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New Jersey / Education / Assistant Commissioner

Job-title file

Assistant Commissioner

Lead staff and operations — set priorities, allocate resources, and oversee program delivery.

5 employees hold this title in Education. Median total compensation for the role is $110,619, above the department median of $109,895.

Employees
5
Total payroll
$620.1K
Role median
$110,619
Agency median
$109,895
Comparison
Above

Compared with the local labor market

Assistant Commissioner pay vs. New Jersey

Across all employers in New Jersey, the median wage for Chief Executives — about 2,430 people — is $310,440. Education pays a median base salary of $89,351 for this role, 71% below that figurebelow the 10th percentile of local pay for the occupation.

Where Education sits in the local pay range

10th
25th
Median
75th
90th
$173,560
$207,160
$310,440
$448,910
$666,030
Education median · $89,351

The bar is the range of annual wages for Chief Executives across every employer in New Jersey, from the 10th to the 90th percentile, with the middle 50% highlighted. The marker shows Education’s median base salary for this role. Both figures are base pay only.

And across the country

Nationwide, the median wage for Chief Executives — about 204,350 people — is $213,990. Education’s median base salary is 58% below that national figure, about the 14th percentile of pay for the occupation nationally.

10th
25th
Median
75th
90th
$75,700
$129,540
$213,990
$356,200
$507,730
Education median · $89,351

Local and national wages differ for reasons beyond how well a job pays — cost of living, the mix of employers, and local demand for the occupation all move the New Jersey range relative to the national one.

Median total compensation for this role at Education is $110,619, which includes overtime and employer-paid benefits. The benchmark above excludes both, so total compensation is deliberately not compared against it.

Benchmark: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025). BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) covers all employers in the area — private, non-profit, and government alike — so this is a comparison against the whole local labor market for the occupation, not against private-sector pay. OEWS wages are straight-time pay and exclude overtime, shift differentials, and employer-paid benefits, so the government figure shown here is base pay on the same basis. Total compensation is not comparable to it. Job titles are matched to the closest standard occupation, so the comparison is between similar work rather than an identical job classification.

Compare departments

This role across New Jersey

Assistant Commissioner is held in 9 New Jersey departments. In Education, the median of $110,619 ranks #9 of 9.

Highest-paying departments for this role

Labor
$178,770 · 6
Corrections
$172,119 · 2
Human Services
$169,198 · 4
Community Affairs
$167,892 · 1
Transportation
$146,509 · 4

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

Compare jurisdictions

Assistant Commissioner beyond New Jersey

This role is reported in 7 jurisdictions. In New Jersey, the median of $172,627 ranks #3 of 7. See Assistant Commissioner across all of New Jersey

Highest-paying jurisdictions for this role

Tennessee
$206,157 · 85
Texas
$180,000 · 21
City of Chicago
$167,700 · 55
New York City
$166,121 · 93
City of Boston
$140,775 · 7
Missouri
$115,081 · 5

Median total compensation for comparable Assistant Commissionerroles 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

Kathleen Ehling

Assistant Commissioner/Education

2024 total comp
$172,627
Sub-department
Central Office
Base pay
$172,627
Overtime
$0
Other pay
$0
Benefits
$0
Total compensation
$172,627
Hire date
null
Union / bargaining unit
Managerial - Unit M
Pay basis
Annual
Middle name
M

Source-specific fields

As-of Date
Dec 31, 2024
Calendar Quarter
4
Full Name
Ehling, Kathleen M
Paid Section Description
null
Payroll ID
14649
Record Type
Master
Salary Hourly Rate
$181,125
Year-to-Date Earnings
$172,627

Kathleen Ehling is a Assistant Commissioner at Education within Central Office. Records show a hire date of null. 2024 total compensation came to $172,627. They are represented by Managerial - Unit M.

Cary Booker

Assistant Commissioner/Education

2024 total comp
$172,627
Sub-department
Central Office
Base pay
$172,627
Overtime
$0
Other pay
$0
Benefits
$0
Total compensation
$172,627
Hire date
null
Union / bargaining unit
Managerial - Unit M
Pay basis
Annual
Middle name
A

Source-specific fields

As-of Date
Dec 31, 2024
Calendar Quarter
4
Full Name
Booker, Cary A
Paid Section Description
null
Payroll ID
155680
Record Type
Master
Salary Hourly Rate
$181,125
Year-to-Date Earnings
$172,627

Cary Booker is a Assistant Commissioner at Education within Central Office. Records show a hire date of null. 2024 total compensation came to $172,627. Union affiliation: Managerial - Unit M.

Secil Onat

Assistant Commissioner/Education

2024 total comp
$110,619
Sub-department
Central Office
Base pay
$89,351
Overtime
$0
Other pay
$21,268
Benefits
$0
Total compensation
$110,619
Hire date
null
Union / bargaining unit
Managerial - Unit M
Pay basis
Annual
Middle name
U

Source-specific fields

As-of Date
Dec 31, 2024
Calendar Quarter
4
Full Name
Onat, Secil U
Paid Section Description
null
Payroll ID
139883
Record Type
Master
Salary Hourly Rate
$181,125
Year-to-Date Earnings
$110,619

Secil Onat works as a Assistant Commissioner for Education within Central Office. Their hire date on record is null. Secil earned $110,619 in 2024. Union affiliation: Managerial - Unit M.

Christopher Irving

Assistant Commissioner/Education

2024 total comp
$107,265
Sub-department
Central Office
Base pay
$89,351
Overtime
$0
Other pay
$17,914
Benefits
$0
Total compensation
$107,265
Hire date
null
Union / bargaining unit
Managerial - Unit M
Pay basis
Annual
Middle name
C

Source-specific fields

As-of Date
Dec 31, 2024
Calendar Quarter
4
Full Name
Irving, Christopher C
Paid Section Description
null
Payroll ID
132840
Record Type
Master
Salary Hourly Rate
$181,125
Year-to-Date Earnings
$107,265

At Education, Christopher Irving serves as a Assistant Commissioner within Central Office. Records show a hire date of null. Their 2024 pay totaled $107,265. They are represented by Managerial - Unit M.

Hanifa Barnes

Assistant Commissioner/Education

2023 total comp
$56,983
Sub-department
Central Office
Base pay
$56,121
Overtime
$0
Other pay
$862
Benefits
$0
Total compensation
$56,983
Hire date
null
Union / bargaining unit
Managerial - Unit M
Pay basis
Annual
Middle name
L

Source-specific fields

As-of Date
Dec 31, 2023
Calendar Quarter
4
Full Name
Barnes, Hanifa L
Paid Section Description
null
Payroll ID
114004
Record Type
Master
Salary Hourly Rate
$157,500
Year-to-Date Earnings
$56,983

Hanifa Barnes holds the role of Assistant Commissioner at Education within Central Office. Their hire date on record is null. In 2023, their total compensation was $56,983. Union affiliation: Managerial - Unit M.