Updated May 2026 · BLS OEWS 2025 reference period
New York, NY Average Salary 2026
Cost of living, occupation-by-occupation pay, and percentile ranges from official BLS data.
The average salary in New York, NY, New York is $134,711 as of 2026, based on Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS data (2025 reference period) covering 64 occupations and roughly 2,017,460 workers. Adjusted for New York, NY's cost-of-living index of 187.2, that nominal average translates to $71,961 of purchasing power in an average-cost U.S. metro. The highest-paying tracked occupation is Obstetrician/Gynecologist at $329,750; the lowest is Automotive Technician at $57,760.
New York, NY, NY is a high-cost-of-living city (index 187.2). BLS OEWS reports 64 occupations with median wages averaging $134,711. The headline wages need cost-of-living adjustment to compare meaningfully to lower-COL markets.
Highest-paying role in New York, NY on BLS data is Obstetrician/Gynecologist at $329,750 median. Top-paying roles in any U.S. city skew toward physicians, executives, tech specialists, and licensed professionals; the specific ranking varies with the local industry mix. For workers evaluating New York, NY as a destination, the gross-wage premium typical of high-cost cities partially offsets the cost-of-living differential. Whether the trade-off is favorable depends on individual factors (housing tenure, household size, education-cost obligations) more than on aggregate index numbers.
Salaries by Occupation in New York, NY
| Role | Category | Median | Range (10th–90th) | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Obstetrician/Gynecologist | Healthcare | $329,750 | $85,170 – $444,380 | 2,470 |
| Family Medicine Physician | Healthcare | $249,150 | $62,090 – $403,430 | 4,870 |
| Financial Manager | Finance | $221,010 | $133,940 – $371,170 | 89,960 |
| Pediatrician | Healthcare | $216,040 | $82,210 – $343,610 | 4,510 |
| Computer and Information Systems Manager | Technology | $215,300 | $139,610 – $322,410 | 62,430 |
| Sales Manager | Management | $215,150 | $109,210 – $368,210 | 44,870 |
| Lawyer | Legal | $208,880 | $94,070 – $391,620 | 94,610 |
| Marketing Manager | Management | $192,840 | $116,040 – $324,990 | 54,730 |
| Dentist | Healthcare | $190,010 | $75,680 – $367,140 | 7,240 |
| Human Resources Manager | Management | $185,100 | $107,300 – $323,820 | 18,480 |
| Software Quality Assurance Analyst | Technology | $170,890 | $94,550 – $314,130 | 2,100 |
| Personal Financial Advisor | Finance | $170,050 | $81,520 – $420,630 | 23,980 |
| Physician Assistant | Healthcare | $167,650 | $124,470 – $207,000 | 16,800 |
| Medical and Health Services Manager | Healthcare | $167,580 | $102,450 – $348,010 | 35,260 |
| Software Developer | Technology | $166,830 | $101,690 – $224,590 | 121,000 |
| Nurse Practitioner | Healthcare | $163,340 | $132,490 – $202,940 | 21,680 |
| Computer Network Architect | Technology | $163,010 | $101,240 – $216,880 | 10,230 |
| Optometrist | Healthcare | $161,030 | $104,730 – $203,050 | 2,580 |
| General and Operations Manager | Management | $157,000 | $71,030 – $364,770 | 177,850 |
| Veterinarian | Healthcare | $156,150 | $101,450 – $293,790 | 3,150 |
| Pharmacist | Healthcare | $141,320 | $96,010 – $175,840 | 20,000 |
| Information Security Analyst | Technology | $140,470 | $86,860 – $216,280 | 11,330 |
| Statistician | Technology | $137,510 | $79,400 – $208,700 | 1,460 |
| Data Scientist | Technology | $135,980 | $79,870 – $216,030 | 23,160 |
| Engineers (Other) | Engineering | $135,300 | $82,450 – $197,490 | 5,780 |
| Financial Examiner | Finance | $133,380 | $78,560 – $217,430 | 13,400 |
| Software Quality Assurance Tester | Technology | $130,540 | $75,490 – $181,330 | 11,460 |
| Financial Analyst | Finance | $128,930 | $79,340 – $225,390 | 53,870 |
| Computer Systems Analyst | Technology | $128,340 | $78,000 – $179,110 | 26,540 |
| Electrical Engineer | Engineering | $128,340 | $81,440 – $171,030 | 6,290 |
| Computer Occupations (Other) | Technology | $126,910 | $56,330 – $212,380 | 16,230 |
| Computer Programmer | Technology | $126,750 | $76,000 – $173,900 | 6,670 |
| Management Analyst | Management | $124,390 | $66,430 – $210,390 | 67,630 |
| Database Architect | Technology | $121,550 | $70,890 – $185,400 | 3,630 |
| Registered Nurse | Healthcare | $119,720 | $87,180 – $159,240 | 197,740 |
| Network Architect | Technology | $119,390 | $75,810 – $171,470 | 17,690 |
| Web Developer | Technology | $119,190 | $64,360 – $204,510 | 14,990 |
| Audiologist | Healthcare | $115,070 | $90,730 – $140,380 | 530 |
| Mechanical Engineer | Engineering | $109,990 | $79,520 – $165,010 | 6,960 |
| Dental Hygienist | Healthcare | $109,720 | $85,460 – $126,640 | 14,230 |
| Speech-Language Pathologist | Healthcare | $107,860 | $73,530 – $167,210 | 15,260 |
| Physical Therapist | Healthcare | $107,650 | $75,390 – $141,870 | 21,240 |
| Civil Engineer | Engineering | $107,330 | $78,250 – $176,400 | 15,590 |
| Industrial Engineer | Engineering | $105,840 | $78,270 – $162,390 | 8,540 |
| Accountant | Finance | $105,650 | $71,850 – $174,750 | 111,930 |
| Web Designer | Technology | $104,820 | $48,610 – $180,480 | 4,200 |
| Business Professor (Postsecondary) | Education | $104,770 | $49,140 – $206,400 | 6,840 |
| Operations Research Analyst | Technology | $103,110 | $64,170 – $174,310 | 6,890 |
| Loan Officer | Finance | $101,570 | $58,860 – $208,610 | 10,350 |
| Occupational Therapist | Healthcare | $101,460 | $72,380 – $144,090 | 11,640 |
| Secondary School Teacher | Education | $100,800 | $63,480 – $136,340 | 75,780 |
| Market Research Analyst | Management | $100,520 | $60,400 – $166,880 | 79,290 |
| Architect | Engineering | $99,710 | $65,500 – $168,490 | 10,240 |
| Clinical Laboratory Technologist | Healthcare | $96,930 | $49,440 – $133,110 | 16,220 |
| Elementary School Teacher | Education | $96,900 | $62,530 – $136,330 | 98,900 |
| Computer Network Support Specialist | Technology | $86,930 | $52,230 – $138,410 | 6,330 |
| Public Relations Specialist | Creative | $84,130 | $55,410 – $162,170 | 24,820 |
| Graphic Designer | Creative | $79,280 | $47,490 – $132,520 | 15,160 |
| Electrician | Trades | $79,020 | $46,170 – $132,170 | 36,550 |
| Plumber | Trades | $78,610 | $47,870 – $145,480 | 21,040 |
| Paralegal | Legal | $75,330 | $49,180 – $121,170 | 33,850 |
| Carpenter | Trades | $74,300 | $46,860 – $123,810 | 34,210 |
| Welder | Trades | $61,680 | $44,890 – $95,920 | 5,780 |
| Automotive Technician | Trades | $57,760 | $34,740 – $94,320 | 28,420 |
What These Numbers Tell You
The single highest-paying occupation tracked in New York, NY is Obstetrician/Gynecologist, with a median of $329,750 and a 90th-percentile reading of $444,380. That $359,210 spread between the 10th and 90th percentiles is typical for a role of this seniority — entry-level workers cluster near the bottom of the band, while senior specialists and managers earn at the top.
Across all 64 BLS-tracked occupations in New York, NY, the average median salary is $134,711. The top five roles average $246,250 — about 1.8× the citywide average — which is the expected shape for a U.S. metro economy: a small concentration of high-skill, high-credential occupations sits well above the broader middle.
New York, NY is one of the most expensive metros tracked here, with a cost-of-living index of 187.2 — about 87% above the U.S. national average. Housing dominates that premium; in markets at this level, mortgage or rent often consumes 35–45% of pre-tax pay even at the median, so the headline salary numbers below understate how much purchasing power you actually keep.
Salary Negotiation in New York, NY
For salary negotiation in New York, NY, the practical input is the percentile band for your role and city, not the citywide average. The OEWS publishes 10th, 25th, 50th, 75th, and 90th percentile wages for every metro and occupation; you can find your role's exact percentile in the table above and use the SalaryTruth percentile calculator to anchor your offer. Cost-of-living index 187.2 should also factor in any cross-metro comparison.
For city-vs-city moves, the right benchmark is COL-adjusted pay rather than nominal pay. Our COL-adjusted salaries guide shows the exact math; the negotiation playbook covers how to use BLS percentile bands to anchor offers.
How New York, NY Salary Data Is Built
Wages on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program — a federal survey of more than 1.2 million U.S. establishments, published once per year by Metropolitan Statistical Area and Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) code. We pull the BLS data file for New York, NY, match each occupation against our role catalog, and surface percentile wages alongside employment counts. The cost-of-living index (187.2) is a composite of housing, food, transportation, and utility data from public sources, calibrated to a U.S. national average of 100. Read the full methodology.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average salary in New York, NY in 2026?
The average salary in New York, NY is $134,711 as of 2026, based on the Bureau of Labor Statistics' OEWS 2025 release covering 64 occupations. The mean (employment-weighted average) gives slightly more weight to large occupations; the median across roles is also close to $134,711. The top-paying role is Obstetrician/Gynecologist at $329,750.
Is $100,000 a good salary in New York, NY?
In New York, NY, $100,000 has the purchasing power of $53,419 in an average-cost U.S. metro (COL index 187.2). That is meaningfully below $100K of buying power — high-cost metros eat into nominal salaries. Compared to the city's average median of $134,711, $100K is below the typical worker.
What are the highest-paying jobs in New York, NY?
The top-paying tracked occupations in New York, NY are Obstetrician/Gynecologist ($329,750), Family Medicine Physician ($249,150), Financial Manager ($221,010), and Pediatrician ($216,040). Across the top 10, median salaries range from $185,100 to $329,750. See the full ranking at /ranking/highest-paying-jobs/new-york.
How does New York, NY's cost of living affect salaries?
New York, NY has a cost-of-living index of 187.2, 87% above the U.S. national average. A nominal salary of $134,711 in this metro has the equivalent purchasing power of $71,961 in an average-cost U.S. city. Housing is the dominant driver of this gap; in higher-COL markets, mortgage or rent typically eats 5–15 percentage points more of pre-tax pay than in average-cost metros.
How many people are employed in New York, NY?
Across the 64 BLS-tracked occupations on this page, total employment in the New York, NY metro is approximately 2,017,460. BLS OEWS sample-based estimates cover all major occupational categories but exclude very small or volatile fields where the sample is too thin to publish.
Where does this New York, NY salary data come from?
Every wage figure on this page is sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program at bls.gov/oes — public domain federal survey data covering about 1.2 million U.S. employers. The same data is used by the U.S. Department of Labor for prevailing wage determinations.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, New York, NY MSA, 2026 release. Public domain. See bls.gov/oes. Cite as: "SalaryTruth, BLS OEWS 2026."
Last refreshed 2026-05-21 · 64 occupations · COL Index 187.2.