Cost of hiring in Rochester, NY
BLS counts about 53,600 people in these 17 roles in Rochester1. Project Coordinator has the highest median ($103,520 a year), Virtual Receptionist the lowest ($38,550), and Customer Support Specialist is the largest job, with about 9,290 people.
Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Median pay by role in Rochester
| Role | Median per year | vs US median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual Receptionist | +1.4% | 2,840 | |
| Project Coordinator | +1.2% | 3,350 | |
| Recruiter | +0.9% | 2,460 | |
| Bookkeeper | +0.4% | 4,380 | |
| Customer Support Specialist | -0.1% | 9,290 | |
| Office Manager | -0.1% | 4,220 | |
| Payroll Specialist | -1.4% | 590 | |
| Administrative Assistant | -1.6% | 6,230 | |
| Marketing Specialist | -2.0% | 2,550 | |
| E-commerce Order Specialist | -2.2% | 190 | |
| Accountant | -3.3% | 4,370 | |
| Medical Administrative Assistant | -3.4% | 4,510 | |
| Sales Development Representative | -3.7% | 3,510 | |
| HR Assistant | -4.4% | 610 | |
| Data Entry Specialist | -4.7% | 370 | |
| Executive Assistant | -5.7% | 2,830 | |
| Paralegal | -9.0% | 1,300 |
The employer pays more than the wage: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, so a $44,740 median for customer support specialists, the largest of these jobs here, comes to about $57,729 a year. That is an estimate: benefit levels vary by employer.
Rochester against the US
Rochester pays above the US median for 2 of the 17 roles, most of all for virtual receptionists (+1.4%) and project coordinators (+1.2%), and below it for 11, furthest for paralegals (-9.0%). For recruiters, bookkeepers, customer support specialists and office managers it is within 1% of the US figure. The middle gap across all 17 is -2.0%: for most of these roles, hiring costs less here than at the US median. Its best national standing is for marketing specialists, #49 of 516 areas by median pay; its lowest is for HR assistants, #194 of 384.
Compared with the US mix of these jobs, Rochester has more HR assistants (1.1% of these jobs here, against 0.6% nationally) and executive assistants (5.3% against 2.9%), and fewer e-commerce order specialists (0.4% against 0.5%) and recruiters (4.6% against 5.8%). Metro areas in other states with the closest overall pay level, measured the same way, are listed below; Raleigh-Cary, NC is nearest, at -2.0%.
| Area | Middle gap to the US | Roles with data | Jobs in these roles |
|---|---|---|---|
| Salt Lake City-Murray, UT | -1.9% | 17 | 103,510 |
| Eugene-Springfield, OR | -2.0% | 17 | 14,410 |
| Rochester, NY | -2.0% (this area) | 17 | 53,600 |
| Raleigh-Cary, NC | -2.0% | 17 | 87,470 |
| Naples-Marco Island, FL | -2.1% | 17 | 16,360 |
| Sheboygan, WI | -2.2% | 14 | 4,530 |
How far pay spreads inside each role
From the 10th to the 90th percentile, sales development representatives in Rochester span $38,220–$132,010, the widest band (3.5×); medical administrative assistants the narrowest, $38,740–$48,340. Offers cluster nearer the median than nationally for 15 of 17 roles, medical administrative assistants most ($35,930–$60,530 across the US). Budget from the median for sales development representatives, accountants and data entry specialists: a few well-paid jobs lift the average ($79,050 against a $67,400 median for sales development representatives).
Rochester against New York
Against New York as a whole, Rochester pays less for every one of the 17 roles with a statewide figure. It comes closest for administrative assistants (-5.7%) and is furthest below for sales development representatives (-26.9%). Its best rank within New York is #3 of 16 areas, for marketing specialists.
Other areas in New York
By jobs in these roles, Rochester is #3 of 16 areas in New York. The table shows the areas closest to it in size, from New York-Newark to Binghamton.
| Area | Jobs in these roles | Roles with data |
|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark, NY-NJ | 1,091,890 | 17 |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY | 56,930 | 17 |
| Albany-Schenectady, NY | 51,930 | 17 |
| Syracuse, NY | 32,030 | 17 |
| Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie, NY | 25,620 | 17 |
| Southwest New York (Nonmetro) | 14,700 | 17 |
| Central East New York (Nonmetro) | 13,570 | 17 |
| Capital/Northern New York (Nonmetro) | 11,720 | 17 |
| Utica-Rome, NY | 11,350 | 17 |
| Binghamton, NY | 9,350 | 17 |
Questions
Which role costs the most to hire in Rochester?
Of the 17 roles we track, Project Coordinator: a median of $103,520 a year, about $133,574 with benefits; the lowest is Virtual Receptionist, $38,550.
Is hiring in Rochester cheaper than the US median?
For 11 of the 17 roles, yes, most of all paralegals (-9.0%). 2 pay more than the US median, led by virtual receptionists (+1.4%).
Sources
2 sources, with links
How these pages are built: methodology and data sources. Last updated 2026-11-12.