Syracuse, NY metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

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

In the Syracuse, NY metropolitan area, fast food or counter workers earned a median of $33,940 a year ($16.32 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 6,750 of these jobs there. That is 36% below the $52,990 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $32,240 and $37,990; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and New York tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $28,215 in take-home pay.

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

Median salary

$33,940$16.32 per hour · $2,828 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$32,240$15.50/hr
25th percentile$32,240$15.50/hr
75th percentile$35,220$16.94/hr
90th percentile$37,990$18.26/hr
Jobs in this metro6,750Location quotient 0.91 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here36% belowAll-jobs median $52,990
Against New York4% belowStatewide median $35,250
Against the U.S.9% aboveNational median $31,200

Run the numbers on your own pay

Same U.S. tax tables as the rest of the site. Change the salary, state, or filing status.

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

$33,940
$15,000$70,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$33,940
Net 83%
Fed 6%
NY 4%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$28,215After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,351Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,085Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate16.9%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$1,893 / yr
New York state income tax$1,236 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,596 / yr

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

BLS May 2025 estimates for the Syracuse, 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 Syracuse, NY metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (NY)
10th percentile$15.50/hr$2,687$32,240$26,940
25th percentile$15.50/hr$2,687$32,240$26,940
MedianMedian$16.32/hr$2,828$33,940$28,215
75th percentile$16.94/hr$2,935$35,220$29,174
90th percentile$18.26/hr$3,166$37,990$31,250

Is $33,940 a good salary in Syracuse, 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$75,492Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)95.74.3% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household45%of area median income

The same job statewide and nationally, and a calculator for your own paycheck.

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 Syracuse, NY: common questions

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

The BLS median annual wage for fast food or counter workers in the Syracuse, NY metro area was $33,940 in May 2025, about $2,828 a month or $16.32 an hour. Statewide, the New York median for this job is $35,250, so the metro pays 4% below the state.

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

The median hourly wage for fast food or counter workers in Syracuse, NY was $16.32 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $15.50 an hour and one in ten earned more than $18.26.

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

BLS estimated 6,750 jobs for fast food or counter workers in the metro in May 2025, or 22.5 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.91 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 Syracuse, NY?

BLS wage estimates for fast food or counter workers in Syracuse, NY run from $32,240 at the 10th percentile to $32,240 at the 25th, $35,220 at the 75th, and $37,990 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 Syracuse, NY?

On a median gross salary of $33,940, an estimated $28,215 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,085 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in New York in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $5,725 (an effective rate of 16.9%).

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

On the median annual salary of $33,940, gross monthly income is $2,828. After federal, FICA, and New York state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,351 per month (or $1,085 every two weeks).

Is $33,940 a good salary in Syracuse, NY?

At $33,940, the median salary for fast food or counter workers is 45% of the Syracuse, NY median household income ($75,492). It is 36% below the $52,990 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 95.7, so prices here run 4.3% below the U.S. average.