Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop Salary
In Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY, hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shops earn $34,560 at the median, or about $16.61 an hour. The range runs from $32K at the entry level to $48K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 99.57), that's roughly $34,709 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,702/month, about 71.3% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $35K get you in Albany-Schenectady-Troy?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Albany-Schenectady-Troy’s Regional Price Parity (99.57). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shops
Sponsored links, AffordMap may earn a commission at no cost to you. Learn more
What this looks like in Albany-Schenectady-Troy
Albany-Schenectady-Troy sits well above the national pay line for hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop, local pay runs about 11% higher than the U.S. median of $31K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,702/month, which is 71.6% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 99.57) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. The pay premium is real, but so are the offsets.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shops in metros near Albany-Schenectady-Troy, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City | $37K | $32K |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga | $34K | $35K |
| Rochester | $34K | $35K |
| Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh | $36K | $33K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY
Entry-level hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shops (10th percentile) start around $32K. Mid-career wages sit at $35K. Top earners bring in $48K or more, a $16K spread from bottom to top.
Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | $47K | +51% | 2,650 |
| Oregon | $41K | +31% | 5,740 |
| District of Columbia | $38K | +20% | 2,450 |
| Washington | $37K | +19% | 9,530 |
| Maine | $37K | +18% | 1,460 |
| California | $37K | +17% | 41,100 |
| New York | $36K | +17% | 18,640 |
| Colorado | $36K | +16% | 9,490 |
| Massachusetts | $35K | +12% | 13,540 |
| Maryland | $35K | +12% | 7,390 |
| Arizona | $35K | +11% | 10,710 |
| Connecticut | $34K | +10% | 3,670 |
| New Jersey | $34K | +9% | 9,420 |
| New Hampshire | $34K | +9% | 2,130 |
| Rhode Island | $31K | +1% | N/A |
| Illinois | $31K | +0% | 16,500 |
| Delaware | $31K | +0% | 1,680 |
| Nevada | $31K | -0% | 6,570 |
| Vermont | $31K | -0% | 1,060 |
| Virginia | $30K | -2% | 10,890 |
| South Dakota | $30K | -3% | 630 |
| Alaska | $30K | -3% | 740 |
| Minnesota | $30K | -3% | 7,150 |
| Florida | $30K | -4% | 37,100 |
| Utah | $30K | -5% | 4,950 |
| Pennsylvania | $29K | -7% | 18,020 |
| Missouri | $29K | -7% | 8,510 |
| Michigan | $29K | -7% | 12,620 |
| Montana | $29K | -7% | 1,260 |
| North Dakota | $29K | -8% | 800 |
| New Mexico | $28K | -9% | 2,670 |
| Nebraska | $28K | -9% | 2,830 |
| North Carolina | $28K | -9% | 15,160 |
| Iowa | $28K | -10% | 2,630 |
| Kansas | $28K | -10% | 4,540 |
| Wisconsin | $28K | -10% | 6,430 |
| Georgia | $28K | -11% | 17,300 |
| Ohio | $28K | -12% | 15,480 |
| Tennessee | $27K | -12% | 11,280 |
| Idaho | $27K | -13% | 2,360 |
| Kentucky | $27K | -13% | 5,120 |
| Texas | $27K | -13% | 35,550 |
| South Carolina | $27K | -13% | 7,990 |
| Indiana | $27K | -14% | 9,730 |
| Arkansas | $27K | -14% | 3,110 |
| Alabama | $26K | -16% | 5,400 |
| Oklahoma | $25K | -21% | 5,060 |
| West Virginia | $24K | -22% | 1,580 |
| Wyoming | $23K | -27% | 660 |
| Louisiana | $22K | -29% | 6,440 |
| Mississippi | $22K | -30% | 2,660 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
Track hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Albany-Schenectady-Troy numbers change.
Related careers in Food Service
Frequently asked questions
Can a hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop afford a 2BR apartment alone in Albany-Schenectady-Troy?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $35K, rent takes 71.6% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,702/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $700/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shops in Albany-Schenectady-Troy?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shops typically earn — is $32K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,934/month. At HUD’s $1,702/month FMR, rent would take 88% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop a high-paying job in Albany-Schenectady-Troy?
Local pay is 11% above the national median — $35K here vs. $31K nationally.
How does Albany-Schenectady-Troy compare to the national average for hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shops?
Albany-Schenectady-Troy pays $35K median vs. the U.S. average of $31K — that’s +11%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 99.57), the purchasing-power equivalent is $35K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shops make in Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY?
The median is $34,560 a year, that works out to about $17 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $32,240, and experienced hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shops can clear $47,820. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $35K enough to live in Albany-Schenectady-Troy?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,376/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,702/month, which eats 71.6% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop salary go in Albany-Schenectady-Troy?
Albany-Schenectady-Troy has a Regional Price Parity of 99.57 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop salary is worth about $34,709 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shops get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.