Moving to America is not unexpected or spontaneous, which means that it requires thorough preparation. It involves choosing a place of residence, renting or buying a home, but the main thing is finding a promising job with decent pay. In this regard, the average salary in New York is one of the highest in the United States. But, however, the living costs are also not low.
Employment in New York
In the United States, the unemployment rate remains relatively low: in February 2021 it fell to 3.8% nationwide.
New York State (excluding New York City) shows even lower results, with an average unemployment rate of 3.7%. The statistics in the city of New York is slightly worse, since 4.2% of able-bodied residents were left without a place.
According to the New York State Department of Labor, professionals in the following specialties will be in demand in the city of the same name in 2021:
- accountants and auditors;
- IT developers and engineers;
- landscape designers and gardeners;
- Housekeeping and Disability Assistants;
- auto mechanics;
- carpenters and builders;
- drivers;
- sales representatives, sales managers and supervisors;
- secretaries and office staff;
- leisure organizers;
- cleaners and movers.
The demand for the profession, unfortunately, does not mean that the salary will please the hired specialist.
Migrants can find a positive moment of employment in the United States, since work in New York (a good half of the vacancies) is available for people without a confirmed education.
Questions concerning the search for work, working conditions and employment of migrants are discussed in the article "Working in the USA for foreigners".
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Minimum Hourly Wage in New York
Since 2021, 21 states of the United States are implementing a large program to increase the minimum income of workers. According to its provisions, until 2021, the lower limit of the rate should be set at around $ 15 per hour of work.
In New York (the city and state itself), the schedule of increases is as follows.
Hourly minimum wage in New York, dollars:
| Territory | Tenant type | from January 1, 2019 | from January 1, 2020 | from January 1, 2021 | from January 1, 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York city | Large enterprise (11 or more employees in the state) and catering workers | 15 | |||
| New York city | Small companies (team of 10 or less people) | 13.5 | 15 | ||
| Long Island and Westchester | All employers | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 |
| Rest of the state | All employers | 11.1 | 11.8 | 12.5 | Increase schedule up to 15 dollars will be developed later |
| State of New York | Catering workers | 12.75 | 13.75 | 14.5 | 15 |
There are some peculiarities in wages in the field of agriculture and hotel accommodation, as well as in areas where it is customary to pay tips. Therefore, for those who want to check the minimum rate for each specific case and territory of the state, an online search service Minimum Wage Lookup - labor.ny.gov/minimum-wage-lookup/ has been developed.
The minimum wage requirement does not apply to employees of public companies other than education workers.
In addition, the basic wage per hour is valid only within the normal working hours (40 hours per week). All time worked in excess of this indicator is paid using a coefficient of 1.5, that is, with a surcharge of 50%.
Information on the minimum payment limit must be posted in the employer's premises in a conspicuous place. For failure to notify employees of their salary or for calculating the total amounts below the minimum level, there is a threat of liability up to criminal. The underpayment penalty is 200% of the unpaid amounts.
Average salary in New York
The New York State Department of Labor collects information on wages paid on an ongoing basis. The survey covers a three-year period, with about 51,000 enterprises taking part in the events. In addition, the statistics are divided into 10 regions of the state's labor market.
The department's website has an interactive tool Occupational Wages, which helps to obtain detailed information in general and by profession.
According to data updated for 2021, the average income in New York City looks something like this.
| Industry | Average salary, USD / year |
|---|---|
| Average for all professions | 50 580 |
| Management representatives | 156 350 |
| Financial sector and intermediary services | 90 620 |
| IT industry | 100 950 |
| Engineering and construction | 84 500 |
| General technical professions | 70 160 |
| Social sphere | 49 950 |
| Jurisprudence | 132 180 |
| Education | 63 300 |
| Arts, sports and media | 72 840 |
| Medicine (higher professional level) | 89 570 |
| Medicine (attendants) | 25 600 |
| Security and rescue services | 43 840 |
| Public catering | 25 680 |
| Cleaning of buildings and premises | 36 640 |
| Household help | 25 800 |
| Scope of sales | 35 330 |
| Office staff | 42 560 |
| Agriculture | 31 440 |
| Construction and mining | 70 040 |
| Maintenance | 55 320 |
| Cargo transportation and logistics | 39410 |
Salaries in New York by specialty
However, when looking for a job, you should focus not so much on average indicators, much more attention should be paid to specific professions.
To help migrants looking for work in New York, we recommend the article "How to find a job in New York".
In addition, the difference between the salary of a beginner specialist and a person with experience can reach double the size.
According to the data of the same Department of Labor, salaries in New York by profession and their gradation depending on the experience of a specialist are presented in this way.
| Speciality | The salary of a beginner specialist, USD / year | Professional salary, USD / year |
|---|---|---|
| Financial managers | 131 070 | 280 920 |
| Middle managers | 78 380 | 181 130 |
| Agents, intermediaries | 44 150 | 131 900 |
| Tax inspectors | 61 350 | 102 920 |
| Programmers | 61 320 | 122 890 |
| Architects | 63 110 | 122 310 |
| Mechanical technicians | 48 880 | 80880 |
| Economists | 72 370 | 173 850 |
| Attorneys | 86420 | 240 060 |
| Legal assistants | 41 550 | 73 370 |
| University teachers | 47 580 | 161 620 |
| Primary school teachers | 48 020 | 92 250 |
| Kindergarten teachers | 39 110 | 85 660 |
| Dentists | 109 740 | 176 980 |
| Doctors-surgeons | 67 960 | 261 350 |
| Ambulance workers | 30 990 | 53 790 |
| Orderlies | 33 800 | 40 190 |
| Police officers (privates) | 46 160 | 82 510 |
| Waiters | 24 960 | 42 890 |
| Retailers | 24 960 | 32 120 |
| Electricians | 48 420 | 108 910 |
| Bus drivers | 30 580 | 48 480 |
| Taxi drivers | 25 250 | 48 690 |
This information is collected and analyzed for each of the 10 New York State labor market regions. In addition, the service reveals the difference within a specific profession, because, for example, the salary of a doctor in New York differs greatly depending on his specialization: often a therapist earns several times less than an orthopedist.
For more information on the cost of living, minimum and average wages in the largest US city, including by specialty, see the article “Average Wages and Cost of Living in New York”.
Ranking of income in other US cities
Throughout America, New York is certainly the leader in terms of population. According to this indicator, it is twice ahead of its closest neighbor in the ranking - Los Angeles. However, in terms of wages, other cities come to the fore (in dollars per year):
- San Jose - 75,770;
- San Francisco - 64,990;
- Washington - 64 930;
- Boston - 60,540;
- Seattle - 57,370;
- Denver - 53,060.
A salary of more than $ 100,000 a year is considered sufficient for a wealthy life in New York, but, unfortunately, most migrants cannot expect to receive such a lucrative job. At least until they manage to confirm the validity of their diploma in order to become a doctor, financier or university teacher, for example.
It should be said that the services of qualified representatives of "workers" specialties are also paid at a fairly high rate. For example, an experienced truck driver can boast a salary comparable to that of a manager.
Personal income taxation
Since wages in America are usually calculated either in annual terms or at an hourly rate, it is not customary to talk about monthly income anywhere. This way of expression is also facilitated by the fact that in the United States there is a different principle of tax administration from Russia in relation to the income of citizens and permanent residents. Here, the salary can be paid to the employee without withholding taxes.
Much attention is paid to the definition of the subsistence minimum, the rules for calculating wages, tax deductions in the article "The size of the average salary in the United States."
Therefore, regardless of the source of receipt of funds (from a single employer or their own commercial initiative), each resident is obliged to submit a declaration of income received at the end of the financial year: for example, statements for 2021 must be sent before April 15, 2021.
Due to the peculiarities of the state structure in the United States, the payment of taxes is divided into three levels: to the federal budget, to the treasury of the state and the municipality.
The federal personal income tax rate in the United States is progressive (from 10% of salaries up to $ 9,525 to 37% of income exceeding $ 500,000 per year), in New York State the additional tax ranges from 4 to 8.82%.
In addition, New York City payroll taxes are complemented by retirement insurance benefits and health insurance payments. The obligation to pay these fees is divided between the employee and his employer in equal shares: 7.65% from each. Of this amount, 6.2% goes to the formation of pensions and unemployment insurance, and 1.45% is transferred in case of medical problems (Medicare program).
Liabilities can be reduced if there are dependents or medical expenses. To enable taxpayers to plan their fiscal spending, the IRS has developed a dedicated online calculator (irs.gov/individuals/irs-withholding-calculator) for those looking to proactively determine future payments for 2021.
Employee Opportunities and Cost of Living in New York
The top ten cities with the highest prices for basic necessities and livelihoods include Honolulu and San Francisco. But the unconditional leadership in this rating is held by New York and, in particular, Manhattan. That is why, when figuring out what salaries in New York in 2021, it is worth paying attention to the amount of expenses that should be covered by earnings monthly.
Find out the specifics of life in New York: cost and rules.
So that the migrant does not have a cash gap, you can choose the area of the Big Apple that is more suitable for the money.
| Cost type, dollars / month | Manhattan | Brooklyn |
|---|---|---|
| Rental of property | from 3000 | 1 500 |
| Meals for families with children | 500 - 1,000 (the most expensive are products marked Organis, the price tag can be 2-3 times higher than usual) | |
| Family insurance | 300-500 per month (this is not the whole amount, the employer makes the main payments) | |
| Public transport | $ 121 for a monthly pass, one-time trip - from $ 2.75 | |
| Taxi ride | $ 35 for a half-hour route, from Manhattan to Brooklyn with a driver from Uber will cost $ 40 | |
| Utilities, electricity, gas and water per month | up to $ 250 | 50 |
| Communication and Internet | 60 | 50 |
The opportunity to buy real estate in New York is available only to those who can boast of incomes above the average: from $ 60,000 per year. After all, even a small studio in Brooklyn will "pull" $ 400,000, a house in the prestigious Queens area costs more than 1.5 million, and luxury housing in Manhattan can sell for tens of millions.
Whoever a person works, he always wants to diversify his leisure. There is certainly no shortage of events in New York. But prices sometimes bite:
- going to the cinema - 12-15 dollars per person;
- dinner at a restaurant - about $ 100 for a couple;
- theater ticket - from $ 40;
- Metropolitan Museum - on average $ 25 per visit (but there are free days);
- shopping - discounts on many global brands can reach 20-70%.
Nevertheless, New York represents one of the most powerful Russian diasporas, about whose life you can read in the article “How the Russian population of New York lives”.
You can watch for free:
- Central Park;
- Chelsea Galleries;
- city hall building;
- the Federal Reserve Bank building;
- Sculptural Park of Socrates;
- Governor's Island;
- city library;
- Statue of Liberty - by train on the free ferry to Staten Island;
- Brooklyn Botanic Gardens (Tuesdays and Saturdays from 10:00 to 12:00).
You should also understand that 10% of sales tax will have to be added to the calculation of expenses (it is not indicated in the price tag), as well as a tip for service (20% of the amount in the check). For example, a $ 5 cup of coffee will end up costing 5.50, and if the waiter brought it, you will have to pay almost $ 7. Moreover, the culture of tips has become so firmly established in New Yorkers that refusing to pay for the service is considered bad manners.
Conclusion
New York is one of the top ten cities with the highest working income. At the same time, the cost of living within the Big Apple also holds a leading position in the country. In terms of housing costs, family maintenance and other needs, this city came out on top.
