Comparing public and private sector salaries in New York

Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s second round of collective bargaining with public sector unions is underway and has already yielded a few agreements, including with the Public Employees Federation. Budget experts applauded the governor’s performance the first time around, when he negotiated a wage freeze for several years to help balance the budget. So far this year, the administration has been more generous, offering 2 percent annual raises for three years. To put the pay hikes in perspective, here’s how private sector salaries compared to average state government pay in Cuomo’s first five years in office.