Cooks, Fast Food Salary in Buffalo, NY
Cooks, Fast Food in the Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY metro area earn a median $33,690 a year — 9% more than the national median. After 2026 taxes, that is $28,028 take-home, or $2,336 a month.
Take-home pay calculator
Pre-filled with the median cooks, fast food salary in Buffalo, NY. Enter your own offer to see your paycheck.
- Federal income tax$1,863
- Social Security (6.2%)$2,089
- Medicare (1.45%)$489
- New York income tax$1,222
- Take-home pay$28,028
Marginal rate: 12% federal + 5.40% state
Cooks, Fast Food pay by experience in Buffalo, NY
| Percentile | Salary | Hourly | Take-home / yr | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile (entry level) | $32,490 | $15.62 | $27,128 | $2,261 |
| 25th percentile | $33,060 | $15.89 | $27,555 | $2,296 |
| Median (50th) | $33,690 | $16.20 | $28,028 | $2,336 |
| 75th percentile | $36,730 | $17.66 | $30,306 | $2,526 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $40,250 | $19.35 | $32,944 | $2,745 |
Wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Take-home: single filer, New York resident, 2026 tax rules.
What $33,690 buys in Buffalo, NY
Prices in Buffalo, NY are 4.2% lower than the U.S. average (housing costs are 19% below the national average). Adjusted for local prices, a median cooks, fast food's $28,028 take-home pay has the buying power of $29,243 in a typical American city.
Rents: HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2026 (40th-percentile gross rent incl. utilities). Price levels: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.
Cooks, Fast Food jobs are less concentrated in Buffalo, NY than nationally (location quotient 0.27), so openings may be scarcer.
Best-paying cities for cooks, fast food, adjusted for cost of living
Buffalo, NY ranks #35 of 174 metro areas once taxes and local prices are taken into account.
| # | Metro area | Median salary | Take-home | Real value* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Jose, CA | $47,220 | $38,625 | $34,979 |
| 2 | Merced, CA | $40,430 | $33,533 | $34,122 |
| 3 | Bakersfield, CA | $41,480 | $34,321 | $34,020 |
| 4 | Austin, TX | $38,560 | $33,163 | $33,817 |
| 5 | Seattle, WA | $44,030 | $37,558 | $33,796 |
| 6 | Modesto, CA | $42,510 | $35,094 | $33,710 |
| 7 | Vallejo, CA | $44,450 | $36,550 | $33,694 |
| 8 | Hanford, CA | $41,280 | $34,171 | $33,629 |
| 35 | Buffalo, NY | $33,690 | $28,028 | $29,243 |
*Take-home pay divided by the BEA price level, so every city is measured in U.S.-average dollars. See all 174 metros →
Cooks, Fast Food salaries elsewhere in New York
- Rochester, NY — $33,380
- Albany, NY — $32,240
- New York, NY — $35,780
Frequently asked questions
How much does a cooks, fast food make in Buffalo, NY?
The median cooks, fast food salary in the Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY metro area is $33,690 a year, or about $16.20 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $33,060 and $36,730.
What is a cooks, fast food’s take-home pay in Buffalo, NY?
On the median $33,690 salary, a single filer living in New York takes home about $28,028 a year ($2,336 a month) after federal tax, Social Security, Medicare and $1,222 in New York taxes in 2026.
Is Buffalo, NY a good place to work as a cooks, fast food?
Pay here is 9% above the national median of $30,890. Local prices are 4.2% below the U.S. average, so the take-home pay buys what $29,243 would in a typical U.S. city. Buffalo, NY ranks #35 of 174 metro areas for cost-of-living-adjusted pay in this job.
Can a cooks, fast food afford rent in Buffalo, NY?
HUD’s fair market rent for a one-bedroom in Buffalo, NY is $1,139 a month ($1,343 for two bedrooms) — 49% of a median cooks, fast food’s monthly take-home pay. Financial planners usually suggest keeping rent under about 30%.
Related jobs in Buffalo, NY
- Chef and Head Cook — $74,290
- Bartender — $46,920
- Waiter and Waitress — $46,580
- First-Line Supervisor of Food Preparation and Serving Workers — $44,720
- Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria — $41,860
- Cooks, Restaurant — $38,060
- Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendant and Bartender Helper — $35,140
- Dishwasher — $35,080
- Cooks, Short Order — $34,730
- Food Preparation Worker — $34,700
- Fast Food and Counter Worker — $34,560
- Food Servers, Nonrestaurant — $34,190