Question 1

What is the cost of living in Merced, CA?

Accepted Answer

Merced, CA's overall price level (BEA Regional Price Parity) is 98.28, where 100 equals the U.S. average. That means everyday goods, services, and housing cost about 1.7% less than the national average. HUD's Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom is $1,503/month.

Question 2

What is the average salary in Merced, CA?

Accepted Answer

Across the 100 BLS-tracked occupation categories with published data in Merced, CA, the average median wage is $103,746. The single highest-paying occupation here is Physicians, All Other at $273,110/year (BLS OEWS).

Question 3

What are the highest-paying jobs in Merced?

Accepted Answer

Based on BLS OEWS data, the top-paying occupations in Merced, CA are: 1) Physicians, All Other at $273,110; 2) Family Medicine Physicians at $270,880; 3) Chief Executives at $181,660; 4) Dentists, General at $170,200; 5) Computer and Information Systems Managers at $167,150. Click any occupation above to see the full wage breakdown (10th to 90th percentile).

Question 4

How much does it cost to rent a 2-bedroom apartment in Merced?

Accepted Answer

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's Fair Market Rent (FMR) for a 2-bedroom unit in Merced, CA is $1,503/month. FMR is the rent level HUD uses to administer housing assistance and reflects the 40th percentile of standard-quality rentals, updated annually.

Question 5

Where does AffordMap's Merced data come from?

Accepted Answer

Salary figures come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey. Cost of living comes from the Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parities (RPP). Rent comes from HUD Fair Market Rents. All three are federal datasets, updated annually, and free to use. AffordMap pairs them so you can see what a salary actually buys after local costs.

Rank	Occupation	Category	Median salary	Hourly
11	Human Resources Managers	Management	$153K	$73.66/hr
12	Marketing Managers	Management	$149K	$71.47/hr
13	Lawyers	Legal	$139K	$66.83/hr
14	Computer Science Teachers, Postsecondary	Education	$139K	N/A
15	Financial Managers	Management	$134K	$64.51/hr
16	School Psychologists	Science	$133K	$64.06/hr
17	Software Developers	Technology	$132K	$63.52/hr
18	Registered Nurses	Healthcare	$132K	$63.28/hr
19	Education Administrators, All Other	Management	$128K	$61.64/hr
20	Managers, All Other	Management	$128K	$61.63/hr

Top Paying Jobs in Merced, CA

Highest paying careers in Merced

Affordability snapshot: Merced