Quick Answer: At New York City's $17.00/hr minimum wage, a full-time worker (40 hours/week) earns $35,360 per year before taxes. After federal income tax, New York State tax, NYC resident tax, and FICA, estimated take-home pay is approximately $27,600 per year, or about $2,300 per month.
- Gross annual salary: $35,360
- Gross monthly: $2,946.67
- Estimated take-home (after all taxes): ~$27,600/year
- NYC resident tax adds ~$1,100/year vs. living outside the city
- Living wage for a single adult in NYC: ~$27.00/hr (MIT Living Wage Calculator)
Minimum salary in NYC — the annual income a full-time worker earns at the city's $17.00/hr minimum wage — is $35,360 before taxes. But New York City is one of the few places in the United States with its own resident income tax, which means take-home pay is lower than the gross figure suggests. Here's exactly what a minimum wage worker in NYC takes home.
NYC Minimum Wage Annual Salary Breakdown
| Pay Period | Amount |
|---|---|
| Hourly | $17.00 |
| Daily (8 hours) | $136.00 |
| Weekly (40 hours) | $680.00 |
| Biweekly (80 hours) | $1,360.00 |
| Monthly | $2,946.67 |
| Annual (2,080 hours) | $35,360.00 |
Assumes 40 hours per week, 52 weeks per year. Does not account for overtime, taxes, or deductions.
Part-Time Minimum Wage Salary in NYC
Not everyone earning NYC's minimum wage works a full 40-hour week. Retail, food service, and other hourly jobs frequently schedule 20 to 30 hours per week. Here's what minimum salary in NYC looks like at reduced schedules, still calculated at the $17.00/hr rate:
| Hours/Week | Weekly | Monthly | Annual |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 | $340.00 | $1,473.33 | $17,680.00 |
| 30 | $510.00 | $2,210.00 | $26,520.00 |
| 40 (full-time) | $680.00 | $2,946.67 | $35,360.00 |
Monthly and annual figures assume 52 weeks per year, before taxes.
A 20-hour-per-week schedule earns about half of the full-time annual total — $17,680 instead of $35,360. A 30-hour schedule, common among workers balancing school, caregiving, or a second job, earns roughly 75% of the full-time figure. Neither part-time schedule alone typically covers the cost of living in NYC without an additional income source.
Minimum Salary for Tipped Workers in NYC
NYC's $17.00/hr minimum wage runs on a separate track for tipped employees such as restaurant servers, bartenders, and delivery workers who receive gratuities. Employers may pay a lower cash wage of $11.35/hr, using a $5.65/hr tip credit to cover the rest — but only if the worker's tips actually make up that difference. If tips fall short in any given week, the employer must pay the gap so total earnings still reach the $17.00/hr minimum.
| Basis | Cash Wage (Employer-Paid) | Tip Credit (From Tips) | Total (Guaranteed Minimum) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hourly | $11.35 | $5.65 | $17.00 |
| Annual (2,080 hours) | $23,608.00 | $11,752.00 | $35,360.00 |
In practice, a tipped worker's total pay in NYC often runs higher than $35,360 a year, since tips at busy restaurants regularly exceed the $5.65/hr credit. But by law, the guaranteed floor is the same full-time equivalent as the standard minimum wage — tips supplement that floor, they don't replace it.
NYC Take-Home Pay: The Triple Tax Burden
NYC workers face three layers of income tax: federal, New York State, and New York City resident tax. Here's the estimated breakdown for a single filer earning $35,360 per year:
| Tax | Estimated Amount |
|---|---|
| Federal income tax | ~$2,350 |
| New York State income tax | ~$1,450 |
| NYC resident income tax | ~$1,100 |
| FICA (Social Security + Medicare) | ~$2,625 |
| Total taxes | ~$7,525 |
| Take-home pay | ~$27,595 |
Estimates based on 2026 standard deduction, single filing status. Actual amounts vary based on individual circumstances.
New York City's resident income tax is imposed under Title 11, Chapter 6 of the New York City Administrative Code, with rates ranging from 3.078% to 3.876% depending on income. It applies to anyone who lives in the five boroughs, regardless of where they work.
NYC Minimum Wage vs. Living Wage
According to MIT's Living Wage Calculator, the living wage for a single adult with no children in New York City is approximately $27.00 per hour — exactly $10 above the $17.00/hr minimum wage. For a single parent with one child, the living wage estimate exceeds $50.00/hr.
At $35,360 per year gross ($27,600 after taxes), a minimum wage worker in NYC would need to spend roughly 40-50% of their take-home pay on rent alone for a studio apartment, based on median NYC rent data. This is well above the 30% threshold that HUD considers "cost-burdened."
NYC's Minimum Wage vs. the Rest of New York State
New York City's $17.00/hr minimum wage isn't the rate for the whole state. Long Island (Nassau and Suffolk Counties) and Westchester County share NYC's $17.00/hr rate. The remaining counties of upstate New York are set at $16.00/hr as of 2026 — a full dollar less per hour.
At full-time hours, that $1.00/hr gap adds up to $2,080 a year: $35,360 in NYC, Long Island, and Westchester versus $33,280 across the rest of New York State. A worker earning the state minimum just outside those three downstate regions earns $2,080 less annually than someone doing the same job, the same hours, inside NYC — unless their employer chooses to pay the higher city rate voluntarily.
Minimum Salary vs. Exempt Salary Threshold in NYC
The phrase can mean two different things in NYC, and it's worth separating them clearly. The first is the annual pay of an hourly worker earning the $17.00/hr minimum wage — $35,360 a year at full time, as shown above. The second is the salary floor an employer must pay a salaried employee to legally classify that person as exempt from overtime under New York labor law.
For New York, that exempt-salary threshold is $1,200 per week, or $62,400 per year — well above the federal Fair Labor Standards Act threshold of $684 per week ($35,568 per year) that many other states still use by default. New York sets its own, higher exempt threshold rather than following the federal minimum. A salaried employee in NYC paid less than $62,400 a year generally cannot be classified as exempt and must be paid overtime for any hours worked beyond 40 in a week, regardless of job title.
How NYC's Minimum Salary Compares to Other Major US Cities
| City | Minimum Wage | Annual Gross Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Seattle, WA | $20.76 | $43,181 |
| San Francisco, CA | $18.67 | $38,834 |
| Washington, DC | $17.50 | $36,400 |
| Los Angeles, CA | $17.28 | $35,942 |
| New York City, NY | $17.00 | $35,360 |
| Chicago, IL | $17.05 | $35,464 |
| Denver, CO | $18.81 | $39,125 |
Rates as of January 2026. Some cities have different rates by employer size.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a full-time worker earn at NYC's minimum wage in 2026?
At New York City's $17.00/hr minimum wage, a full-time worker (40 hours/week) earns $35,360 a year before taxes, or about $2,946.67 a month. After federal, New York State, and NYC resident income taxes plus FICA, take-home pay is roughly $27,600 a year.
What does a 20-hour work week pay at NYC's minimum wage?
At $17.00/hr, a 20-hour-per-week schedule comes to $340 a week, about $1,473 a month, and $17,680 a year before taxes.
What does a 30-hour work week pay at NYC's minimum wage?
A 30-hour week at $17.00/hr comes to $510 a week, $2,210 a month, and $26,520 a year before taxes.
Is NYC's minimum wage the same as the rest of New York State?
No. NYC, Long Island (Nassau and Suffolk Counties), and Westchester County share a $17.00/hr minimum wage. The rest of New York State is set at $16.00/hr as of 2026 — a $2,080 difference in full-time annual pay.
What is the tipped minimum wage in NYC?
Tipped workers in NYC can be paid a cash wage of $11.35/hr. Employers must make up the difference if tips don't bring a worker's total pay up to the standard $17.00/hr minimum wage.
Is $35,360 a year enough to live on in NYC?
Not by MIT's Living Wage Calculator estimate, which puts the living wage for a single adult in NYC at about $27.00/hr — $10 above the minimum wage. At minimum wage, a single adult would need to spend 40-50% of take-home pay on rent for a studio apartment, well above HUD's 30% "cost-burdened" threshold.
How does NYC compare to other major U.S. cities at minimum wage?
NYC's $35,360 full-time gross pay is the lowest among the major cities with local minimum wage ordinances covered here. Seattle ($43,181), Denver ($39,125), San Francisco ($38,834), Washington, D.C. ($36,400), Los Angeles ($35,942), and Chicago ($35,464) all pay a higher full-time annual minimum.
Will NYC's minimum wage increase again after 2026?
No future increase date has been published yet for the $17.00/hr NYC rate. New York State typically announces minimum wage adjustments in advance of the following January, so check official New York State Department of Labor announcements for updates.
What's the difference between minimum wage and the exempt salary threshold in NYC?
Minimum wage ($17.00/hr, $35,360 a year) applies to hourly, non-exempt workers. The exempt salary threshold ($62,400 a year) is a separate, higher figure that determines whether a salaried employee can legally be classified as exempt from overtime pay under New York labor law.
Related: NYC Minimum Wage Guide · Minimum Salary in New York State · New York Minimum Wage Data Page
