HI! I work in non-profit and trust me it is HARD to get by on my salary and I make more than most (sadly). I say look in Queens. I by luck got my $600 a month apartment (thanks to being passed down by a sister
). The area I am in now which is 10 minutes from mid-town you probably won't find anything. Peaches is right, check out craigslist. You may want to check further out, like Eastern Queens. You can also do what I did when I first moved here, get a roommate, and when you get on your feet and learn the area more, move out. Feel free to PM me for anything.
Allison