Public Payroll Watch

No. 3 • October 2008

Two-Year Rise in State Payroll

EMPIRE May Add $700 Million in Costs
Nearly 8,000 full-time equivalent (FTE) employees—including more than 4,800 in
the past year—have been added to New York’s state government payroll since
the fall of 2006, according to data from the state comptroller’s office.
As of the first pay period in October, the state payroll totaled 239,830 FTE

CENTER employees. That is the highest total for any comparable period since 1991, the
first year of Mario Cuomo’s third term as governor. Under former Governor
George Pataki, the third-quarter payroll reached 231,853 FTEs in October 2006.
FOR NEW YORK STATE POLICY
Based on weighted average biweekly salaries, the two-year increase of 7,979 FTE
A project of the
Manhattan Institute for Policy Research state employees represents $700 million a year in added compensation costs,
including benefits and payroll taxes. Total salary, benefits and payroll taxes for
state workers have increased $2.2 billion, or 12 percent, in the last two years.*
Much of the increase resulted from expanded programs included in the first
budget proposed by former Governor Eliot Spitzer, who took office in January
2007. Governor David Paterson, who succeeded Spitzer in mid-March of this
year, announced hiring freezes in April and again in July.
Including overtime and regional differentials, the average state worker’s salary is
$59,717, up 8 percent since 2006. The total cost per employee, including benefits
and payroll taxes, now comes to $86,858.
Over half of the state payroll increase in the past two years has been
concentrated in higher education, where the number of FTEs has grown by 5
percent in the State University and 11 percent in the City University.
P.O. Box 7113, (See table on back page for details.)

Albany, New * Total compensation costs were calculated using the Division of the Budget estimate that
benefits and payroll taxes average 45.6 percent of salaries across all job titles.

York 12224 •
PH: 518-432-
1505 • www.
empirecenter.

P.O. Box 7113 Albany, NY 12224 518-434-3100 www.empirecenter.org

Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) State Government Employees
First Payroll Period in October

Change
Agencies, Department and Divisions 2006 2008 Number Rate
Adirondack Park Agency 75 77 2 3.6%
Agriculture and Markets 620 628 8 1.3%
Alcoholic Beverage Control 145 155 9 6.3%
Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services 944 979 36 3.8%
Banking Department 528 552 24 4.5%
Board of Elections 59 63 4 7.5%
Budget Division 379 371 -8 -2.2%
City University of New York 20,329 22,533 2,204 10.8%
Civil Service 687 620 -67 -9.8%
Commission on Quality of Care for the Mentally Disabled 93 101 8 8.5%
Consumer Protection Board 31 29 -2 -5.5%
Correctional Services 31,812 31,597 -215 -0.7%
Council of the Arts 51 49 -2 -4.3%
Crime Victims Compensation Board 89 93 4 4.8%
Criminal Justice Services 664 719 55 8.3%
Economic Development 194 191 -3 -1.3%
Education Department 3,870 3,949 79 2.0%
Environmental Conservation 4,085 4,232 147 3.6%
Executive Chamber 139 174 35 25.2%
Health 5,939 6,310 371 6.2%
Housing and Community Renewal 915 931 15 1.7%
Human Rights 194 201 7 3.6%
Industrial Exhibit Authority (State Fair) 83 84 1 0.3%
Insurance Department 930 965 34 3.7%
Judiciary 17,466 18,297 832 4.8%
Labor 3,712 3,563 -149 -4.0%
Law 1,908 2,024 116 6.1%
Legislature 3,598 3,531 -67 -1.9%
Lottery 340 342 2 0.5%
Military and Naval Affairs - SEMO 740 824 84 11.3%
Miscellaneous Commissions 422 390 -32 -7.5%
Motor Vehicles 2,850 2,972 122 4.3%
NYS Foundation Sci Tech Innov 30 28 -2 -7.0%
Office for Technology 629 627 -2 -0.4%
Office for the Aging 131 129 -2 -1.5%
Office of Children and Family Services 3,872 3,916 44 1.1%
Office of Employee Relations 76 55 -21 -27.9%
Office of General Services 1,877 1,889 12 0.6%
Office of Mental Health 16,356 17,151 795 4.9%
Office of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities 22,013 22,673 660 3.0%
Office of Parks, Recreation and Historical Preservation 3,476 3,309 -167 -4.8%
Office of Prevention of Domestic Violence 30 28 -2 -6.4%
Office of Real Property Services 384 350 -34 -8.9%
Office of Temporary & Disability Assistance 2,384 2,289 -95 -4.0%
Office of the State Comptroller 2,442 2,591 149 6.1%
Parole 2,001 2,151 149 7.5%
Probation and Correctional Alternatives 34 36 2 6.1%
Public Employment Relations Board 32 33 1 1.5%
Public Service Commission 526 553 27 5.1%
State 829 908 79 9.6%
State Commission of Corrections 34 34 0 0.0%
State Insurance Fund (off budget) 2,669 2,630 -39 -1.5%
State Police (Inc. Statewide Wireless Network) 5,923 5,983 61 1.0%
State Racing and Wagering Board 122 128 6 4.5%
State University of New York 45,581 48,022 2,441 5.4%
Taxation and Finance 5,054 5,203 149 2.9%
Transportation 9,819 9,982 163 1.7%
Veterans Affairs 109 101 -8 -7.0%
Workers' Compensation Board 1,529 1,490 -39 -2.5%

TOTAL (reflects rounding) 231,851 239,830 7,979 3.4%

Source: Office of the State Comptroller

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