Who Earns What?

Compare paycheacks with the guy down the hall.

Show Us the Money “What Do You Make?”

 

- Advertisement -

Research by Peter Brancusi, Nicole Egan, Elizabeth Giordano,

Marisa Lascala, Kimberly Papa and Alison Pierce

- Partner Content -

Photographs by John Fortunato

 

It’s a question that ranks right up there with such conversation-killers as “How much do you weigh?” and “How old are you?” It’s just not kosher to ask people about their paychecks. In fact, given what daytime talk-show guests routinely reveal to Jerry and Maury, salary might just be the last remaining taboo.

 

- Advertisement -

But we know you’ve probably wondered what your neighbor the nurse, your pal the professor or your sister-in-law the systems analyst brings home. And, because as journalists, we have no qualms about appearing impolite, we took it upon ourselves to ask the hard questions. The result is our first “everything-you’ve-ever-wanted-to-know-about-who-makes-what-but-were-afraid-to-ask” survey of local salaries.

 

Just how did we get people to show us the money? It wasn’t easy. We pleaded, probed and generally made pests of ourselves working the phones, navigating the ’Net and pounding the pavement. We sent out tons of e-mails (and got one response) and dispatched our intrepid interns to local malls (much better response). Roughly 90 percent of the private individuals we approached flat-out turned us down (some more nicely than others). But the salaries for employees of the government and public school districts are a matter of public record. And the top five salaries (of at least $50,000) for publicly traded companies and nonprofits are revealed on previous tax filings, which are usually also available—unbeknownst to many of those  listed—on your friendly Internet.

 

The result of our efforts appears in these pages.

 

So what, you might ask, do we get paid for asking the tough questions? Not nearly enough—but hey, at least we don’t have to ask anyone about their sex life (yet).

 

-Regular People’s Paychecks-

 

What the man and woman on the street, actually, in stores, offices, and home offices make:

 

Adrienne Elia (Highland, NY)

Esthetician

Jurlique Wellness Spa Store, White Plains

$45,000

 

Edward Egan (Yonkers)

Mail Handler

United States Postal Service, White Plains

$41,858

 

Gregory Alan Cramer

Interior Designer, Gregory Alan Cramer Interior Design, Inc. and Forty-three Lawton Street Design, New Rochelle

$250,000-$300,000

 

Tonya Hall (Yonkers)

Sales Clerk 

A Pea in the Pod, White Plains

$18,000

 

Ashley Southworth (White Plains)

Babysitter/Tutor

$12/hr

 

James Zimmerman, PhD (Elmsford)

Clinical Psychologist

Average Cost Per Session:

   $160 – $200

Average Number of Clients:

   20/wk

-Mental Health-
What does a mental health practitioner in Westchester, one with an MD (i.e., a psychiatrist), earn? It depends—on the age of the patient. If your patients tend to be young, that is, if you’re a child psychiatrist, then you’re in great demand: There aren’t many of you in the county. Ergo, you can charge relatively high fees—

at least more than adult psychiatrists. (Surely, you’re familiar with the economic principle of supply and demand?) Psychiatrists, on average, earn from $125,000

to $250,000 a year. Child psychiatrists tend to earn on the higher end of that spectrum—adult psychiatrists on the lower end. And psychologists? About $76,000 a year.

 

Michael Ciulla (Bronxville)

Office Supervisor

Coca-Cola Enterprises, Hawthorne

$18/hr

 

Mike Manuele (Scarsdale)

Counterman 

Depot Cleaners, Scarsdale

$12/hr; $650/wk

 

Lauren Loeb (Ossining)

Graphic Designer

Goldman Sachs, Ossining

$25/hr

Ja-Ezuz Edwards (Valhalla)

Medical Assistant

Planned Parenthood, Greenburgh

$13/hr

 

Philip Bent (Scarsdale)

Sales Representative

Sunglass Hut, White Plains

$8.50/hr

 

Deirdre Kehayes (Yonkers)

Baker

Topps Pastry Shop, Bronxville

$11/hr

 

Jennifer LaSusa (Rye)

Accountant (2 days/week)

Rappaport Publishing, Manhattan

$45,000

 

Marie Egan (Mahopac)

Customer Service Representative

Ford Credit, Tarrytown

$43,500

John Hourican (Yonkers)

Detective

New York City Police Department, Manhattan

$85,000

 

Claire Coupar (Pleasantville)

Sales Representative

Victoria’s Secret, White Plains

$200/wk

 

Antony Giordano (White Plains)

Math Tutor

Tutoring Club, Brewster

$15/hr

 

Meghan Brown (Yonkers)

Front Desk Receptionist Westchester Country Club, Rye

$9.89/hr

 

Alexa Kocinski (Purchase)

Supervisor/Barista

Gloria Jean’s Coffees, White Plains

$7.50/hr

Isidora Bologna (White Plains)

Cashier

Turco’s, White Plains

$6.25/hr (1999)

 

John McGuirk

Assistant Manager

Consumer Opinion Center,

White Plains

$10/hr

 

Molly O’Gorman (Tarrytown)

Assistant Manager

Godiva, White Plains

$11/hr

 

Pete Egan (Mahopac)

Pressman

The Journal News, Harrison

$49,800

 

Chris York (Mahopac)

Assistant Manager

In Touch Wireless, White Plains

$14/hr

Marie Kittelstad (Yonkers)

Receptionist/Office Assistant

Law firm, White Plains

$8.50/hr (14 hours/week)

 

-Law & Salary-

According to FlipDog.com, the salary statistics database, the average Westchester attorney pulls in about $84,000. A typical New Rochelle lawyer earns about $85,323.

 

Marie Kittelstad (Yonkers)

Bagpipe Player

$2,000 (20 hours/year)

 

Amanda Grossman (Ardsley)

Catering Worker

Sam’s of Gedney Way and the White Plains Women’s Club, White Plains

$12/hr

 

Bayard Templeton (Bronxville)

Teaching Intern

Stanwich School, Greenwich, CT

$20,000

 

Corey Patton (Yonkers)

Maintenance Worker

Theodore D. Young Community Center, Greenburgh

$7/hr

 

-Nannies, Au Pairs, Etc.-

Some parents would say an extra pair of hands is priceless (especially when one of their youngsters is smearing the peanut butter on the Oriental rug and another is in desperate need of a diaper change). But those who employ au pairs or nannies are legally obligated only to pay them a minimum weekly stipend of $139.05. “This figure, which is standard across the country, is established by the United States government,” explains Au Pair in America Community Counselor Paul Zwiren of Hartsdale. “It is calculated by multiplying the minimum wage times hours worked per week, minus the cost of room and board.”

 

Lauren Smith of South Africa receives a salary of $140 a week for helping take care of three children in Pelham Manor. “That’s what everyone in my neighborhood pays,” comments her employer Valerie Alley.

 

In addition to paying a weekly stipend, employers who hire through such agencies as Au Pair America also pay up-front fees of about $6,400, making the average weekly cost for an employer approximately $265.

 

-Notable Neighbors’ Earnings-

 

They’re famous and they bring

in the big bucks, too. Here’s

how much:

 

Susan Sarandon

(until recently of Pound Ridge)

Actress

$7-$8 million for Moonlight Mile (2002)

 

David Letterman (North Salem)

Talk Show Host, $31 million

 

Meredith Vieira (Irvington)

$4 million (2002-2003)

 

Paul O’Neill (Rye Brook)

Former Outfielder,

New York Yankees

$7,250,000 (2001)

 

Bill Clinton (Chappaqua)

speaker fees of $100,000 and up per engagement, plus $10 million advance for a book

 

Bernie Williams (Armonk)

Professional Baseball Player,

New York Yankees

$12,357,143 (2003)

 

-The Billionaires Among Us-

 

So, who in Westchester is worth ten figures? The following six county residents made it  onto the most recent list of billionaires in Forbes magazine’s annual salary survey:

 

George Soros

(Bedford)

Hedge Fund Manager

$7 billion

 

Preston Tisch

(Harrison)

Founder, Loews Corporation

$2.7 billion

 

Ralph Lauren

(Bedford and Pound Ridge)

Fashion Designer

$2.3 billion

 

David Rockefeller Sr.

(Sleepy Hollow)

$2.5 billion

 

Laurance Spelman Rockefeller

(Sleepy Hollow)

$1.5 billion

 

Jerome Kohlberg Jr.

(Mt. Kisco)

Retired, Private Finance

Industry Mogul

$1 billion

-Public Service Paychecks-

 

They work for us, right?

Here’s what we pay ’em:

 

Eliot Spitzer

Attorney General

(New York State)

$151,500

 

Sue W. Kelly (Katonah)

Congresswoman

$150,700

 

Joseph Burton

Chief of Police in Ossining

$112,190

 

Nita M. Lowey (Harrison)

Congresswoman

$150,700

Charles E. Schumer

U.S. Senator

$154,700

 

Elaine Price

Consumer Protection Director

Westchester County

$99,575

 

Hillary Rodham Clinton  (Chappaqua)

U.S. Senator

$154,700

 

Anthony Sutton

Commissioner, Department of Emergency Services

Westchester County

$135,335

 

Rocco A. Pozzi

Commissioner of Corrections

and Probations

Westchester County

$135,335

 

Andrew J. Spano (Yorktown)

County Executive

Westchester County

$143,535

 

Dr. Joshua Lipsman

Health Commissioner

Westchester County

$151,405

 

Jeanine Pirro (Harrison)

District Attorney

Westchester County

$136,700

 

David Herbert

Deputy District Attorney

Westchester County

$138,532

 

Dr. Norman J. Jacknis

Chief Information Officer

Westchester County

$150,950

 

Alison Greene

Human Rights Commissioner

Westchester County

$121,035

 

Joseph Montalto

Director

Playland Amusement Park

$108,825

 

Camille F. Murphy

Director, Office for Women

Westchester County

$91,255

 

Marlene Furtick

Youth Bureau Director

Westchester County

$88,505

 

Jonathan Lippman

Supreme Court’s State Chief Administrative Judge

$136,700

 

Joan O. Cooney (Mt. Pleasant)

Supervising Judge of

Family Court for the 9th

Judicial District

$136,700

 

-Corporate Paychecks-

 

Big business means the big bucks (or as they say in corporate-speak, “compensation”). What do the suits conferencing in the corner office get paid to climb

the corporate ladder and market the widgets? (Hint: way more

than editors). Salaries include bonuses:

 

Mario J. Gabelli

Chairman, Chief Investment Officer and CEO

Gabelli Asset Management, Inc. Rye

$37,728,104 (2002)—down from $47.12 million in 2001

 

Richard H. Shuyler

Former CEO

Atlas Air, Purchase (a company spokesman reports company filed for Chapter 11)

$467,950 (2001)—down from $5,687,549 (2000)

 

Unveiled: A Boutique Bridal Brunch is February 23!

Our Best of Westchester Readers' Ballot is open through January 15!

Our Women in Business Awards event is November 21!

Our Best of Business event is October 30!

Our CEOs & Business Leaders Golf Outing is August 5!

Our Best of Westchester Party is July 24!

Our Westchester Home Design Awards event is June 26!

Our Wine & Food Festival returns June 4-9!

Our Wunderkinds event takes place on May 23!

Our Best of Business Ballot is open through May 15!

Our Healthcare Heroes Awards event takes place on May 9!

Our Westchester Home Builders Awards take place on April 4!

Our Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Forum is March 14!

Holiday flash sale ... subscribe and save 50%

Limited time offer. New subscribers only.