Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a food preparation worker make in Albany-Schenectady, NY?

In the Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY metropolitan area, food preparation workers earned a median of $36,260 a year ($17.43 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 1,890 of these jobs there. That is 38% below the $58,460 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $32,240 and $45,010; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and New York tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $29,953 in take-home pay.

Food preparation worker pay in Albany-Schenectady, NY at a glance

Median salary

$36,260$17.43 per hour · $3,022 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$32,240$15.50/hr
25th percentile$33,730$16.22/hr
75th percentile$39,620$19.05/hr
90th percentile$45,010$21.64/hr
Jobs in this metro1,890Location quotient 0.73 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here38% belowAll-jobs median $58,460
Against New York2% aboveStatewide median $35,610
Against the U.S.3% aboveNational median $35,320

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.

Food preparation worker salary in Albany-Schenectady, NY after taxes

$36,260
$15,000$75,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$36,260
Net 83%
Fed 6%
NY 4%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$29,953After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,496Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,152Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate17.4%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$2,171 / yr
New York state income tax$1,361 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,774 / yr

Food preparation workers pay range in Albany-Schenectady, NY, hourly and yearly

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

What food preparation workers earned in the Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (NY)
10th percentile$15.50/hr$2,687$32,240$26,940
25th percentile$16.22/hr$2,811$33,730$28,057
MedianMedian$17.43/hr$3,022$36,260$29,953
75th percentile$19.05/hr$3,302$39,620$32,472
90th percentile$21.64/hr$3,751$45,010$36,512

Is $36,260 a good salary in Albany-Schenectady, NY?

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

Median household income$88,074Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)99.60.4% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household41.2%of area median income

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

Food preparation worker pay in Albany-Schenectady, NY: common questions

What is the median salary for food preparation workers in Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY?

The BLS median annual wage for food preparation workers in the Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY metro area was $36,260 in May 2025, about $3,022 a month or $17.43 an hour. Statewide, the New York median for this job is $35,610, so the metro pays 2% above the state.

What is the hourly pay for food preparation workers in Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY?

The median hourly wage for food preparation workers in Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY was $17.43 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $15.50 an hour and one in ten earned more than $21.64.

How many food preparation workers work in Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY?

BLS estimated 1,890 jobs for food preparation workers in the metro in May 2025, or 4.2 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 food preparation workers in Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY?

BLS wage estimates for food preparation workers in Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY run from $32,240 at the 10th percentile to $33,730 at the 25th, $39,620 at the 75th, and $45,010 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do food preparation workers take home after taxes in Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY?

On a median gross salary of $36,260, an estimated $29,953 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,152 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in New York in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $6,307 (an effective rate of 17.4%).

How much do food preparation workers make per month in Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY?

On the median annual salary of $36,260, gross monthly income is $3,022. After federal, FICA, and New York state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,496 per month (or $1,152 every two weeks).

Is $36,260 a good salary in Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY?

At $36,260, the median salary for food preparation workers is 41.2% of the Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY median household income ($88,074). It is 38% below the $58,460 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 99.6, so prices here run 0.4% below the U.S. average.