New York: what paychecks leave after rent
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ metro area: 9,492,000 jobs, median pay of $61,430 across all occupations, and a $2,729 one-bedroom Fair Market Rent.
The typical worker in New York, earning the all-occupations median of $61,430, takes home about $4,295 a month after federal taxes. A one-bedroom at HUD's Fair Market Rent would take 64% of that. The median wage is 0.56× the income needed to keep that rent at 30% of gross pay, which falls short of the guideline.
Of the 10 jobs covered here, software developers have the most room (26% of take-home on a 1BR). Fast Food and Counter Workers are the most squeezed (107%).
Census figures add context: the ACS 2020–2024 5-year median gross rent paid by all renter households in the metro was $1,830 (±$5), and median household income was $99,155 (±$487).
Rent share of take-home pay, by job
All jobs in New York
| Job | Median pay | Take-home / mo | Hours of work | 1BR share | Left after 1BR | Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Software Developer | $166,830 | $10,441 | 34.0 h | 26% | $7,712 | 1.53× |
| Registered Nurse | $119,720 | $7,754 | 47.4 h | 35% | $5,025 | 1.10× |
| Accountant or Auditor | $105,650 | $6,930 | 53.7 h | 39% | $4,201 | 0.97× |
| Police Officer | $105,540 | $6,923 | 53.8 h | 39% | $4,194 | 0.97× |
| Elementary School Teacher | $96,900 | $6,417 | — h | 43% | $3,688 | 0.89× |
| Electrician | $79,020 | $5,368 | 71.8 h | 51% | $2,639 | 0.72× |
| Truck Driver | $65,040 | $4,537 | 87.3 h | 60% | $1,808 | 0.60× |
| Medical Assistant | $48,370 | $3,420 | 117.3 h | 80% | $691 | 0.44× |
| Retail Salesperson | $38,280 | $2,745 | 148.3 h | 99% | $16 | 0.35× |
| Fast Food Worker | $35,420 | $2,553 | 160.2 h | 107% | -$176 | 0.32× |
HUD rent areas in this metro
| HUD FMR area | Population | 1BR | 2BR |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York, NY HUD Metro FMR Area | 9,923,511 | $2,729 | $2,971 |
| Nassau-Suffolk, NY HUD Metro FMR Area | 2,919,737 | $2,285 | $2,689 |
| Newark, NJ HUD Metro FMR Area | 2,102,627 | $1,850 | $2,233 |
| Bergen-Passaic, NJ HUD Metro FMR Area | 1,483,328 | $1,987 | $2,282 |
| Middlesex-Somerset-Hunterdon, NJ HUD Metro FMR Area | 1,351,296 | $2,103 | $2,623 |
| Monmouth-Ocean, NJ HUD Metro FMR Area | 1,299,715 | $1,847 | $2,283 |
| Jersey City, NJ HUD Metro FMR Area | 718,323 | $2,514 | $2,792 |
HUD splits this metro into several rent areas. Highlighted is the most populous one, which this site uses for every comparison.
Sources & method
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 — metropolitan areas — vintage: May 2025 estimates. File:
oesm25ma.zip, retrieved 2026-10-06. - U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD USER), Fair Market Rents, FY2027 — vintage: FY2027 (effective Oct 1, 2026). File:
FY27_FMRs.xlsx, retrieved 2026-10-05. - U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates: Median gross rent (B25064) — vintage: ACS 2020–2024 5-year. File:
acsdt5y2024-b25064.dat, retrieved 2026-10-05. - U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates: Median household income (B19013) — vintage: ACS 2020–2024 5-year. File:
acsdt5y2024-b19013.dat, retrieved 2026-10-05. - Internal Revenue Service, Rev. Proc. 2025-32 (tax year 2026 brackets, $16,100 standard deduction) and SSA's $184,500 wage base, used for the take-home estimate.
Take-home = annual wage − 2026 federal income tax (single filer, standard deduction) − Social Security and Medicare. State and local income taxes are not deducted. Wages are May 2025 estimates; rents are HUD Fair Market Rents FY2027 (effective Oct 1, 2026). Full details on the methodology page. Page data last rebuilt 2026-10-06.