Fast Food and Counter Workers Salary in New York
The median for fast food and counter workers in New York is $35,250 a year, somewhat above the national $31,200 (+13%); the state ranks 8th of 51 states by median. That is 41% less than the median across all occupations in New York ($59,670). Among neighbouring states, Vermont, Massachusetts and Connecticut pay more (up to $36,030 in Vermont) and New Jersey and Pennsylvania pay less (down to $28,570 in Pennsylvania). New York employs 168,620 fast food and counter workers, 17.4 per 1,000 jobs, the 4th largest count of any state. A location quotient of 0.70 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 | $15.50 | $16.51 | $16.95 | $17.86 | $21.51 | $17.75 | 168,620 | 17.41 | 0.70 |
| Annual | $32,240 | $34,350 | $35,250 | $37,140 | $44,740 | $36,920 | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $10.98 | $13.32 | $15.00 | $17.34 | $20.51 | $15.46 | 3,854,050 | – | – |
| Annual | $22,840 | $27,700 | $31,200 | $36,070 | $42,650 | $32,150 | ||||
- Rank by median
- 8th of 51 states
- Rank by employment
- 4th of 51 states
- Location quotient
- 0.70
- Jobs per 1,000
- 17.41
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
13 metropolitan areas and 3 nonmetropolitan areas touching New York publish a row for fast food and counter workers, 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 | $17.05 | $35,460 | $32,240 | $42,330 | 1,440 | 24.41 | 0.98 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $17.03 | $35,420 | $33,070 | $44,130 | 166,040 | 17.49 | 0.71 |
| Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY | $16.98 | $35,320 | $32,240 | $43,120 | 6,280 | 23.35 | 0.94 |
| Ithaca, NY | $16.73 | $34,800 | $32,240 | $41,900 | 870 | 18.12 | 0.73 |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY | $16.61 | $34,560 | $32,240 | $36,910 | 14,170 | 26.50 | 1.07 |
| Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY | $16.38 | $34,060 | $32,240 | $39,690 | 7,190 | 16.00 | 0.65 |
| Syracuse, NY | $16.32 | $33,940 | $32,240 | $37,990 | 6,750 | 22.50 | 0.91 |
| Glens Falls, NY | $16.29 | $33,890 | $32,240 | $37,590 | 980 | 19.61 | 0.79 |
| Rochester, NY | $16.07 | $33,430 | $32,240 | $37,270 | 11,310 | 22.88 | 0.92 |
| Binghamton, NY | $16.00 | $33,280 | $32,240 | $38,900 | 2,440 | 25.10 | 1.01 |
| Utica-Rome, NY | $15.91 | $33,080 | $32,240 | $36,670 | 2,260 | 19.12 | 0.77 |
| Elmira, NY | $15.84 | $32,950 | $32,240 | $37,130 | 880 | 26.12 | 1.05 |
| Watertown-Fort Drum, NY | $15.66 | $32,580 | $32,240 | $36,620 | 1,150 | 29.24 | 1.18 |
| Capital/Northern New York nonmetropolitan area | $16.30 | $33,900 | $32,240 | $37,150 | 2,700 | 19.35 | 0.78 |
| Southwest New York nonmetropolitan area | $16.12 | $33,540 | $32,240 | $37,210 | 4,320 | 24.35 | 0.98 |
| Central East New York nonmetropolitan area | $16.07 | $33,420 | $32,240 | $37,040 | 3,630 | 22.83 | 0.92 |
Neighbouring states
| State | Median hourly | Median annual | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York | $16.95 | $35,250 | 168,620 | 0.70 |
| Connecticut | $17.01 | $35,380 | 35,720 | 0.85 |
| Massachusetts | $17.24 | $35,850 | 85,810 | 0.95 |
| New Jersey | $16.42 | $34,150 | 93,730 | 0.88 |
| Pennsylvania | $13.74 | $28,570 | 142,220 | 0.95 |
| Vermont | $17.32 | $36,030 | 6,830 | 0.91 |
See the national page for Fast Food and Counter Workers (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.
- 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.