Food Preparation Workers Salary in New York
At $35,610 a year, the median for food preparation workers in New York is close to the national median of $35,320 (+1%); New York ranks 18th of 51 states by median. That is 40% less than the median across all occupations in New York ($59,670). Among neighbouring states, Massachusetts, Connecticut and Vermont pay more (up to $38,900 in Massachusetts) and New Jersey and Pennsylvania pay less (down to $30,840 in Pennsylvania). New York employs 62,380 food preparation workers, 6.44 per 1,000 jobs, the 4th largest count of any state. A location quotient of 1.12 is close to the national share.
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 | $16.00 | $16.50 | $17.12 | $19.35 | $22.50 | $18.42 | 62,380 | 6.44 | 1.12 |
| Annual | $33,280 | $34,320 | $35,610 | $40,250 | $46,800 | $38,310 | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $12.41 | $14.40 | $16.98 | $18.53 | $21.80 | $16.96 | 893,600 | – | – |
| Annual | $25,810 | $29,950 | $35,320 | $38,550 | $45,340 | $35,290 | ||||
- Rank by median
- 18th of 51 states
- Rank by employment
- 4th of 51 states
- Location quotient
- 1.12
- Jobs per 1,000
- 6.44
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 food preparation 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY | $17.43 | $36,260 | $32,240 | $45,010 | 1,890 | 4.21 | 0.73 |
| Ithaca, NY | $17.37 | $36,140 | $32,240 | $46,490 | 280 | 5.75 | 1.00 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $17.15 | $35,670 | $34,080 | $47,650 | 63,530 | 6.69 | 1.16 |
| Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY | $17.09 | $35,550 | $32,240 | $43,710 | 1,660 | 6.18 | 1.08 |
| Binghamton, NY | $17.00 | $35,370 | $32,240 | $42,380 | 550 | 5.62 | 0.98 |
| Kingston, NY | $16.89 | $35,130 | $32,240 | $44,550 | 370 | 6.29 | 1.09 |
| Rochester, NY | $16.84 | $35,020 | $32,240 | $44,720 | 2,870 | 5.81 | 1.01 |
| Syracuse, NY | $16.84 | $35,020 | $32,240 | $41,950 | 1,520 | 5.07 | 0.88 |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY | $16.69 | $34,700 | $32,240 | $40,020 | 3,290 | 6.16 | 1.07 |
| Glens Falls, NY | $16.44 | $34,200 | $32,240 | $41,600 | 300 | 6.02 | 1.05 |
| Elmira, NY | $16.35 | $34,010 | $32,240 | $39,870 | 160 | 4.64 | 0.81 |
| Utica-Rome, NY | $15.99 | $33,250 | $32,240 | $41,860 | 760 | 6.43 | 1.12 |
| Watertown-Fort Drum, NY | $15.57 | $32,390 | $32,240 | $40,140 | 210 | 5.26 | 0.91 |
| Central East New York nonmetropolitan area | $16.58 | $34,480 | $32,240 | $42,790 | 730 | 4.56 | 0.79 |
| Southwest New York nonmetropolitan area | $16.49 | $34,290 | $32,240 | $40,130 | 950 | 5.34 | 0.93 |
| Capital/Northern New York nonmetropolitan area | $16.48 | $34,280 | $32,240 | $41,070 | 670 | 4.77 | 0.83 |
Neighbouring states
| State | Median hourly | Median annual | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York | $17.12 | $35,610 | 62,380 | 1.12 |
| Connecticut | $17.62 | $36,650 | 12,250 | 1.26 |
| Massachusetts | $18.70 | $38,900 | 13,620 | 0.65 |
| New Jersey | $17.09 | $35,540 | 24,730 | 1.00 |
| Pennsylvania | $14.83 | $30,840 | 17,940 | 0.51 |
| Vermont | $17.57 | $36,550 | 1,350 | 0.77 |
See the national page for Food Preparation 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.