Ithaca, NY metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a fast food or counter worker make in Ithaca, NY?

In the Ithaca, NY metropolitan area, fast food or counter workers earned a median of $34,800 a year ($16.73 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 870 of these jobs there. That is 40% below the $58,130 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $32,240 and $41,900; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and New York tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $28,859 in take-home pay.

Fast food or counter worker pay in Ithaca, NY at a glance

Median salary

$34,800$16.73 per hour · $2,900 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$32,240$15.50/hr
25th percentile$33,810$16.26/hr
75th percentile$37,310$17.94/hr
90th percentile$41,900$20.14/hr
Jobs in this metro870Location quotient 0.73 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here40% belowAll-jobs median $58,130
Against New York1% belowStatewide median $35,250
Against the U.S.12% aboveNational median $31,200

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Fast food or counter worker salary in Ithaca, NY after taxes

$34,800
$15,000$70,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$34,800
Net 83%
Fed 6%
NY 4%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$28,859After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,405Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,110Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate17.1%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$1,996 / yr
New York state income tax$1,283 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,662 / yr

Fast food or counter workers pay range in Ithaca, NY, hourly and yearly

BLS May 2025 estimates for the Ithaca, NY metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.

What fast food or counter workers earned in the Ithaca, NY metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (NY)
10th percentile$15.50/hr$2,687$32,240$26,940
25th percentile$16.26/hr$2,818$33,810$28,117
MedianMedian$16.73/hr$2,900$34,800$28,859
75th percentile$17.94/hr$3,109$37,310$30,740
90th percentile$20.14/hr$3,492$41,900$34,181

Is $34,800 a good salary in Ithaca, NY?

It depends on what else people there earn and what things cost. Here is the median for fast food or counter workers next to both.

Median household income$74,024Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)103.33.3% above national average
One paycheck vs. a household47%of area median income

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Do fast food or counter workers pay tax on tips?

Yes, but less than before. This job is on the Treasury's list of tipped occupations, so from 2025 through 2028 up to $25,000 a year of reported tips comes off federal taxable income, shrinking above $150,000 of income ($300,000 joint). Social Security and Medicare are still owed on every tip, and most states still tax them. The BLS pay figures on this page already include tips as employers report them.

See what the tips deduction saves you →

Fast food or counter worker pay in Ithaca, NY: common questions

What is the median salary for fast food or counter workers in Ithaca, NY?

The BLS median annual wage for fast food or counter workers in the Ithaca, NY metro area was $34,800 in May 2025, about $2,900 a month or $16.73 an hour. Statewide, the New York median for this job is $35,250, so the metro pays 1% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for fast food or counter workers in Ithaca, NY?

The median hourly wage for fast food or counter workers in Ithaca, NY was $16.73 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $15.50 an hour and one in ten earned more than $20.14.

How many fast food or counter workers work in Ithaca, NY?

BLS estimated 870 jobs for fast food or counter workers in the metro in May 2025, or 18.1 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.73 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for fast food or counter workers in Ithaca, NY?

BLS wage estimates for fast food or counter workers in Ithaca, NY run from $32,240 at the 10th percentile to $33,810 at the 25th, $37,310 at the 75th, and $41,900 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do fast food or counter workers take home after taxes in Ithaca, NY?

On a median gross salary of $34,800, an estimated $28,859 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,110 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in New York in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $5,941 (an effective rate of 17.1%).

How much do fast food or counter workers make per month in Ithaca, NY?

On the median annual salary of $34,800, gross monthly income is $2,900. After federal, FICA, and New York state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,405 per month (or $1,110 every two weeks).

Is $34,800 a good salary in Ithaca, NY?

At $34,800, the median salary for fast food or counter workers is 47% of the Ithaca, NY median household income ($74,024). It is 40% below the $58,130 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 103.3, so prices here run 3.3% above the U.S. average.