New York City / Fire Department / Captain

Job-title file

Captain

Carry out the duties of this position in support of the agency's public mission.

673 employees hold this title in Fire Department. Median total compensation for the role is $266,472, above the department median of $126,036.

Employees: 673
Total payroll: $169.3M
Role median: $266,472
Agency median: $126,036
Comparison: Above

What the records show

Role pay distribution

Pay distribution for this role

$93$357,948+

Hover a bar for its range; click to filter the list below.

How total compensation varies among the 673 people in this role. Even for one job title, pay differs with seniority, step, overtime, and tenure. Each bar is a pay range; the far-right bar collects the highest earners.

Compare departments

This role across New York City

Captain is held in 5 New York City departments. In Fire Department, the median of $266,472 ranks #1 of 5.

Highest-paying departments for this role

Department of Transportation

$224,155 · 27

Department of Correction

$201,008 · 655

Police Department

$198,978 · 404

Department of Environment Protection

$118,036 · 9

Median total compensation for the Captain role in other New York Citydepartments (highest first). Each bar links to that department’s page for this role.

Compare jurisdictions

Captain beyond New York City

This role is reported in 12 jurisdictions. In New York City, the median of $219,011 ranks #3 of 12. See Captain across all of New York City →

Highest-paying jurisdictions for this role

Los Angeles County

$454,743 · 86

City and County of San Francisco

$396,180 · 46

$185,676 · 39

$164,414 · 528

$161,242 · 7

$153,046 · 121

$148,181 · 37

Johnson County, Kansas

$131,408 · 40

Median total compensation for comparable Captainroles in other jurisdictions. Titles are matched by normalized name across sources, not identical job classification, and pay is not cost-of-living adjusted. Each bar links to that jurisdiction’s page for the role.

Record list

Employees with this title

Page 1

Thomas Polanish

Captain/Fire Department

2025 total comp

$122,551

Base pay: $59,967
Overtime: $47,790
Other pay: $14,794
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $122,551
Hire date: 1992-06-30
Pay basis: Annual
Work city: Brooklyn

Source-specific fields

Base Salary: $154,751
Leave Status as of June 30: Ceased
Overtime Hours: 390.65
Payroll Number: 57
Regular Hours: 817.15

Thomas Polanish holds the role of Captain at Fire Department based in Brooklyn. Their tenure dates to 1992, about 33 years. In 2025, their total compensation was $122,551.

Michael Zarko

Captain/Fire Department

2025 total comp

$119,174

Base pay: $66,751
Overtime: $37,629
Other pay: $14,795
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $119,174
Hire date: 1997-10-19
Pay basis: Annual
Work city: Brooklyn
Middle name: J

Source-specific fields

Base Salary: $154,751
Leave Status as of June 30: Ceased
Overtime Hours: 305
Payroll Number: 57
Regular Hours: 908.58

At Fire Department, Michael Zarko serves as a Captain based in Brooklyn. Hired in 1997, they have about 28 years of service. Their 2025 pay totaled $119,174.

Craig Crichlow

Captain/Fire Department

2025 total comp

$116,384

Base pay: $96,005
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $20,379
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $116,384
Hire date: 1995-10-15
Pay basis: Annual
Work city: Brooklyn
Middle name: K

Source-specific fields

Base Salary: $154,751
Leave Status as of June 30: Ceased
Overtime Hours: 0
Payroll Number: 57
Regular Hours: 1,302.87

At Fire Department, Craig Crichlow serves as a Captain based in Brooklyn. Their tenure dates to 1995, about 30 years. Their 2025 pay totaled $116,384.

Thomas Cappelli

Captain/Fire Department

2025 total comp

$114,022

Base pay: $38,781
Overtime: $38,333
Other pay: $36,909
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $114,022
Hire date: 2003-06-04
Pay basis: Annual
Work city: Brooklyn

Source-specific fields

Base Salary: $140,930
Leave Status as of June 30: Ceased
Overtime Hours: 350
Payroll Number: 57
Regular Hours: 582.87

Thomas Cappelli is a Captain at Fire Department based in Brooklyn. Hired in 2003, they have about 22 years of service. 2025 total compensation came to $114,022.

Albert Gotay

Captain/Fire Department

2025 total comp

$110,020

Base pay: $37,497
Overtime: $5,645
Other pay: $66,879
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $110,020
Hire date: 1985-01-21
Pay basis: Annual
Work city: Brooklyn

Source-specific fields

Base Salary: $154,751
Leave Status as of June 30: Ceased
Overtime Hours: 46.7
Payroll Number: 57
Regular Hours: 514.3

Albert Gotay holds the role of Captain at Fire Department based in Brooklyn. They have served since 1985 (about 40 years). In 2025, their total compensation was $110,020.