Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop Salary in New York, NY
Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop in the New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ metro area earn a median $36,500 a year — 17% more than the national median. After 2026 taxes, that is $30,134 take-home, or $2,511 a month.
Take-home pay calculator
Pre-filled with the median hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop salary in New York, NY. Enter your own offer to see your paycheck.
- Federal income tax$2,200
- Social Security (6.2%)$2,263
- Medicare (1.45%)$529
- New York income tax$1,374
- Take-home pay$30,134
Marginal rate: 12% federal + 5.40% state
Living in New York City? City residents also pay New York City’s city income tax — about $992 a year on this salary — which lowers take-home pay to $29,142 ($2,428 a month). Choose “New York City” under City income tax in the calculator. Suburban residents usually don’t pay it.
The New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ metro spans New York, New Jersey. Pick the state you live in — state income tax follows your residence.
Got an offer somewhere else? Compare it with this one after taxes and rent →
Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop pay by experience in New York, NY
| Percentile | Salary | Hourly | Take-home / yr | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile (entry level) | $32,220 | $15.49 | $26,926 | $2,244 |
| 25th percentile | $34,320 | $16.50 | $28,500 | $2,375 |
| Median (50th) | $36,500 | $17.55 | $30,134 | $2,511 |
| 75th percentile | $43,160 | $20.75 | $35,125 | $2,927 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $51,860 | $24.93 | $41,646 | $3,471 |
Wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Take-home: single filer, New York resident, 2026 tax rules.
What $36,500 buys in New York, NY
Prices in New York, NY are 12.6% higher than the U.S. average (housing costs are 1.49× the national average). Adjusted for local prices, a median hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop's $30,134 take-home pay has the buying power of $26,771 in a typical American city.
Rents: HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2026 (40th-percentile gross rent incl. utilities). Price levels: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.
Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop jobs are less concentrated in New York, NY than nationally (location quotient 0.70), so openings may be scarcer.
Best-paying cities for hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop, adjusted for cost of living
New York, NY ranks #16 of 37 metro areas once taxes and local prices are taken into account.
| # | Metro area | Median salary | Take-home | Real value* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Portland, OR | $43,410 | $34,091 | $32,338 |
| 2 | Seattle, WA | $38,430 | $33,059 | $29,747 |
| 3 | Denver, CO | $36,340 | $30,489 | $28,822 |
| 4 | Phoenix, AZ | $35,080 | $29,699 | $28,745 |
| 5 | San Francisco, CA | $39,810 | $33,068 | $28,602 |
| 6 | Las Vegas, NV | $32,950 | $28,655 | $28,594 |
| 7 | St. Louis, MO | $31,200 | $26,720 | $28,100 |
| 8 | Washington, DC | $36,360 | $30,380 | $27,901 |
| 16 | New York, NY | $36,500 | $30,134 | $26,771 |
*Take-home pay divided by the BEA price level, so every city is measured in U.S.-average dollars. See all 37 metros →
About the job: hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop
Welcome patrons, seat them at tables or in lounge, and help ensure quality of facilities and service.
- Typical education
- No formal educational credential
- Work experience
- None required
- On-the-job training
- Short-term on-the-job training
- Job outlook, 2025–35
- +3.4% (about average)
Source: BLS Standard Occupational Classification and Employment Projections, 2025–35.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop make in New York, NY?
The median hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop salary in the New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ metro area is $36,500 a year, or about $17.55 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $34,320 and $43,160.
What is a hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop’s take-home pay in New York, NY?
On the median $36,500 salary, a single filer living in New York takes home about $30,134 a year ($2,511 a month) after federal tax, Social Security, Medicare and $1,374 in New York taxes in 2026.
Is New York, NY a good place to work as a hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop?
Pay here is 17% above the national median of $31,200. Local prices are 12.6% above the U.S. average, so the take-home pay buys what $26,771 would in a typical U.S. city. New York, NY ranks #16 of 37 metro areas for cost-of-living-adjusted pay in this job.
Can a hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop afford rent in New York, NY?
HUD’s fair market rent for a one-bedroom in New York, NY is $2,378 a month ($2,697 for two bedrooms) — 95% of a median hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop’s monthly take-home pay. Financial planners usually suggest keeping rent under about 30%.
Related jobs in New York, NY
- Chef and Head Cook — $71,780
- Bartender — $61,220
- First-Line Supervisor of Food Preparation and Serving Workers — $48,690
- Waiter and Waitress — $47,610
- Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria — $46,870
- Cooks, Restaurant — $43,740
- Food Servers, Nonrestaurant — $39,120
- Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendant and Bartender Helper — $36,980
- Cooks, Fast Food — $35,780
- Food Preparation Worker — $35,670
- Dishwasher — $35,670
- Fast Food and Counter Worker — $35,420