The Sad Truth About Salaries In New York State

Even though we know it’s not the healthiest habit, it’s hard not to compare ourselves to our peers and colleagues when it comes to how much money we make at our prospective jobs. Whether we like it or not, how wealthy we are is important to many of us, and can determine whether or not we’re allowed certain opportunities and luxuries in life. 

However, a deep dive from a popular financial website brought to light some alarming truths about income disparity here in New York State that many of us may not have even realized was happening. 

READ MORE: The Best Places To Work In New York State

Recently, Business Insider analyzed the 2022 U.S. Census to determine what qualifies as “middle-class” in each state across the U.S., and when we looked at the data they gathered from New York State, we were genuinely shocked (and honestly, kind of bummed). 

How Much Money Do You Need To Make To Be Middle-Class In New York State?

According to the Pew Research Center, in order to be considered “middle class,” you need to make a salary that’s between two-thirds and double the median income of your state.

In 2022, the median income in New York was just over $79,000. Therefore, in order to be in the middle class, New Yorkers need to bring home between $53,000 and $159,000 per year. 

READ MORE: How Much Money You Need To Make To Be Middle Class In New York

Based on Business Insider’s analysis of the 2022 census, only 42.3% of New York State residents fall into the middle-class category; the lowest percentage in the U.S.

And the residents who fall into the lower-class (making less than $53,000 per year) is the highest in the country--  a whopping 36.8%. 

The Sad Truth About Salaries In New York State

The ironic (and frankly, depressing) twist is that, according to Business Insider’s data, New York State also has the highest percentage of upper-class households in the entire country, with 20.9% of households making twice the median income (an average of  $159,114). 

READ MORE: Work From Home? The Worst City For Remote Jobs In New York

So basically, this data shows the harsh reality that most residents of New York State are either considered very wealthy or incredibly poor based on today's standards– and the middle class barely exists. Super! 

Not all hope may be lost, though. Some companies here in New York are incredible places to work.

According to Forbes, keep scrolling to see which businesses are the best places to work in New York State.