New York Average Salary 2026
Average pay, top-paying occupations, and cost of living across New York.
The average salary in New York is $130,483 as of 2026, based on Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS 2025 data aggregated across 4 metropolitan areas (New York, Buffalo, Rochester, Albany). The highest-paying tracked occupation in the state is Obstetrician/Gynecologist at $319,798 median; 48 occupations pay six-figure ($100K+) medians. Adjusted for the state's average cost-of-living index of 118, the average median equates to $110,579 of purchasing power in an average-cost U.S. metro.
New York has 4 metropolitan areas in our BLS OEWS coverage. Wages within the state vary substantially by metro — large coastal cities typically pay materially more than smaller inland ones, though the cost-of-living gap closes a lot of the apparent difference. BLS OEWS data captures every metropolitan statistical area (MSA) above a population threshold. Cities below that threshold roll up to non-metropolitan areas, which are not represented in the per-metro view but are captured in state-level rollups.
For workers comparing New York job markets, the per-metro pages give the role-specific breakdown that headline state averages obscure. The role-specific ranking pages — which list the highest-paying cities for a single occupation — are particularly useful when geographic flexibility is real and the role is the constraint.
Top 10 Highest-Paying Jobs in New York
Obstetrician/Gynecologist
Healthcare · 2,730 jobs in state · top metro: New York ($329,750)
Family Medicine Physician
Healthcare · 5,420 jobs in state · top metro: New York ($249,150)
Financial Manager
Finance · 97,510 jobs in state · top metro: New York ($221,010)
Sales Manager
Management · 48,230 jobs in state · top metro: New York ($215,150)
Computer and Information Systems Manager
Technology · 67,990 jobs in state · top metro: New York ($215,300)
Pediatrician
Healthcare · 4,950 jobs in state · top metro: New York ($216,040)
Lawyer
Legal · 102,430 jobs in state · top metro: New York ($208,880)
Marketing Manager
Management · 58,530 jobs in state · top metro: New York ($192,840)
Dentist
Healthcare · 8,260 jobs in state · top metro: Albany ($193,780)
Human Resources Manager
Management · 20,670 jobs in state · top metro: New York ($185,100)
Cities in New York
New York, NY
64 occupations tracked · COL index: 187.2
Albany, NY
64 occupations tracked · COL index: 100.7
Buffalo, NY
64 occupations tracked · COL index: 92.5
Rochester, NY
65 occupations tracked · COL index: 92.9
Frequently Asked Questions
The average salary in New York is $130,483 as of 2026, based on the Bureau of Labor Statistics' OEWS 2025 release aggregated across 4 BLS-tracked metros. The figure is employment-weighted, so larger occupations contribute proportionally more to the average. The top-paying role in the state is Obstetrician/Gynecologist at $319,798 median.
The top five highest-paying occupations in New York, ranked by employment-weighted median across all tracked metros, are Obstetrician/Gynecologist ($319,798), Family Medicine Physician ($246,893), Financial Manager ($216,319), Sales Manager ($211,583), Computer and Information Systems Manager ($211,281). See the full ranking at /ranking/highest-paying-jobs/state/new-york.
48 of the 65 BLS-tracked occupations in New York have a state-aggregated median salary of $100,000 or higher. That places this state in the upper tier nationally.
New York, NY leads New York with an average median salary of $134,711 across 64 BLS-tracked occupations.
The average cost-of-living index across New York's tracked metros is 118 (national avg = 100). The state average median of $130,483 translates to $110,579 of purchasing power in an average-cost U.S. metro. COL is roughly in line with the national average.
State aggregates are employment-weighted across the BLS-tracked metros in New York, using the OEWS 2025 reference period.
257 data points · BLS OEWS 2025 · last refreshed 2026-05-21
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2026.