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.
While the report notes that most of the top ten highest-paid employees are executives (including CEO Jay Walder, who takes home a total of $350K), #9 is our old friend, LIRR conductor Dennis Reardon, who before retiring in December took home an extra $167K in overtime on top of his $75K base. His salary puts him one slot and $1,000 behind the LIRR's president Helena Williams, who earned $241K. In 2010, the average salary for the American worker was $39,000. Hmm, we've always thought our smooth baritone would sound good over those subway speakers. And maybe 2011's salaries will get even bigger!
