As someone who graduated from NYU's master program. I would agree that a lab manager job will give you all the benefits without having to pay the high tuition. And I think it also depends on how much fit do you have with the programs you got into. If they are descent programs, I would say go.
It is difficult to start off collaborating with faculty members as a master's student. But you can definitely get into one/more labs and start as an RA. Then you would do your master's thesis in a lab to get a good RL and good research experience. Both helped me a lot this year in my application. If you already have great RLs and sufficient experience in your application this year, I think this program might be less helpful.
