Pay raises could soon be granted to top state officials, who earn far less than their New York City counterparts, according to Gov. Kathy Hochul’s administration.

Hochul’s budget office pushed for the raises this week by releasing data showing that many top state officials earn up to $50,000 less than municipal officials with similar job titles – and sometimes even less than their own subordinates.

The state’s low-wage data was revealed during a hearing Thursday by a state commission tasked with recommending raises for lawmakers and other political officials, such as the governor and the state’s top brass. ‘administration.

“In my opinion, senior officials in our state government are underpaid and an upward adjustment is probably warranted,” Victor Kovner, a gubernatorial appointee to the commission, said during Thursday’s meeting.

“I struggle to see the pay disparity for comparable positions in New York City with New York State.”

Sources also tell the Post that the governor toyed with the idea of ​​pay raises during this year’s state budget negotiations, but abandoned the idea.

The salary commission, which makes its recommendations every four years, is expected to make its next salary decisions before November 15.

Its recommendations can go into effect without action by the legislature and governor.

While it’s unclear exactly how the commission will proceed, it’s a good sign for agency leaders that at least two of the panel’s seven commissioners appear receptive to the idea and that Hochul’s office appears interested.

Representatives of government groups that closely monitor the commission also haven’t raised any significant red flags about raises specifically aimed at agency heads.

The comparison with the salary scale of the Big Apple was the most important argument in the budget office’s report presented to the salary commission.

For example, state commissioners of health, transportation and corrections all make $220,000 a year, while their municipal counterparts make $277,604.

Of the 25 agency heads mentioned in the budget office’s presentation, only one of them — the commissioner of the state education department — earns more than his Big Apple colleague.

The group also discussed scenarios in which agency heads earn less than other top officials in their agencies, whose compensation is set through other means.

“I think what bothers me the most is when you have people here in New York State, where their subordinates make a lot more money than the people who run the agency,” Terri noted Egan, the Assembly appointee.

“After the Commission requested the Division of Budget to research and compare compensation levels among various government entities, DOB collected the requested facts and shared them at today’s meeting. The Commission operates independently of the Executive Chamber and we will await details of its findings,” a budget office spokesperson told The Post in a statement.

A spokesperson for the state Senate majority quickly dismissed the idea that lawmakers would return to Albany this year for a surprise special session to raise their own salaries as they did in 2022.

“There will be no special session for a pay raise for lawmakers,” Senate Democratic Conference spokesman Mike Murphy told the Post.

New York state legislators are currently the highest paid in the country, earning $142,000 a year, although they only serve in Albany from January to June.