Recreation and Fitness Studies Teachers, Postsecondary Salary
Recreation and Fitness Studies Teachers, Postsecondaries in Ithaca, NY make a median of $84,820 a year. The range runs from $61K at the entry level to $120K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 103.32), that's roughly $82,094 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,753/month, about 32.9% of take-home, which is tight.
Where the paycheck goes
What $85K actually covers in Ithaca, month by month
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Ithaca’s Regional Price Parity (103.32). 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 recreation and fitness studies teachers, postsecondaries
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What this looks like in Ithaca
Recreation and fitness studies teachers, postsecondary pay in Ithaca tracks closely to the national median, $85K locally vs. $77K nationwide, a 10% difference. Rent runs $1,753/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 32.9% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Cost of living (RPP 103.32) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Pay and costs are both near average, leaving limited margin for savings at the median wage.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for recreation and fitness studies teachers, postsecondaries in metros near Ithaca, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City | $79K | $70K |
| Rochester | $65K | $67K |
| Harrisburg-Carlisle | $65K | $65K |
| Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford | $77K | $75K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Ithaca, NY
Entry-level recreation and fitness studies teachers, postsecondaries (10th percentile) start around $61K. Mid-career wages sit at $85K. Top earners bring in $120K or more, a $59K spread from bottom to top.
Recreation and Fitness Studies Teachers, Postsecondary pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Recreation and Fitness Studies Teachers, Postsecondary salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | $128K | +65% | 1,950 |
| Maryland | $98K | +26% | 90 |
| Massachusetts | $88K | +14% | 290 |
| Michigan | $84K | +8% | 320 |
| Wyoming | $83K | +8% | 30 |
| Pennsylvania | $83K | +8% | 640 |
| Wisconsin | $81K | +4% | 40 |
| Minnesota | $80K | +4% | 260 |
| New York | $80K | +4% | 670 |
| Connecticut | $79K | +2% | 190 |
| New Mexico | $79K | +2% | 40 |
| South Carolina | $79K | +2% | 280 |
| Texas | $76K | -1% | 1,460 |
| Utah | $76K | -1% | 110 |
| Florida | $76K | -2% | 140 |
| Iowa | $75K | -3% | 100 |
| Washington | $75K | -3% | 240 |
| North Carolina | $74K | -4% | 730 |
| Tennessee | $73K | -5% | 220 |
| Missouri | $73K | -5% | 200 |
| Alabama | $73K | -6% | 110 |
| Arizona | $71K | -8% | 90 |
| Ohio | $70K | -9% | 420 |
| Maine | $68K | -12% | 40 |
| Illinois | $67K | -13% | 630 |
| Indiana | $67K | -13% | 410 |
| West Virginia | $66K | -14% | 100 |
| Georgia | $66K | -14% | 160 |
| Louisiana | $66K | -15% | 100 |
| New Jersey | $66K | -15% | 520 |
| Colorado | $66K | -15% | 180 |
| Virginia | $65K | -15% | 310 |
| Kentucky | $65K | -16% | 230 |
| Oklahoma | $64K | -18% | 110 |
| Oregon | $63K | -18% | 480 |
| Arkansas | $63K | -18% | 110 |
| South Dakota | $62K | -19% | 60 |
| Mississippi | $61K | -22% | 190 |
| Kansas | $60K | -23% | 60 |
| Idaho | $59K | -24% | 70 |
| Alaska | $58K | -25% | 60 |
Showing 1–10 of 41 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track recreation and fitness studies teachers, postsecondary salary changes
BLS updates this data annually. We'll email you when Ithaca numbers change.
Related careers in Education
Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a recreation and fitness studies teachers, postsecondary afford a 2BR apartment alone in Ithaca?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $85K, rent takes 32.9% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,753/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,600/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for recreation and fitness studies teachers, postsecondaries in Ithaca?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new recreation and fitness studies teachers, postsecondaries typically earn — is $61K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,995/month. At HUD’s $1,753/month FMR, rent would take 44% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is recreation and fitness studies teachers, postsecondary a high-paying job in Ithaca?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $85K locally vs. $77K nationally, a 10% difference.
How does Ithaca compare to the national average for recreation and fitness studies teachers, postsecondaries?
Ithaca pays $85K median vs. the U.S. average of $77K — that’s +10%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 103.32), the purchasing-power equivalent is $82K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do recreation and fitness studies teachers, postsecondaries make in Ithaca, NY?
The median is $84,820 a year. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $60,510, and experienced recreation and fitness studies teachers, postsecondaries can clear $119,840. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $85K enough to live in Ithaca?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,333/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,753/month, which eats 32.9% 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 recreation and fitness studies teachers, postsecondary salary go in Ithaca?
Ithaca has a Regional Price Parity of 103.32 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median recreation and fitness studies teachers, postsecondary salary is worth about $82,094 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do recreation and fitness studies teachers, postsecondaries 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.