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New Jersey / Environmental Protection / 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 Environmental Protection. Median total compensation for the role is $173,312, above the department median of $55,939.

Employees
5
Total payroll
$860.1K
Role median
$173,312
Agency median
$55,939
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. Environmental Protection pays a median base salary of $173,312 for this role, 44% below that figurebelow the 10th percentile of local pay for the occupation.

Where Environmental Protection sits in the local pay range

10th
25th
Median
75th
90th
$173,560
$207,160
$310,440
$448,910
$666,030
Environmental Protection median · $173,312

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 Environmental Protection’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. Environmental Protection’s median base salary is 19% below that national figure, about the 38th percentile of pay for the occupation nationally.

10th
25th
Median
75th
90th
$75,700
$129,540
$213,990
$356,200
$507,730
Environmental Protection median · $173,312

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 Environmental Protection is $173,312, 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 Environmental Protection, the median of $173,312 ranks #2 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
Education
$110,619 · 5

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

Elizabeth Dragon

Assistant Commissioner/Environmental Protection

2024 total comp
$173,312
Sub-department
Land Use Management
Base pay
$173,312
Overtime
$0
Other pay
$0
Benefits
$0
Total compensation
$173,312
Hire date
null
Union / bargaining unit
Managerial - Unit M
Pay basis
Annual
Middle name
S

Source-specific fields

As-of Date
Dec 31, 2024
Calendar Quarter
4
Full Name
Dragon, Elizabeth S
Paid Section Description
null
Payroll ID
100375
Record Type
Master
Salary Hourly Rate
$181,844
Year-to-Date Earnings
$173,312

Elizabeth Dragon is a Assistant Commissioner at Environmental Protection within Land Use Management. Records show a hire date of null. 2024 total compensation came to $173,312. Their bargaining unit is Managerial - Unit M.

Patricia Gardner

Assistant Commissioner/Environmental Protection

2024 total comp
$173,312
Sub-department
Environmental Regulations
Base pay
$173,312
Overtime
$0
Other pay
$0
Benefits
$0
Total compensation
$173,312
Hire date
null
Union / bargaining unit
Managerial - Unit M
Pay basis
Annual
Middle name
L

Source-specific fields

As-of Date
Dec 31, 2024
Calendar Quarter
4
Full Name
Gardner, Patricia L
Paid Section Description
null
Payroll ID
10261
Record Type
Master
Salary Hourly Rate
$181,844
Year-to-Date Earnings
$173,312

Patricia Gardner works as a Assistant Commissioner for Environmental Protection within Environmental Regulations. Their hire date on record is null. Patricia earned $173,312 in 2024. Their bargaining unit is Managerial - Unit M.

John Cecil

Assistant Commissioner/Environmental Protection

2024 total comp
$173,312
Sub-department
Parks & Forestry
Base pay
$173,312
Overtime
$0
Other pay
$0
Benefits
$0
Total compensation
$173,312
Hire date
null
Union / bargaining unit
Managerial - Unit M
Pay basis
Annual
Middle name
P

Source-specific fields

As-of Date
Dec 31, 2024
Calendar Quarter
4
Full Name
Cecil, John P
Paid Section Description
null
Payroll ID
172371
Record Type
Master
Salary Hourly Rate
$181,844
Year-to-Date Earnings
$173,312

At Environmental Protection, John Cecil serves as a Assistant Commissioner within Parks & Forestry. Records show a hire date of null. Their 2024 pay totaled $173,312. Union affiliation: Managerial - Unit M.

David Haymes

Assistant Commissioner/Environmental Protection

2024 total comp
$173,312
Sub-department
Site Remediation
Base pay
$173,312
Overtime
$0
Other pay
$0
Benefits
$0
Total compensation
$173,312
Hire date
null
Union / bargaining unit
Managerial - Unit M
Pay basis
Annual
Middle name
E

Source-specific fields

As-of Date
Dec 31, 2024
Calendar Quarter
4
Full Name
Haymes, David E
Paid Section Description
null
Payroll ID
1705
Record Type
Master
Salary Hourly Rate
$181,844
Year-to-Date Earnings
$173,312

At Environmental Protection, David Haymes serves as a Assistant Commissioner within Site Remediation. Records show a hire date of null. Their 2024 pay totaled $173,312. Their bargaining unit is Managerial - Unit M.

Jennifer Moriarty

Assistant Commissioner/Environmental Protection

2024 total comp
$166,897
Sub-department
Office of the Commissioner
Base pay
$166,897
Overtime
$0
Other pay
$0
Benefits
$0
Total compensation
$166,897
Hire date
null
Union / bargaining unit
Managerial - Unit M
Pay basis
Annual
Middle name
L

Source-specific fields

As-of Date
Dec 31, 2024
Calendar Quarter
4
Full Name
Moriarty, Jennifer L
Paid Section Description
null
Payroll ID
119137
Record Type
Master
Salary Hourly Rate
$181,844
Year-to-Date Earnings
$166,897

Jennifer Moriarty holds the role of Assistant Commissioner at Environmental Protection within Office of the Commissioner. Their hire date on record is null. In 2024, their total compensation was $166,897. Union affiliation: Managerial - Unit M.