Automotive and Watercraft Service Attendants Salary
The median pay for a automotive and watercraft service attendants in Grand Forks, ND-MN is $28,290/year ($13.6/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $28K at the entry level to $48K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 86.66), which stretches that salary to about $32,645 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,089/month, about 53.5% of take-home, which is tight.
Where the paycheck goes
What $28K actually covers in Grand Forks, month by month
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Grand Forks’s Regional Price Parity (86.66). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About automotive and watercraft service attendants
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What this looks like in Grand Forks
Pay for automotive and watercraft service attendants in Grand Forks runs about 21% below the U.S. median of $36K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,089/month, which is 54% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 86.66 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 13% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for automotive and watercraft service attendants.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for automotive and watercraft service attendants in metros near Grand Forks, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Fargo | $38K | $42K |
| Bismarck | $37K | $41K |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington | $38K | $36K |
| Sioux Falls | $37K | $40K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Grand Forks, ND-MN
Entry-level automotive and watercraft service attendants (10th percentile) start around $28K. Mid-career wages sit at $28K. Top earners bring in $48K or more, a $21K spread from bottom to top.
Automotive and Watercraft Service Attendants pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Automotive and Watercraft Service Attendants salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | $44K | +22% | 270 |
| California | $42K | +17% | 10,190 |
| District of Columbia | $42K | +17% | N/A |
| Rhode Island | $42K | +17% | 120 |
| Connecticut | $42K | +17% | 420 |
| Alaska | $42K | +17% | 280 |
| New Hampshire | $40K | +12% | 200 |
| Washington | $39K | +11% | 2,620 |
| Montana | $39K | +8% | 460 |
| Vermont | $39K | +8% | 170 |
| Colorado | $38K | +8% | 2,980 |
| Missouri | $38K | +7% | 1,150 |
| Maryland | $38K | +5% | 1,060 |
| Nevada | $38K | +5% | 250 |
| Minnesota | $37K | +5% | 1,230 |
| New York | $37K | +4% | 3,770 |
| Utah | $37K | +4% | 890 |
| North Dakota | $37K | +3% | 500 |
| Wyoming | $37K | +3% | 280 |
| Wisconsin | $37K | +2% | 2,770 |
| Delaware | $37K | +2% | 370 |
| South Dakota | $36K | +1% | 650 |
| Illinois | $36K | +1% | 1,940 |
| South Carolina | $36K | +1% | 220 |
| Arizona | $36K | +0% | 1,710 |
| Indiana | $36K | +0% | 3,090 |
| Massachusetts | $36K | +0% | 1,850 |
| Idaho | $36K | -0% | 480 |
| Kansas | $35K | -1% | 1,500 |
| New Jersey | $35K | -1% | 11,050 |
| Ohio | $35K | -2% | 2,930 |
| Nebraska | $35K | -2% | 910 |
| Florida | $35K | -2% | 5,150 |
| Arkansas | $35K | -3% | 870 |
| Oregon | $34K | -4% | 6,270 |
| North Carolina | $34K | -6% | 2,790 |
| Texas | $34K | -6% | 6,880 |
| Maine | $32K | -9% | 680 |
| Tennessee | $32K | -10% | 2,840 |
| Oklahoma | $32K | -11% | 1,270 |
| Pennsylvania | $32K | -12% | 1,580 |
| Kentucky | $31K | -12% | 1,220 |
| Michigan | $31K | -12% | 3,390 |
| Georgia | $31K | -13% | 4,210 |
| New Mexico | $31K | -13% | N/A |
| Mississippi | $31K | -14% | 350 |
| Iowa | $31K | -14% | 340 |
| Virginia | $30K | -15% | 4,060 |
| Alabama | $29K | -18% | 2,150 |
| Louisiana | $29K | -18% | 1,150 |
| West Virginia | $28K | -21% | 200 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
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Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a automotive and watercraft service attendant afford a 2BR apartment alone in Grand Forks?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $28K, rent takes 54% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,089/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $600/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for automotive and watercraft service attendants in Grand Forks?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new automotive and watercraft service attendants typically earn — is $28K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,974/month. At HUD’s $1,089/month FMR, rent would take 55% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is automotive and watercraft service attendant a high-paying job in Grand Forks?
Local pay runs 21% below the national median — $28K here vs. $36K nationally. Cost of living is 13% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Grand Forks compare to the national average for automotive and watercraft service attendants?
Grand Forks pays $28K median vs. the U.S. average of $36K — that’s -21%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 86.66), the purchasing-power equivalent is $33K — below the national median.
How much do automotive and watercraft service attendants make in Grand Forks, ND-MN?
The median is $28,290 a year, that works out to about $14 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $27,610, and experienced automotive and watercraft service attendants can clear $48,490. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $28K enough to live in Grand Forks?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,018/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,089/month, which eats 54% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a automotive and watercraft service attendants salary go in Grand Forks?
Grand Forks has a Regional Price Parity of 86.66 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median automotive and watercraft service attendants salary is worth about $32,645 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do automotive and watercraft service attendants get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.