one in five who gain entrance wind up dropping out or disqualifying themselves before they graduate. The end result is that for the first time in years, fewer than 1,000 were officers were added to the force from a graduating class and the size of the NYPD has shrunk to its smallest number in 15 years. more ›

Mayor Bloomberg's generosity has been noted from educational institutions (like his alma mater Johns Hopkins) and even city organizations (like the World Trade Center Memorial Foundation). He gave staffers on his re-election campaign payouts as big as $300,000-400,000. And when Deputy Mayor Dan Doctoroff announced he would leave City Hall to become president of the mayor's business, Bloomberg LP, it suggested that the Mayor rewarded staffers he trusts. Well, the NY Times now looks at how some Bloomberg aides' salaries have grown since taking the government jobs in City Hall. more ›