If you work in Manhattan or regularly rely on its public transport network, you’ll have an opinion on which subway is best.
While Adzuna couldn’t possibly wade in on the argument, we do know which New York neighborhoods are the most lucrative to job seekers, thanks to new research that looked at over 1,700 vacancies across the borough in the first half of 2021.
In fact, our look at the average salary for jobs within 0.6 miles (or 1km) of major Manhattan subway stations has uncovered the top subway stop salaries across the island.
57 St salaries are streets ahead
The most lucrative subway stop in Manhattan is 57 St, with jobs within a 0.6 mile radius of the station seeing average advertised salaries of $131,621. Pay rates within the well heeled area are boosted by the luxury sector and art dealers. It’s also home to some of the most expensive real estate in New York with views overlooking Central Park, so as well as the benefit of great pay, workers have a handy local spot for a lunchtime jog or al fresco bagel.
Two Lower Manhattan subway stations tie for second position in the salary stakes: Fulton St and Wall St. Jobs in the direct vicinity of both stops pay handsomely with average salaries of $105,704.
Table 1: 5 best paid subway stops
| Subway station | Average advertised salary within 0.6 mile radius | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 57 St | $131,621 |
| 2 | Fulton St | $105,704 |
| 2 | Wall St | $105,704 |
| 4 | Brooklyn Bridge | $103,643 |
| 5 | WTC | $102,599 |
Lower Manhattan beats Midtown on pay
On average, Lower Manhattan jobs offer salaries of $93,750 – more than $10,000 higher than their Midtown counterparts ($81,997).
Midtown may be home to iconic sites like Times Square and the Empire State Building, but Lower Manhattan is one of the world’s leading financial centers and that’s being reflected in local pay rates. Salaries for Finance jobs in Manhattan regularly average well over $110,000.
But even downtown pay checks pale in comparison to 86 St in Upper Manhattan, which sees average pay of $95,909 within a 0.6 mile radius of the subway station.
Table 2: New York neighborhoods, by salary
| Neighborhood | Average advertised salary | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Upper Manhattan* | $95,909 |
| 2 | Lower Manhattan | $93,750 |
| 3 | Midtown | $81,997 |
*Based on advertised salaries around 86 St only
Columbus Circle is lowest paid subway stop
At the other end of the charts, jobs in the vicinity of 59 St – Columbus Circle are the lowest paid in Manhattan at just $66,475. The cluster of local eateries in this area means a high proportion of lower paid food services jobs on offer, bringing down average pay rates.
Major train stations also pay less, with jobs near Penn Station ($73,755) and Grand Central ($77,052) both seeing two of the lowest average take home amounts.
Table 3: 5 worst paid subway stops
| Subway station | Average advertised salary within 0.6 mile radius | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 59 St - Columbus Circle | $66,475 |
| 2 | Times Sq - 42 St | $72,589 |
| 3 | Penn Station | $73,755 |
| 4 | Rockefeller Center | $73,930 |
| 5 | Grand Central | $77,052 |
New York employers secretive on salary
Nationwide, Adzuna analysis also reveals that fewer than 2% of US job ads disclose a salary and New York employers are even more secretive than most. Only 0.78% of jobs in the NY metro included salary details in 2021. That’s fewer than one in every hundred jobs. Thankfully, our handy salary subway map could help you work out any local premiums you can expect.
Looking to move to a New York neighbourhood with better pay? Check out over 100k openings on offer in New York City on our site.
Interested in the full data set of subway stop salaries? Get in touch – we’d be happy to help.