Overview
- New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli’s report, released Thursday, put the 2025 cash-bonus pool at a nominal record $49.2 billion with an average payout of about $246,900 as industry profits climbed to $65.1 billion.
- The payouts are expected to lift income-tax receipts by roughly $199 million for the state and $91 million for New York City compared with last year.
- Early 2026 market swings tied to the war with Iran and the tariff fight have already dented confidence, and DiNapoli warned that slower hiring could weaken this year’s bonuses.
- Budget watchdogs pushed back on rosy forecasts, with the Independent Budget Office projecting about $600 million less in personal income-tax revenue than City Hall expects.
- The estimate captures cash paid between December and March using tax-withholding data, excludes stock options and other deferred pay, and trails the 2006 bonus pool after adjusting for inflation.