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Deputy Mayor Edward Skyler announced Tuesday that he is leaving Mayor Michael Bloomberg's administration at the end of next month to work for Citigroup as an executive vice president.

"I'm just ready to do something new and I think that's healthy," Skyler said.

A veteran of former Mayor Rudolph Giuliani's administration, Skyler, 36, started as Bloomberg's press secretary in 2002 and eventually became a top aide to the mayor.

Most recently, Skyler has been the city's deputy mayor for operations, where he helped the mayor in managing the police and fire departments, as well as the budget office.

In a statement, the mayor said, "Ed Skyler was at my side during my first parade as a candidate in 2001 and hasn’t left since. He has served me and the City extraordinarily well for more than eight years."

Skyler said in the same statement it was a great honor and privilege to work for Bloomberg, calling the experience "irreplaceable" and said the mayor was "the best boss one could ever hope for."

"He was in charge of running almost the entire government. He was running the government," said political consultant George Arzt.

"He was very candid with the mayor in his advice, sometimes brutally candid. And I've been in those meetings. Ed was never a shrinking violet," said former Bloomberg aide Bill Cunningham.

Skyler was a frequent guest on NY1, often serving as the voice of the administration, when Mayor Bloomberg did not want to face the cameras himself.

His off-the-clock work has also earned him accolades beyond City Hall. Last year, Skyler was touted a hero for tackling a Midtown mugger.

While a replacement has yet to be named, Jeffrey Kay, who directs the Mayor's office of Operations, is considered a top candidate for the post.

Earlier this month, Deputy Mayor Kevin Sheekey announced he was stepping down to take a job at the mayor’s financial firm.