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
31	Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers	Management	$108K	$51.94/hr
32	Instructional Coordinators	Education	$107K	$51.3/hr
33	Project Management Specialists	Business & Finance	$104K	$49.93/hr
34	Administrative Services Managers	Management	$104K	$49.92/hr
35	Civil Engineers	Engineering	$103K	$49.49/hr
36	Respiratory Therapists	Healthcare	$102K	$48.95/hr
37	Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education	Education	$102K	N/A
38	Radiologic Technologists and Technicians	Healthcare	$101K	$48.75/hr
39	Computer Programmers	Technology	$100K	$48.28/hr
40	Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education	Education	$100K	N/A

Top Paying Jobs in Merced, CA

Highest paying careers in Merced

Affordability snapshot: Merced