| Rank | Name | Image | Height | Floors | Use | Built | Notes |
| 1 | Erastus Corning Tower, Empire State Plaza | | | 44 | Governmental office | 1973 | Also the tallest building in Upstate New York. |
| 2 | Alfred E. Smith State Office Building | | | 34 | Governmental office | 1930 | Was the tallest building in Upstate New York until completion of Buffalo City Hall the following year. |
| 3, 4, 5, 6 | 1, 2, 3, and 4 Empire State Plaza | | | 23 | Governmental office | 1973 | Also known as the Agency Buildings. |
| 7, 8, 9 | Eastman, Livingston, and Stuyvesant Towers, University at Albany, SUNY | | | 22 | Student residence halls | 1967 | Albany's city line runs directly through the university campus. A fourth residence hall of identical height also exists but lies within the unincorporated Town of Guilderland. |
| 10 | New York State Comptrollers Headquarters | | | 15 | Governmental office | 2001 | |
| 11 | Home Savings Bank Building | | | 19 | Commercial office | 1927 | |
| 12 | Albany City Savings Bank Building | | | 11 | Commercial office | 1903 | |
| 13 | One Commerce Plaza | | | 20 | Commercial office | 1971 | |
| 14 | New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Headquarters | | | 13 | Governmental office | 2001 | |
| 15 | New York State Capitol | | | 5 | Capitol | 1899 | |
| 16 | 69 State Street | | | 17 | Commercial office | 1927 | |
| 17 | 90 State Street | | | 14 | Apartment building | 1930 | |
| 18= | Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception | | | 1 | Church | 1853 | - |
| 18= | Albany City Hall | | | 11 | City Hall | 1883 | |
| 20 | Capitol Green Apartments | | | 23 | Apartment building | 1973 | |
| 21 | 40 North Pearl Street | | | 16 | Commercial office | 1976 | |