Long Island Leads New York in Educator Salaries

Long Island educators are the highest-paid in New York State, averaging $121,047 annually, while Suffolk County school employees earn approximately 60% more than the typical local worker, according to a new Empire Center for Public Policy report.

The analysis of 2025-26 payroll records found that 114 educators statewide earned more than $300,000, up from 90 the previous year. Another 2,328 collected more than $200,000, a 16% increase.

“In Suffolk County, 26,951 full-time educators earned a median $125,765, approximately 59% more than the typical full-time worker in the county, according to the Empire Center report.”

Half Hollow Hills led Suffolk districts in average educator pay at $145,276, followed by Mount Sinai at $139,336 and Cold Spring Harbor at $136,794. Neighboring Nassau County’s Jericho district averaged $149,994, the highest on Long Island.

Among Suffolk’s highest-paid superintendents were Copiague’s Kathleen Bannon at $389,247, Three Village’s Kevin Scanlon at $376,762, William Floyd’s Kevin Coster at $365,207, Rocky Point’s Scott O’Brien at $359,330 and Middle Country’s Roberta Gerold at $358,743.

The report found that 34,779 Long Island educators earned six-figure salaries, accounting for a substantial share of the 82,791 statewide who received at least $100,000.

Superintendent compensation was particularly high, with 89 Long Island district leaders earning more than Gov. Kathy Hochul’s $250,000 annual salary.

The median Long Island superintendent received $302,277, compared with $170,032 in the North Country.

Roslyn Superintendent Allison Feldman topped the statewide list at $436,976, followed by Great Neck Superintendent Kenneth Bossert at $420,781 and Oyster Bay-East Norwich Superintendent Francesco Ianni at $412,663.

The report also highlighted substantial differences between educator salaries and private-sector earnings. In Suffolk, the median full-time educator earned approximately $46,600 more annually than the median full-time worker residing in the county, a gap of roughly 60%.

Long Island districts spent an average of $14,766 per student on educator compensation, compared with $12,345 statewide. Southampton spent $27,273 per student, while smaller districts, including Bridgehampton and Fire Island, exceeded $40,000.

Statewide, educator payroll totaled $19.4 billion for 239,288 employees outside New York City.

The Empire Center noted that compensation figures include additional payments such as summer school, extra duties and termination payouts, but exclude pension contributions and benefits. The figures cover the fiscal year ending June 30, 2026.