Average Salaries in Syracuse, NY
Explore salaries across 523 occupations in Syracuse, NY. The average median wage across all tracked occupations is $71.9K, +9.4% vs the national average. See the highest-paying roles, where the jobs are, and how local wages compare to the rest of the country.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, May 2025 estimates. Coverage: 523 occupations and 292,190 total jobs in Syracuse, NY.
How the metro compares
Syracuse, NY pays modestly above the national average. Most occupations here earn more than their national equivalents, but the gap is smaller than in top-tier markets.
Syracuse, NY is a smaller metro labor market. Some occupations may have limited local demand.
The highest-paid occupation tracked here is Cardiologists. Drill into any occupation below to see its local pay distribution, employment, and how it compares to the national market.
Top-paying and largest occupations in Syracuse, NY
Two different lenses on the local labor market: which occupations pay the most, and which employ the most workers. The highest-paid list tends to favor specialized professional and technical roles. The largest list reflects where the everyday jobs actually are.
Highest-paid occupations in Syracuse, NY
| Occupation | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Cardiologists | $460.9K | 30 |
| Obstetricians And Gynecologists | $320.4K | 50 |
| Physicians, All Other | $286.9K | 540 |
| General Internal Medicine Physicians | $269.3K | 200 |
| Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric | $239K | 40 |
| Chief Executives | $216.6K | 240 |
| Dentists, General | $191.8K | 190 |
| Family Medicine Physicians | $191.5K | 100 |
| Podiatrists | $182.8K | 40 |
| Emergency Medicine Physicians | $182K | 170 |
Largest occupations in Syracuse, NY
| Occupation | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Home Health And Personal Care Aides | 8,310 | $37.4K |
| Registered Nurses | 8,180 | $87K |
| Retail Salespersons | 8,150 | $35.3K |
| Fast Food And Counter Workers | 6,750 | $33.9K |
| Stockers And Order Fillers | 6,640 | $39K |
| Laborers And Freight, Stock, And Material Movers, Hand | 6,390 | $44.7K |
| Cashiers | 6,140 | $34K |
| Janitors And Cleaners, Except Maids And Housekeeping Cleaners | 6,010 | $38.2K |
| General And Operations Managers | 5,730 | $108.1K |
| Secretaries And Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, And Executive | 4,950 | $48.5K |
What Syracuse, NY specializes in
The location quotient measures how concentrated an occupation is here compared to the national average. A value above 1.00 means the occupation is more common in Syracuse, NY than in the country as a whole, which signals what this metro is known for.
Most concentrated occupations in Syracuse, NY
| Occupation | Location quotient | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Word Processors And Typists | 8.60 | $46.2K |
| Power Plant Operators | 5.20 | $97.3K |
| Correspondence Clerks | 4.81 | $47.3K |
| Career/Technical Education Teachers, Middle School | 4.79 | $77.5K |
| Musicians And Singers | 4.76 | N/A |
| Music Directors And Composers | 4.76 | $140.2K |
| Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, And Still Machine Setters, Operators, And Tenders | 4.50 | $82.5K |
| Philosophy And Religion Teachers, Postsecondary | 4.42 | $78.6K |
| Fish And Game Wardens | 4.22 | $56.7K |
| School Bus Monitors | 3.99 | $36K |
Comparable metros
| Metro | Average median | Highest-paid occupation |
|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $98.7K | Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $95.7K | Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $92.6K | Cardiologists |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $87.1K | Cardiologists |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $83.8K | Radiologists |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $82.7K | Radiologists |
| Boulder, CO | $82.3K | Surgeons, All Other |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $82.3K | Radiologists |
Common salary questions for Syracuse, NY
What does "average median" mean? +
It is the average of all occupation-level medians in this area. It gives a rough sense of the overall wage level here compared to other states or metros, but it is not the same as a household income figure or a single blended salary.
What is a location quotient? +
A location quotient (LQ) compares how concentrated an occupation is in this area versus the national average. An LQ of 2.0 means the occupation is twice as concentrated here as it is nationally. High-LQ occupations are what this area specializes in.
How are comparable areas selected? +
Peer areas are other metros with a similar overall wage level and employment size. They give you a quick sense of how this area ranks among places with a comparable labor market.