This web browser is not supported. Use Chrome, Edge, Safari, or Firefox for best results.

Constructor value

Amount each constructor's Modern Era contribution would be worth at today's prices

Note: this is not what constructors have been paid. It's what they would have been paid if today's prices had been offered throughout their career.

There are several problems with this calculation: only puzzles from the Modern Era are considered here (back to 1993), Variety contributions (acrostic, diagramless, cryptic, etc.) are not included, and the payment amounts have varied over time. For example, the payment for daily puzzles increased from $200 to $300 on January 20, 2014, but the calculations here assume each daily is worth $500.

Payments for collaboration puzzles are assumed to be split evenly among the listed constructors.
Only constructors valued at least $4,000 are displayed here.

Current pay rates:
Daily:$500
Sunday:$1,500
Update:

As of January 1, 2017, the New York Times started paying higher rates for constructors who had ten or more previously published NYT puzzles. Daily pay went from $300 to $360, and Sunday from $1,000 to $1,200. These changes are not reflected in the calculations below.

RankNameCountSoloCollabSun.Value
1.Patrick Berry227225274$187,000
2.Elizabeth C. Gorski219219067$176,500
3.Manny Nosowsky246244229$151,000
4.David J. Kahn189184544$135,250
5.Brendan Emmett Quigley1771562138$120,250
6.Rich Norris189189018$112,500
7.Randolph Ross115115050$107,500
8.Joe DiPietro138137131$99,750
9.Nancy Salomon1856911636$85,750
10.Alan Arbesfeld123123023$84,500
11.Cathy Allis8484040$82,000
12.Jeff Chen1604711344$79,750
13.Richard Silvestri8484026$68,000
14.Patrick Merrell9189222$67,000
Fred Piscop106106014$67,000
16.Peter Gordon10910909$63,500
17.Peter A. Collins120106147$63,000
18.Harvey Estes116714520$60,250
19.Byron Walden101861514$58,250
20.Gregory E. Paul11611600$58,000
21.Nancy Nicholson Joline4847134$57,250
22.David Steinberg110882210$57,167
23.Lynn Lempel1009824$53,500
24.Paula Gamache898548$51,000
25.Frank Longo6967215$49,000
26.Joel Fagliano6557818$47,000
Barry C. Silk928663$47,000
28.Jim Page7070010$45,000
29.Joe Krozel8772154$43,250
30.Matt Gaffney5857114$42,750
31.Will Nediger52371523$42,250
32.Robert H. Wolfe6060011$41,000
33.Zhouqin Burnikel8157246$39,000
A. J. Santora686805$39,000
35.Bob Klahn60501013$38,500
36.Martin Ashwood-Smith8070100$37,500
37.Frances Hansen4040017$37,000
Randall J. Hartman747400$37,000
39.Erik Agard79384111$36,833
40.Tom McCoy3535019$36,500
41.Matt Ginsberg4639717$35,750
42.Timothy Polin555328$35,000
43.Eric Berlin4239314$33,750
44.Patrick Blindauer59372214$33,500
45.Andrea Carla Michaels8731567$33,000
46.Mark Diehl666331$32,750
Bruce Haight635673$32,750
48.Ian Livengood555146$32,500
49.Kevin G. Der4239312$31,750
50.Trip Payne4342110$31,250
51.Alex Eaton-Salners524935$30,250
52.Jeremy Newton2824419$30,000
53.Ross Trudeau54332110$29,750
54.Charles M. Deber2020019$29,000
55.Sam Ezersky473898$28,750
56.Ed Early535211$26,750
Mike Nothnagel504554$26,750
58.Sherry O. Blackard534851$26,250
59.Edward Sessa444404$26,000
Michael Shteyman514563$26,000
Robyn Weintraub505001$26,000
62.Samuel A. Donaldson40291110$25,750
Sarah Keller535030$25,750
64.Natan Last4131108$25,500
Dan Schoenholz2929011$25,500
66.Caleb Madison353239$25,250
67.Tracy Gray37271012$25,000
Damon J. Gulczynski484801$25,000
Sidney L. Robbins505000$25,000
70.Wayne Robert Williams383804$23,000
71.Peter Wentz404002$22,000
72.Victor Fleming4722257$21,750
Brad Wilber6027330$21,750
74.Trenton Charlson373613$21,250
Doug Peterson5419356$21,250
76.Gary Cee404001$21,000
Chuck Deodene424200$21,000
Jacob Stulberg343404$21,000
79.Tony Orbach27121517$20,250
80.David Levinson Wilk262607$20,000
81.Richard Hughes353502$19,500
Allan E. Parrish393900$19,500
Bob Peoples393363$19,500
Bryant White292905$19,500
85.David Quarfoot413471$19,250
86.John Farmer333302$18,500
Henry Hook252506$18,500
88.John Guzzetta403191$18,250
Finn Vigeland2116510$18,250
90.Stephanie Spadaccini363600$18,000
Sam Trabucco262605$18,000
92.Dana Motley313102$17,500
93.Richard Chisholm323201$17,000
94.Daniel A. Finan151509$16,500
Greg Staples252504$16,500
96.Tim Croce333210$16,250
Raymond Hamel272613$16,250
Jonathan Schmalzbach313011$16,250
99.Christina Iverson3172411$16,000
Paolo Pasco2717105$16,000
Adam G. Perl303001$16,000
Karen M. Tracey323200$16,000
103.Ryan McCarty302821$15,500
Dean Niles151508$15,500
Andrew Ries262423$15,500
Adam Wagner221757$15,500
107.Ashish Vengsarkar191458$15,250
108.Julian Lim262602$15,000
Derrick Niederman1010010$15,000
110.David Kwong241955$14,750
Matthew Stock309218$14,750
Bill Zais1510510$14,750
113.Janet R. Bender272701$14,500
114.Victor Barocas2010109$14,000
Josh Knapp242402$14,000
Michael Schlossberg141407$14,000
117.Kevan Choset272432$13,750
joon pahk251874$13,750
119.Joe Deeney232302$13,500
120.Seth A. Abel141406$13,000
Mary Lou Guizzo2913163$13,000
Nancy Kavanaugh262600$13,000
Nancy S. Ross222202$13,000
124.Sid Sivakumar181355$12,750
Ned White252411$12,750
126.Michael Ashley111107$12,500
Andy Kravis2610165$12,500
Ruth B. Margolin151505$12,500
Stanley Newman232301$12,500
Lou Sabin293267$12,500
Michael Torch191903$12,500
132.Nelson Hardy111017$12,250
John Kugelman9818$12,250
134.Myles Callum222201$12,000
Con Pederson8808$12,000
Andrew Zhou181803$12,000
137.Tyler Hinman221752$11,750
Michael Lieberman201644$11,750
Michael S. Maurer191633$11,750
Mel Rosen141315$11,750
141.Kameron Austin Collins242220$11,500
Kristian House222021$11,500
Brandon Koppy191902$11,500
Martin Schneider131305$11,500
145.Emily Carroll191812$11,250
Todd Gross181354$11,250
Carolyn W. Stewart212011$11,250
Alex Vratsanos191633$11,250
149.Gerald R. Ferguson222200$11,000
Alex K. Justin141404$11,000
Jules P. Markey222200$11,000
Randy Sowell222200$11,000
153.Rebecca Goldstein201195$10,750
Jim Hyres212011$10,750
Kyle Mahowald181712$10,750
James Mulhern251870$10,750
Pete Muller181176$10,750
David Phillips201911$10,750
159.Daniel C. Bryant9906$10,500
Rand H. Burns212100$10,500
Michael Hawkins241681$10,500
Andrew Kingsley231581$10,500
David Woolf171702$10,500
164.Lee Glickstein253226$10,000
Bernice Gordon211920$10,000
Oliver Hill161423$10,000
167.Simeon Seigel161512$9,750
168.Adam Cohen191900$9,500
Kyle T. Dolan171701$9,500
Olivia Mitra Framke121024$9,500
Evan Kalish191721$9,500
Daniel Raymon171701$9,500
Norma Steinberg171701$9,500
Grant Thackray131303$9,500
Jeffrey Wechsler191900$9,500
176.Freddie Cheng171611$9,250
Craig Kasper151054$9,250
John Lieb201371$9,250
Aimee Lucido171253$9,250
Dave Tuller141133$9,250
181.Yaakov Bendavid6606$9,000
Kelsey Blakley8805$9,000
Ernie Furtado121203$9,000
Katie Hale11389$9,000
Gilbert H. Ludwig181800$9,000
Lois Sidway181800$9,000
Norman S. Wizer141402$9,000
188.Caitlin Reid16973$8,750
Fran Sabin250255$8,750
190.Karen Young Bonin111103$8,500
Mark Feldman111103$8,500
Susan Gelfand171700$8,500
Charles E. Gersch171700$8,500
Jim Hilger151501$8,500
Roy Leban131302$8,500
Robert Malinow9904$8,500
Thomas W. Schier171700$8,500
198.Howard Barkin121023$8,000
Robert Dillman161600$8,000
Adam Fromm8804$8,000
Patrick Jordan161600$8,000
Laura Taylor Kinnel6605$8,000
Barbara Lin151321$8,000
Daniel R. Stark161600$8,000
Ben Tausig9725$8,000
Arthur S. Verdesca141401$8,000
John Wolting141401$8,000
208.Rafael Musa164125$7,750
209.Holden Baker161420$7,500
Kelly Clark151411$7,500
Ethan Cooper151321$7,500
Robert W. Harris7704$7,500
Kate Hawkins161420$7,500
William I. Johnston151500$7,500
Pamela Amick Klawitter7704$7,500
John Lampkin111102$7,500
Elizabeth A. Long131301$7,500
Gene Newman151500$7,500
Merl Reagle7704$7,500
Matthew Sewell121022$7,500
Gary J. Whitehead151500$7,500
Brad Wiegmann9903$7,500
Stella Zawistowski217141$7,500
224.Gareth Bain151320$7,000
Jason Flinn141400$7,000
John Greenman121201$7,000
Frederick J. Healy141400$7,000
John Underwood141400$7,000
Michael Vuolo141400$7,000
230.Daniel Bodily12753$6,750
Kevin Christian198110$6,750
Francis Heaney10733$6,750
Christopher Hurt111012$6,750
Todd McClary121111$6,750
235.Mike Buckley131300$6,500
Chandi Deitmer8266$6,500
Brooke Husic213181$6,500
Alfio Micci111101$6,500
Stu Ockman131300$6,500
Tom Pepper16881$6,500
Jim Peredo9902$6,500
Mark Elliot Skolsky131300$6,500
Xan Vongsathorn9902$6,500
John Westwig9902$6,500
245.Daniel Grinberg8713$6,250
246.Andrew Chaikin4404$6,000
Ella Dershowitz12842$6,000
Roland Huget121200$6,000
Rich Katz6424$6,000
David Liben-Nowell13941$6,000
Hal Moore101001$6,000
Alan Olschwang101001$6,000
Bruce Venzke191182$6,000
Robert Zimmerman121200$6,000
255.Adam Aaronson141040$5,917
256.Sam Buchbinder121110$5,750
Neville Fogarty12931$5,750
Adrian Johnson10911$5,750
Evan Mahnken111011$5,750
Rich Proulx10911$5,750
Brian Thomas14950$5,750
262.Alex Bajcz7702$5,500
Sheldon Benardo111100$5,500
Garrett Chalfin9542$5,500
John R. Conrad111100$5,500
Paul Coulter7702$5,500
Gail Grabowski13940$5,500
Wyna Liu9363$5,500
Kurt Mueller7702$5,500
Mike Shenk7702$5,500
Hoang-Kim Vu12661$5,500
272.Peter Abide8712$5,250
Ori Brian9811$5,250
Trent H. Evans111010$5,250
Gary Larson9632$5,250
Jeffrey Martinovic10552$5,250
Jacob McDermott111010$5,250
278.Christopher Adams8622$5,000
Ashton Anderson14680$5,000
Diane C. Baldwin8801$5,000
Bill Ballard101000$5,000
Alex Boisvert11920$5,000
Eric Bornstein11920$5,000
Derek Bowman10641$5,000
Shannon Burns101000$5,000
Mark Danna6602$5,000
Jake Halperin101000$5,000
Paul Hunsberger8801$5,000
Daniel Larsen11920$5,000
James R. Leeds8801$5,000
Eileen Lexau101000$5,000
Stephen McCarthy4403$5,000
Lewis Rothlein10642$5,000
Susan Harrington Smith101000$5,000
Mel Taub101000$5,000
Lee Taylor6602$5,000
Bill Thompson101000$5,000
David W. Tuffs6602$5,000
Kathy Wienberg8801$5,000
Leonard Williams8801$5,000
301.Milo Beckman10910$4,750
Billy Bratton10910$4,750
John Ewbank6512$4,750
Daniel Kantor13670$4,750
Jerry Miccolis4313$4,750
306.Tracy Bennett5502$4,500
Michael Blake144100$4,500
Joel Davajan7701$4,500
Levi Denham10820$4,500
Alan DerKazarian5502$4,500
Michael J. Doran7701$4,500
Don Gagliardo120123$4,500
R. Max Hopkins3303$4,500
David Karp5502$4,500
Christina Houlihan Kelly9900$4,500
Daniel Mauer7701$4,500
Chris A. McGlothlin7701$4,500
Meghan Morris5502$4,500
Jean O'Conor7701$4,500
Lloyd E. Pollet3303$4,500
David Pringle9900$4,500
Robert Ryan3303$4,500
Gary Steinmehl9900$4,500
Jeff Stillman9900$4,500
Stanley B. Whitten9900$4,500
Joy L. Wouk9900$4,500
327.Ricky Cruz7611$4,250
John Dunn8711$4,250
Pawel Fludzinski7611$4,250
Nick Grivas9810$4,250
Jay Kaskel12570$4,250
Ellen Leuschner9273$4,250
Sophia Maymudes10372$4,250
Jennifer Nutt9810$4,250
David Poole9810$4,250
336.Enrique Henestroza Anguiano8621$4,000
Evan Birnholz8800$4,000
Lisa Bunker6601$4,000
Bette Sue Cohen6601$4,000
Caleb Emmons6601$4,000
Jesse Goldberg4402$4,000
Greg Johnson8800$4,000
Betty Jorgensen8800$4,000
Steve Kahn7522$4,000
Zachary David Levy8621$4,000
Hemant Mehta8800$4,000
Christopher Page8800$4,000
Michael Paleos6601$4,000
Glenton Petgrave8800$4,000
Janice M. Putney8800$4,000
Corey Rubin8800$4,000
Drew Schmenner6601$4,000
Herre Schouwerwou8800$4,000
Bob Sefick8800$4,000
Margaret Seikel9720$4,000
Blake Slonecker8800$4,000
Yacob Yonas11560$4,000
Nam Jin Yoon9720$4,000
Raymond C. Young8800$4,000
XWord Info Home
XWord Info © 2007-2025, Jim Horne
1,352 ms