Cooks, Fast Food Salary in New York
Cooks, Fast Food in New York earn a median $35,770 a year, +16% against the national median of $30,890; they and rank 11th of 51 states by median. That is 40% less than the median across all occupations in New York ($59,670). Among neighbouring states, Vermont and Massachusetts pay more (up to $38,230 in Vermont) and Connecticut, New Jersey and Pennsylvania pay less (down to $28,810 in Pennsylvania). New York employs 11,710 cooks, fast food, 1.21 per 1,000 jobs, the 15th largest count of any state. A location quotient of 0.29 means it is less common in New York than nationally.
New York vs the United States, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| New York | Hourly | $15.75 | $16.03 | $17.20 | $18.33 | $19.35 | $17.69 | 11,710 | 1.21 | 0.29 |
| Annual | $32,770 | $33,340 | $35,770 | $38,130 | $40,250 | $36,800 | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $10.86 | $13.11 | $14.85 | $17.92 | $20.63 | $15.57 | 641,070 | – | – |
| Annual | $22,580 | $27,260 | $30,890 | $37,260 | $42,910 | $32,390 | ||||
- Rank by median
- 11th of 51 states
- Rank by employment
- 15th of 49 states
- Location quotient
- 0.29
- Jobs per 1,000
- 1.21
Ranks count the 50 states and DC with a published value. The location quotient is the occupation's share of New York's employment divided by its national share; 1.00 means the same share as the nation. Take-home pay at these wages: FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Metropolitan areas in New York
9 metropolitan areas and 3 nonmetropolitan areas touching New York publish a row for cooks, fast food, sorted by median. Areas crossing a state line are listed under every state they touch; a linked metro has its own profile.
| Area | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kingston, NY | $17.86 | $37,150 | $32,240 | $55,070 | 40 | 0.63 | 0.15 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $17.20 | $35,780 | $32,220 | $39,330 | 10,410 | 1.10 | 0.27 |
| Glens Falls, NY | $17.06 | $35,490 | $32,240 | $41,960 | 40 | 0.75 | 0.18 |
| Syracuse, NY | $16.58 | $34,490 | $32,240 | $38,180 | 330 | 1.11 | 0.27 |
| Binghamton, NY | $16.49 | $34,290 | $32,240 | $46,060 | 70 | 0.72 | 0.17 |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY | $16.20 | $33,690 | $32,490 | $40,250 | 600 | 1.12 | 0.27 |
| Rochester, NY | $16.05 | $33,380 | $32,240 | $37,710 | 920 | 1.86 | 0.45 |
| Utica-Rome, NY | $15.91 | $33,100 | $32,240 | $37,760 | 150 | 1.28 | 0.31 |
| Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY | $15.50 | $32,240 | $32,240 | $36,390 | 560 | 1.25 | 0.30 |
| Central East New York nonmetropolitan area | $18.03 | $37,510 | $33,460 | $42,860 | 230 | 1.44 | 0.35 |
| Southwest New York nonmetropolitan area | $17.42 | $36,230 | $32,240 | $40,720 | 330 | 1.86 | 0.45 |
| Capital/Northern New York nonmetropolitan area | $16.53 | $34,380 | $32,240 | $42,860 | 250 | 1.81 | 0.44 |
Neighbouring states
| State | Median hourly | Median annual | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York | $17.20 | $35,770 | 11,710 | 0.29 |
| Connecticut | $16.82 | $34,980 | 3,630 | 0.52 |
| Massachusetts | $18.21 | $37,870 | ** | ** |
| New Jersey | $15.49 | $32,220 | 3,440 | 0.19 |
| Pennsylvania | $13.85 | $28,810 | 9,240 | 0.37 |
| Vermont | $18.38 | $38,230 | 640 | 0.51 |
See the national page for Cooks, Fast Food (every state ranked) and the New York wage profile (every occupation in the state).
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS New York estimates.
**- Employment estimate not available.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.