New York income
What counts as a good salary in New York depends on whether you mean one paycheck or a whole household, and where in the state you live. Here is how incomes actually break down, using the newest U.S. Census data.
The short answer
The typical New York household earns $85,974 a year. A household income around $110,000 puts you ahead of 60% of New York households, and $182,700 puts you in the top 20%. For one person working full time, the typical New York paycheck is $70,770 a year.
Median household income
$85,974
Half of New York households earn more, half earn less
Top 20% starts at
$182,655
Household income, all earners combined
Full-time worker median
$70,770
One person, working full time, year round
The Census Bureau splits households into five equal groups, from lowest to highest income. These are the real cutoffs for New York. Household income means everyone in the home combined, before taxes.
| Group | Household income | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Bottom 20% | Under $31,367 | Lower income |
| 20% to 40% | $31,367 to $65,880 | Lower middle |
| 40% to 60% | $65,880 to $109,539 | The middle of New York |
| 60% to 80% | $109,539 to $182,655 | Upper middle |
| Top 20% | $182,655 and up | High income |
About 17% of New York households earn $200,000 or more. Source: Census tables B19080 (household income quintile upper limits) and B19001.
By that measure, a household income of about $110,000 or more is a solidly good income in New York: it beats 60% of households. Reach $182,700 and you are in the top fifth of the state.
Here is how common household incomes stack up against every household in the state.
| Household income | Earns more than |
|---|---|
| $50,000 | About 31% of New York households |
| $75,000 | About 45% |
| $100,000 | About 56% |
| $150,000 | About 73% |
| $200,000 | About 83% |
Estimated from the Census household income ranges (table B19001) for New York.
Household income often includes two earners, so it runs higher than a single paycheck. The median New York worker who works full time, year round earns $70,770, compared with $61,657 nationally. Counting part-time and seasonal workers too, the median is $50,891.
So for one person, a salary above about $71,000 means you out-earn most full-time workers in New York. How far it goes depends heavily on local housing costs, which vary a lot from city to city.
A common guideline, used by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, is that housing should take no more than 30% of your income. New York's median rent is $1,621 a month. To keep that at 30% of income, you need about $64,800 a year. The national median rent is $1,413.
These are New York's 20 largest places, sorted by median household income. The last column shows the yearly income needed to keep the median rent at 30% of income.
| City | Median household income | Median rent | Income to afford median rent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Levittown | $146,068 | $2,656 | $106,240 |
| White Plains | $110,763 | $2,269 | $90,760 |
| New Rochelle | $109,167 | $1,917 | $76,680 |
| Hempstead | $90,420 | $1,622 | $64,880 |
| Yonkers | $83,549 | $1,784 | $71,360 |
| New York | $80,483 | $1,821 | $72,840 |
| West Seneca | $79,709 | $1,106 | $44,240 |
| Irondequoit | $79,162 | $1,159 | $46,360 |
| Mount Vernon | $78,779 | $1,629 | $65,160 |
| Tonawanda Town | $77,679 | $1,102 | $44,080 |
| Cheektowaga | $68,613 | $1,055 | $42,200 |
| Albany | $61,986 | $1,216 | $48,640 |
| Troy | $58,477 | $1,175 | $47,000 |
| Schenectady | $58,399 | $1,145 | $45,800 |
| Utica | $52,484 | $951 | $38,040 |
| Buffalo | $50,041 | $1,046 | $41,840 |
| Niagara Falls | $49,101 | $823 | $32,920 |
| Syracuse | $47,819 | $1,039 | $41,560 |
| Rochester | $47,213 | $1,081 | $43,240 |
| Binghamton | $45,578 | $870 | $34,800 |
Rent is median gross rent per month. "Income to afford median rent" is 12 months of median rent divided by 30%. Source: Census tables B19013 and B25064, place level.
Among these places, Levittown has the highest median household income at $146,068, while Binghamton has the lowest at $45,578. In every one of these places, the median household earns enough to keep the median rent under 30% of income.
How does your zip code compare?
See the median household income for every zip code in New York, in one searchable table.
See income by zip code in New YorkNew York's median household income of $85,974 is 6% above the U.S. median of $80,734. The top-20% cutoff is $182,655 in New York, compared with $162,235 nationally.
What is the average salary in New York?
The median full-time, year-round worker in New York earns $70,770. The median household, counting everyone in the home, earns $85,974.
Is $100,000 a good salary in New York?
Yes. As a household income, $100,000 is higher than about 56% of New York households. As a single salary, it is about 1.4 times what the typical full-time worker earns.
What income is considered middle class in New York?
The middle fifth of New York households earns $65,880 to $109,539. A broader middle class, from the 20th to the 80th percentile, runs from about $31,400 to $182,700.
Where does this data come from?
All figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey 5-year estimates for 2020 to 2024, the most recent release. See our methodology for details.