Tapers Salary
In Syracuse, NY, tapers earn $71,970 at the median, or about $34.6 an hour. The range runs from $51K at the entry level to $89K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 95.74), that's roughly $75,172 in purchasing power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,392/month, or 29.6% of estimated take-home pay.
Where the paycheck goes
What $72K actually covers in Syracuse, month by month
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Syracuse’s Regional Price Parity (95.74). 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 tapers
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What this looks like in Syracuse
Tapers pay in Syracuse tracks closely to the national median, $72K locally vs. $68K nationwide, a 5% difference. Rent runs $1,392/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 30% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Cost of living (RPP 95.74) 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 tapers in metros near Syracuse, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton | $71K | $65K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Syracuse, NY
Entry-level tapers (10th percentile) start around $51K. Mid-career wages sit at $72K. Top earners bring in $89K or more, a $37K spread from bottom to top.
Tapers pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Tapers salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Illinois | $113K | +66% | 320 |
| Hawaii | $95K | +40% | 170 |
| Pennsylvania | $82K | +20% | 60 |
| Washington | $79K | +16% | 1,550 |
| Minnesota | $78K | +14% | 220 |
| New York | $78K | +14% | N/A |
| Kansas | $74K | +9% | 30 |
| Ohio | $74K | +8% | 110 |
| California | $73K | +8% | 4,540 |
| Oregon | $71K | +5% | 500 |
| Iowa | $67K | -2% | 100 |
| Massachusetts | $65K | -5% | 510 |
| Michigan | $64K | -7% | 190 |
| Connecticut | $64K | -7% | 80 |
| Missouri | $63K | -8% | 220 |
| Nevada | $61K | -11% | 1,190 |
| Wisconsin | $58K | -15% | 70 |
| Idaho | $58K | -15% | 310 |
| Arizona | $56K | -18% | 780 |
| Colorado | $55K | -20% | N/A |
| Utah | $53K | -22% | 210 |
| Florida | $49K | -28% | N/A |
| New Mexico | $48K | -29% | 60 |
| North Carolina | $46K | -33% | N/A |
| Texas | $44K | -36% | 220 |
| Indiana | $43K | -37% | 120 |
| West Virginia | $42K | -39% | 30 |
Showing 1–10 of 27 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track tapers salary changes
BLS updates this data annually. We'll email you when Syracuse numbers change.
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Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a taper afford a 2BR apartment alone in Syracuse?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $72K, rent takes 30% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,392/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,400/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for tapers in Syracuse?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new tapers typically earn — is $51K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,414/month. At HUD’s $1,392/month FMR, rent would take 41% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is taper a high-paying job in Syracuse?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $72K locally vs. $68K nationally, a 5% difference.
How does Syracuse compare to the national average for tapers?
Syracuse pays $72K median vs. the U.S. average of $68K — that’s +5%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 95.74), the purchasing-power equivalent is $75K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do tapers make in Syracuse, NY?
The median is $71,970 a year, that works out to about $35 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $51,200, and experienced tapers can clear $88,630. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $72K enough to live in Syracuse?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,639/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,392/month, which eats 30% 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 tapers salary go in Syracuse?
Syracuse has a Regional Price Parity of 95.74 (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 tapers salary is worth about $75,172 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do tapers 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.