Cooks, porters and janitors lead hiring demand across the state of New York
Key Highlights
- Kitchen and support roles offer the strongest job opportunities in 2026, with cooks representing 6.6% of all openings.
- Behind-the-scenes positions rank among the most needed hires statewide, including porters and janitors.
- Delivery jobs provide a dependable path to employment, accounting for nearly 1 in 20 hospitality roles.
- Operational positions exceed traditional front-of-house roles in total demand, which shows where hiring moves fastest.
NEW YORK, Feb. 17, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — New data from hospitality job platform OysterLink shows clear hiring priorities across New York as the industry enters 2026. The analysis draws on 3,677 hospitality job posts recorded during the final quarter of 2025 and reveals strong employer demand for operational, kitchen and facility support roles.
Cooks rank as the most in-demand position statewide, followed by porters and janitors. Delivery drivers and housekeepers also place among the most requested roles, which demonstrates employer focus on daily operations, cleanliness and order fulfillment across restaurants, hotels and foodservice businesses. The data shows stronger demand for infrastructure and execution roles than for traditional front-of-house positions.
Table 1. Top 10 Most In-Demand Hospitality Jobs in New York
|
Rank |
Job Title |
No. of Job Posts |
|
1 |
Cook |
242 |
|
2 |
Porter |
210 |
|
3 |
Janitor |
188 |
|
4 |
Delivery Driver |
181 |
|
5 |
Housekeeper |
140 |
|
6 |
Cashier |
138 |
|
7 |
Kitchen Manager |
124 |
|
8 |
Cabin Crew |
117 |
|
9 |
Restaurant Manager |
112 |
|
10 |
Line Cook |
109 |
“Hiring demand across New York hospitality centers on the roles that keep service consistent each day,” said Milos Eric, co-founder and general manager of OysterLink. “Kitchen staff, cleaning teams and delivery workers now shape the pace of operations as businesses prepare for continued change in 2026.”
What This Means for Hospitality Professionals
Job seekers can expect the widest range of openings in kitchen, cleaning and delivery roles across New York in 2026. These positions offer faster access to employment and stable demand across multiple hospitality settings.
For employers, the data confirms the need to secure and retain operational staff to maintain service quality and business continuity. Competition for dependable back-of-house talent will likely remain high throughout the year.
About OysterLink
OysterLink is a job platform for restaurant and hospitality professionals, reaching over 400,000 monthly visitors. The platform connects talent with opportunities across the U.S., including cook jobs in NYC and part-time bartender jobs in Miami.
OysterLink also publishes data-driven trend reports, industry insights and interviews with hospitality leaders. To post a job or explore more labor market data, visit www.oysterlink.com.
Media Contact
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PR Representative
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SOURCE OysterLink
