In the wake of last year’s retirements, New York City firefighters are seeing an average annual pension of $171,336—a 13% increase from the previous year, according to new statistics from the Empire Center’s Government Transparency Website.
Among the 430 recent retirees who had served for at least 20 years, 108 were set to receive pensions exceeding $200,000. Notably, nearly 95% (or 405) of these retirees qualified for six-figure pensions.
When examining the overall data for all New York City Fire Fund retirees, the average pension for the 15,958 FDNY retirees reached $98,921 in 2025, marking a significant rise of 51% from $65,364.
In total, 784 retirees were eligible for pensions surpassing $200,000, which is a 34% increase from last year’s total of 584. Among these, 46 individuals have seen their pensions swell to over $300,000 since the last count 11 years ago.
The chart below illustrates that while the total number of retirees has been relatively stable over the last decade, the proportion qualifying for six-figure pensions has tripled during this period.
The top pension was awarded to former Colonel Patrick Maxevoy, who retired in March 2022 and has a pension of $404,730 for 201025.
- Michael Agelo, Divisional Aide, $387,579
- John Sudick, Head of Division, $385,179
- Terence O’Connor, Firefighter, $368,052
- Frederick Sapolito, Captain, $362,992
These amounts reflect benefits from optional contributions to the pension system, in addition to the pension fund’s “Variable Supplement Fund” and “Christmas Bonus” programs.
Pensions are constitutionally guaranteed and exempt from New York State income tax, a benefit supported by New York taxpayers. Furthermore, retirees from the New York City government, including firefighters, receive free city health insurance.
This data release follows a successful transparency lawsuit by the Empire Center.
