Jobs, pay and daily life in New York, from official statistics with source and year on every table.
Click any dot to open that city: jobs, pay, rent, commute, county economy and climate. Dot size follows population; colours follow the state flag.
By AtiveSite · Published 07/11/2026 · Updated 09/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
New York is a city in New York with 8,483,844 residents. The median household earns $80,483 a year and the median rent is $1,821 a month, which is 27.2% of the median household income. It is part of the New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ metropolitan area, where BLS counts 9,492,000 jobs.
How New York compares. Among the 120 largest places in New York, New York is #1 by population, #117 for homeownership (#1 = highest), #115 for long commutes (#1 = fewest), #31 for remote work (#1 = most). Its county, Kings County, is #38 of 62 counties for average pay ($59,980).
New York has 8,483,844 residents (ACS 2020–2024), about 42.7% of the population of New York. It covers 300 square miles of land, which works out to roughly 28,236 people per square mile. The median age is 38.2, 4% younger than the state median (38.2 against 39.8).
The median gross rent is $1,821 a month (rent plus utilities), 12% above the state median ($1,821 against $1,621). Over a year that is 27.2% of the median household income. US housing guidance treats housing as affordable when it takes 30% of income or less, so the typical household is under that line. The median home value is $777,600, which is 9.7 times the median household income ($80,483); a ratio above 5 usually means buying is out of reach without savings or a second income. 32.8% of households own their home, 40% below the state average (32.8% against 54.4%). A low ownership share points to a rental-heavy market with more apartments and shorter stays.
The New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ metropolitan area has 9,492,000 jobs in the BLS wage survey, and the median pay across all occupations is $61,430 a year, 20% above the national median ($61,430 against $50,980). The biggest occupation groups are office and administrative support (1,109,360 jobs, median $55,080); healthcare support (843,730 jobs, median $40,100); sales and related (751,110 jobs, median $47,540). The area is most specialised in healthcare support (1.8 times) and legal (1.7 times), where the share of workers is well above the national share. The best-paying groups with at least 5,000 jobs are management ($171,990) and legal ($150,990). In 2026M09 the unemployment rate of Kings County was 5.3%. 63.1% of residents aged 16 and over are in the labour force. The city lies in Kings County; its jobs, pay by industry and GDP are on the county page.
Among workers, 21.6% drive alone, 44.0% use public transit, 9.2% walk, 16.9% work from home. 41.2% of workers commute 45 minutes or more, 50% above the state average (41.2% against 27.4%).
41.6% of adults aged 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 4% above the state share (41.6% against 40.2%). 36.6% of residents were born outside the United States, 61% above the state share (36.6% against 22.8%). The poverty rate is 17.9%, 28% above the state rate (17.9% against 14.0%).
The warmest month is Jul, averaging 75°F (23.7°C), and the coolest is Jan at 34°F (1.1°C). About 1,313 mm (52 inches) of precipitation falls in a year; Dec is the wettest month (133 mm) and Feb the driest (95 mm). These values come from NASA satellite-based climatology on a grid of about 50 km, so they describe the wider area, not a weather station in the city.
Closest cities in this guide: Hoboken (7 miles, rent 61% higher); Jersey City (7 miles, rent 10% higher); Union City (9 miles, rent 16% lower); Bayonne (9 miles, rent 8% lower). Rent differences are against New York; use the Compare tab to put any two cities side by side.
Federal jobs in New York (1,182) →State guide: New YorkCountry guideKings CountyNew York rankings
These links go to official sources and open in a new window. The first one is the government's or company's own site as listed in Wikidata (property "official website"); check it before relying on it.
There are 1,182 federal postings open in New York (USAJOBS, state level; we do not have a city filter for them). Private-sector jobs are not in this feed.
Open federal jobs in New York →
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 644,700 | 2.45 | $39,680 | $36,960 | $46,570 | +11% |
| Retail Salespersons | 202,080 | 0.85 | $38,280 | $34,680 | $60,940 | +8% |
| Registered Nurses | 197,740 | 0.96 | $119,720 | $87,180 | $159,240 | +23% |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 183,030 | 1.36 | $42,840 | $35,000 | $61,950 | +16% |
| General and Operations Managers | 177,850 | 0.83 | $157,000 | $71,030 | $364,770 | +48% |
| Cashiers | 173,830 | 0.92 | $35,950 | $32,850 | $46,020 | +9% |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 166,040 | 0.71 | $35,420 | $33,070 | $44,130 | +14% |
| Security Guards | 142,760 | 1.82 | $43,980 | $35,360 | $60,720 | +16% |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 138,720 | 1.00 | $47,610 | $33,810 | $95,610 | +35% |
| Office Clerks, General | 136,580 | 0.91 | $47,670 | $34,640 | $70,520 | +6% |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 131,080 | 0.76 | $38,600 | $34,270 | $57,050 | +3% |
| Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary | 126,920 | 1.46 | $38,890 | $32,240 | $56,740 | +6% |
| Customer Service Representatives | 125,570 | 0.79 | $49,590 | $36,930 | $77,290 | +11% |
| Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive | 122,680 | 1.18 | $51,440 | $37,440 | $70,160 | +8% |
| Software Developers | 121,000 | 1.17 | $166,830 | $101,690 | $224,590 | +23% |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | 118,290 | 0.66 | $43,290 | $34,500 | $60,020 | +8% |
| Accountants and Auditors | 111,930 | 1.27 | $105,650 | $71,850 | $174,750 | +26% |
| Maintenance and Repair Workers, General | 108,700 | 1.16 | $59,550 | $37,400 | $88,050 | +20% |
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | 98,900 | 1.17 | $96,900 | $62,530 | $136,330 | +51% |
| First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers | 95,180 | 1.09 | $80,760 | $56,130 | $126,730 | +16% |
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Radiologists | 1,950 | 1.19 | $465,780 | $93,130 | $576,380 | +11% |
| Anesthesiologists | 7,080 | 2.99 | $460,800 | $152,160 | $561,000 | +18% |
| Surgeons, All Other | 4,290 | 2.79 | $399,990 | $88,100 | $805,330 | -3% |
| Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers | 10,030 | 1.59 | $335,270 | $121,220 | $475,690 | +44% |
| Obstetricians and Gynecologists | 2,470 | 1.90 | $329,750 | $85,170 | $444,380 | +13% |
| Nurse Anesthetists | 2,310 | 0.73 | $321,030 | $149,990 | $339,500 | +36% |
| Chief Executives | 7,180 | 0.58 | $301,440 | $164,740 | $709,670 | +41% |
| Emergency Medicine Physicians | 3,070 | 1.53 | $289,440 | $80,210 | $386,990 | -14% |
| Physicians, All Other | 17,210 | 0.82 | $265,930 | $91,310 | $424,620 | +0% |
| Family Medicine Physicians | 4,870 | 0.74 | $249,150 | $62,090 | $403,430 | +2% |
| Psychiatrists | 4,180 | 2.44 | $249,130 | $87,120 | $443,340 | -12% |
| Commercial Pilots | 1,210 | 0.42 | $225,900 | $62,820 | $321,550 | +83% |
| Financial Managers | 89,960 | 1.75 | $221,010 | $133,940 | $371,170 | +33% |
| Pediatricians, General | 4,510 | 1.88 | $216,040 | $82,210 | $343,610 | +3% |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | 62,430 | 1.53 | $215,300 | $139,610 | $322,410 | +23% |
| Sales Managers | 44,870 | 1.15 | $215,150 | $109,210 | $368,210 | +45% |
| Lawyers | 94,610 | 2.05 | $208,880 | $94,070 | $391,620 | +31% |
| Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates | 1,280 | 0.87 | $204,160 | $79,090 | $232,590 | +33% |
| Marketing Managers | 54,730 | 2.27 | $192,840 | $116,040 | $324,990 | +16% |
| Public Relations Managers | 7,940 | 1.74 | $192,360 | $111,770 | $323,190 | +31% |
These figures are for the whole New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ metropolitan area, not the city alone.
Median pay across all occupations: $61,430 (US $50,980); unemployment 4.5% (2026M09).
| Industry (residents) ⇅ | Share of employed residents ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Education and health care | 29.0% |
| Professional, scientific, management, administrative | 15.4% |
| Finance, insurance, real estate | 9.2% |
| Arts, entertainment, accommodation, food | 9.0% |
| Retail trade | 8.5% |
| Transportation, warehousing, utilities | 6.6% |
| Other services | 5.1% |
| Construction | 4.9% |
| Public administration | 4.0% |
| Information | 3.8% |
| Manufacturing | 2.9% |
| Wholesale trade | 1.6% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining | 0.1% |
Cities have no official GDP or payroll count of their own. These figures are for the county (the first of several) where New York lies and cover the whole county, not only the city. The city also extends into Bronx County, New York County, Queens County, Richmond County.
| County ⇅ | Population ⇅ | GDP (2024) ⇅ | GDP per resident ⇅ | Jobs (QCEW 2024) ⇅ | Employer sites ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Job change vs 2023 ⇅ | Unemployment rate ⇅ | Labour force ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kings County | 2,631,580 | $145,934 million | $55,455 | 923,681 | 74,847 | $59,980 | +6.0% | 5.3% | 1,332,703 |
| Bronx County | 1,404,779 | $58,323 million | $41,518 | 332,669 | 20,374 | $70,650 | +3.6% | 7.0% | 616,496 |
| New York County | 1,629,477 | $1,006,673 million | $617,789 | 2,466,798 | 129,635 | $165,086 | +1.8% | 4.7% | 963,288 |
| Queens County | 2,323,052 | $143,131 million | $61,613 | 770,653 | 58,150 | $67,719 | +4.5% | 4.7% | 1,204,625 |
| Richmond County | 494,956 | $23,779 million | $48,043 | 137,006 | 10,738 | $68,887 | +3.5% | 4.7% | 245,927 |
| Industry ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Share of private jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Concentration vs US (location quotient) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 367,501 | 46.2% | $43,985 | 2.78 |
| Retail trade | 72,072 | 9.1% | $47,196 | 0.78 |
| Accommodation and food services | 59,022 | 7.4% | $36,482 | 0.70 |
| Administrative and waste services | 36,176 | 4.5% | $51,465 | 0.67 |
| Educational services | 35,899 | 4.5% | $52,391 | 1.88 |
| Professional and technical services | 32,343 | 4.1% | $102,252 | 0.50 |
| Construction | 31,610 | 4.0% | $72,706 | 0.65 |
| Other services (except public administration) | 29,641 | 3.7% | $41,087 | 1.07 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 27,363 | 3.4% | $52,515 | 0.70 |
| Wholesale trade | 22,049 | 2.8% | $78,143 | 0.61 |
| Real estate and rental | 18,712 | 2.4% | $60,500 | 1.30 |
| Manufacturing | 16,279 | 2.0% | $62,800 | 0.21 |
| Finance and insurance | 14,532 | 1.8% | $155,749 | 0.39 |
| Information | 13,349 | 1.7% | $142,022 | 0.77 |
| Arts, entertainment, recreation | 11,342 | 1.4% | $77,276 | 0.73 |
| Management of companies | 4,276 | 0.5% | $103,871 | 0.27 |
| Utilities | 3,740 | 0.5% | $129,743 | 1.06 |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing | 199 | 0.0% | $84,905 | 0.03 |
| Mining, oil and gas | 32 | 0.0% | $439,216 | 0.01 |
QCEW counts jobs covered by unemployment insurance; sectors with too few employers are withheld by BLS. Latest-month unemployment is preliminary.
| How residents get to work ⇅ | Share ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Drive alone | 21.6% |
| Public transit | 44.0% |
| Walk | 9.2% |
| Work from home | 16.9% |
| Commute of 45 minutes or more | 41.2% |
Shares are of workers aged 16 and over; they describe residents, wherever they work.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median household income | $80,483 |
| Income per person | $51,844 |
| Median gross rent per month | $1,821 |
| Yearly rent as share of median household income | 27.2% |
| Median home value | $777,600 |
| Homeowners | 32.8% |
| Poverty rate | 17.9% |
| Price level of the metro area (US = 100) | 112.6 |
| Metro median pay, all occupations | $61,430 |
Estimate for a wage earner: 2026 federal brackets and standard deduction (IRS), Social Security 6.2% up to $184,500, Medicare 1.45% (+0.9% above $200,000 single / $250,000 married), and a state rate you set; graduated states show 0 until you enter your own estimate. It ignores credits, pre-tax deductions, local taxes and benefits. Sources: IRS: tax year 2026 inflation adjustments · SSA wage base per Federal Register notice 2025-19763.
State tax: Graduated, top rate 10.90%.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median age | 38.2 |
| High school or higher (25+) | 83.8% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (25+) | 41.6% |
| Born abroad | 36.6% |
| Labour force participation (16+) | 63.1% |
Work permits are federal: see permits and first steps.
| Month ⇅ | Mean temperature (°C) ⇅ | Mean temperature (°F) ⇅ | Precipitation (mm) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 1.1 | 34 | 99 |
| Feb | 1.4 | 35 | 95 |
| Mar | 4.2 | 40 | 113 |
| Apr | 9.1 | 48 | 107 |
| May | 14.3 | 58 | 101 |
| Jun | 19.9 | 68 | 115 |
| Jul | 23.7 | 75 | 114 |
| Aug | 23.7 | 75 | 114 |
| Sep | 20.6 | 69 | 97 |
| Oct | 14.9 | 59 | 124 |
| Nov | 9.2 | 49 | 101 |
| Dec | 4.5 | 40 | 133 |
Satellite-reanalysis climatology on a grid of roughly 50 km, so it smooths local effects (hills, coast, city heat). It is not a weather-station record.
| City ⇅ | State ⇅ | Distance (straight line) ⇅ | Population ⇅ | Median household income ⇅ | Median rent ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hoboken | NJ | 7 mi | 58,668 | $180,579 | $2,938 |
| Jersey City | NJ | 7 mi | 294,078 | $97,710 | $2,007 |
| Union City | NJ | 9 mi | 66,463 | $64,310 | $1,537 |
| Bayonne | NJ | 9 mi | 71,553 | $83,887 | $1,682 |
| West New York | NJ | 9 mi | 52,004 | $71,729 | $1,716 |
| Secaucus | NJ | 11 mi | 21,778 | $139,821 | $2,391 |
| Cliffside Park | NJ | 11 mi | 25,781 | $93,452 | $1,837 |
| Edgewater | NJ | 11 mi | 14,759 | $124,050 | $2,579 |
| Fairview | NJ | 11 mi | 15,099 | $63,606 | $1,694 |
| Kearny | NJ | 11 mi | 40,614 | $79,154 | $1,720 |
Straight-line distance in miles, not driving distance.
Pick two cities.
vs
8,483,844 (Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimate).
$1,821 a month (ACS 2020–2024), which is 27.2% of the median household income.
$80,483 (ACS 2020–2024, in 2024 dollars).
5.3% (BLS county, Kings County (latest month 2026M09)).
New York. See the state guide for minimum wage, taxes and pay.