Food Preparation Workers Salary in New York
As of May 2025, the median annual wage for food preparation workers in New York was $35,610 +0.8% vs national
New York vs United States
| New York | United States | |
|---|---|---|
| Median annual | $35,610 | $35,320 |
| Median hourly | $17.12 | $16.98 |
| Employment | 62,380 | 893,600 |
| Location quotient | 1.12 | 1.00 |
Data source: BLS OES state file (New York) · U.S. BLS OES survey, May 2025
What the data says
At $17.12 per hour, a full-time schedule (2,080 hours per year) works out to roughly $35,610 — in line with the reported median annual wage of $35,610.
Pay spans a wide range: workers at the 10th percentile earn about $33,280, while those at the 90th percentile earn about $46,800 — a 1.4x gap between entry-level and top earners.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average food preparation workers salary in New York?
The median annual wage in New York is $35,610 ($17.12 per hour), per BLS OES May 2025 data.
How does New York compare to the national average for food preparation workers?
The New York median of $35,610 is 0.8% higher than the U.S. median of $35,320.
How many food preparation workers work in New York?
Approximately 62,380 are employed in New York, per BLS OES.