It’s still a man’s world in New York City government when it comes to getting paid the big bucks, a new study of payroll data found.
An analysis by the watchdog group Openthebooks.com reveals that of the top 200 highest-paid city employees last year, only three — 1.5 percent — were women.
“Maybe it’s time to move the `Fearless Girl’ sculpture in front of City Hall,” said OpenThe Books CEO Adam Andrzejewski, referring to the statue
near Wall Street.
The report of compensation includes salaries and overtime.
The top paid female public employee was LaGuardia Community College president Gail Mellow, who made $282,853.
Two other women who landed spots in the top 200 were chief actuary Sherry Chan ($279,135) and Queensboro Community College president Diane Call ($277,953).
In some agencies, where women comprise a significant portion of the workforce, the disparity was glaring.
The Department of Citywide Administrative Services employed 47 of the top 200 top-earning city workers — and all were men.
The New York City Housing Authority employed 34, but none was a woman.
“Women are undervalued in the workforce in every sector — including the public sector,” said state Sen. Diane (D-Savino), a former welfare case worker and vice president of Social Service Employees Union Local 371.
She acknowledged many of the top 200 earners are in male dominated agencies — the NYPD, FDNY, and the Corrections Department.
But Savino argued that workers in female-dominated agencies that do important work — such as case workers for welfare, child protection and education — are paid less across-the-board than those from male dominated agencies with similar credentials.
“In occupations were you have similar education credentials, women make less. This is a legitimate problem,” Savino said.
“Why are women doing the most difficult tasks — social service case workers — paid less. There’s something inherently wrong with that.”
Six employees — all men — cleared $400,000.
Topping the list was warden Victor Vazqeux, who made $445,490.
Mayor de Blasio’s office insisted his administration has made progress in gender quity despite the pay disparity cited in the report.
“For the first time in this city’s history, women now make up the majority of our public workforce and those we’re hiring. There’s no question where this Administration stands on gender equity, and we’re making strides every day to create a fairer and more inclusive City,” said mayoral spokeswoman Freddi Goldstein.
She said the city has made significant strides towards gender parity over the last three years, including approving laws barring employers from inquiring about a prospective employee’s salary history, expanding paid sick leave and paid parental leave, creating lactation rooms for new mothers at social service agencies across the city, and hiring more women to a majority of senior administration positions.