Suffolk County paid 15,424 employees or former employees a total of over $1.1 billion in 2022, an increase of 1% from 2021, according to public payroll data obtained under the Freedom of Information Law. About half of the payroll budget goes to the police department. You can explore the department breakdown in this interactive chart:

There were 1,574 county workers who earned more than $200,000, a decrease of 4% from the 1632 who did in 2021. Together, these 1,574 workers took home more than a third of the total payroll, or $401,163,493. Of the 1574 highest paid county employees, 1514 are either police department or sheriff’s office staff. See the breakdown in the chart below.

The table below includes information for each Suffolk County current or retired employee as of 2022. Total pay can amount to more than base pay and overtime because of other contractual obligations or because a retiring employee may have received a payout that includes accumulated vacation or other time. Total pay can also be less than base pay if the employee did not work a full year. See Nassau County’s payroll here. Read our story on growing overtime in the county payrolls here.

A standoff between officials has stalled progress, eroded community patience and escalated the price tag for taxpayers. Newsday investigative editor Paul LaRocco and NewsdayTV's Virginia Huie report. Credit: Newsday/Steve Pfost,Kendall Rodriguez, Alejandra Villa Loarca, Howard Schnapp, Newsday file; Anthony Florio. Photo credit: Newsday Photo: John Conrad Williams Jr., Newsday Graphic: Andrew Wong

'A spark for them to escalate the fighting' A standoff between officials has stalled progress, eroded community patience and escalated the price tag for taxpayers. Newsday investigative editor Paul LaRocco and NewsdayTV's Virginia Huie report.

A standoff between officials has stalled progress, eroded community patience and escalated the price tag for taxpayers. Newsday investigative editor Paul LaRocco and NewsdayTV's Virginia Huie report. Credit: Newsday/Steve Pfost,Kendall Rodriguez, Alejandra Villa Loarca, Howard Schnapp, Newsday file; Anthony Florio. Photo credit: Newsday Photo: John Conrad Williams Jr., Newsday Graphic: Andrew Wong

'A spark for them to escalate the fighting' A standoff between officials has stalled progress, eroded community patience and escalated the price tag for taxpayers. Newsday investigative editor Paul LaRocco and NewsdayTV's Virginia Huie report.

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