Syracuse, NY metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a food preparation worker make in Syracuse, NY?

In the Syracuse, NY metropolitan area, food preparation workers earned a median of $35,020 a year ($16.84 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 1,520 of these jobs there. That is 34% below the $52,990 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $32,240 and $41,950; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and New York tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $29,024 in take-home pay.

Food preparation worker pay in Syracuse, NY at a glance

Median salary

$35,020$16.84 per hour · $2,918 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$32,240$15.50/hr
25th percentile$32,810$15.78/hr
75th percentile$37,540$18.05/hr
90th percentile$41,950$20.17/hr
Jobs in this metro1,520Location quotient 0.88 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here34% belowAll-jobs median $52,990
Against New York2% belowStatewide median $35,610
Against the U.S.1% belowNational 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 Syracuse, NY after taxes

$35,020
$15,000$75,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$35,020
Net 83%
Fed 6%
NY 4%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$29,024After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,419Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,116Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate17.1%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$2,022 / yr
New York state income tax$1,294 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,679 / yr

Food preparation 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 food preparation 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$15.78/hr$2,734$32,810$27,368
MedianMedian$16.84/hr$2,918$35,020$29,024
75th percentile$18.05/hr$3,128$37,540$30,913
90th percentile$20.17/hr$3,496$41,950$34,218

Is $35,020 a good salary in Syracuse, 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$75,492Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)95.74.3% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household46.4%of area median income

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

Food preparation worker pay in Syracuse, NY: common questions

What is the median salary for food preparation workers in Syracuse, NY?

The BLS median annual wage for food preparation workers in the Syracuse, NY metro area was $35,020 in May 2025, about $2,918 a month or $16.84 an hour. Statewide, the New York median for this job is $35,610, so the metro pays 2% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for food preparation workers in Syracuse, NY?

The median hourly wage for food preparation workers in Syracuse, NY was $16.84 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $15.50 an hour and one in ten earned more than $20.17.

How many food preparation workers work in Syracuse, NY?

BLS estimated 1,520 jobs for food preparation workers in the metro in May 2025, or 5.1 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.88 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for food preparation workers in Syracuse, NY?

BLS wage estimates for food preparation workers in Syracuse, NY run from $32,240 at the 10th percentile to $32,810 at the 25th, $37,540 at the 75th, and $41,950 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do food preparation workers take home after taxes in Syracuse, NY?

On a median gross salary of $35,020, an estimated $29,024 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,116 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in New York in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $5,996 (an effective rate of 17.1%).

How much do food preparation workers make per month in Syracuse, NY?

On the median annual salary of $35,020, gross monthly income is $2,918. After federal, FICA, and New York state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,419 per month (or $1,116 every two weeks).

Is $35,020 a good salary in Syracuse, NY?

At $35,020, the median salary for food preparation workers is 46.4% of the Syracuse, NY median household income ($75,492). It is 34% 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.