Bakers Salary
In Auburn-Opelika, AL, bakers earn $29,770 at the median, or about $14.31 an hour. The range runs from $19K at the entry level to $38K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 87.93), which stretches that salary to about $33,856 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $995/month, about 47.3% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $30K get you in Auburn-Opelika?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Auburn-Opelika’s Regional Price Parity (87.93). 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 bakers
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What this looks like in Auburn-Opelika
Pay for bakers in Auburn-Opelika runs about 20% below the U.S. median of $37K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $995/month, which is 48.5% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 87.93 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 12% 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 bakerss.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for bakers in metros near Auburn-Opelika, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Birmingham | $34K | $37K |
| Montgomery | $39K | $43K |
| Huntsville | $34K | $37K |
| Mobile | $30K | $34K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Auburn-Opelika, AL
Entry-level bakers (10th percentile) start around $19K. Mid-career wages sit at $30K. Top earners bring in $38K or more, a $19K spread from bottom to top.
Bakers pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Bakers salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | $47K | +26% | 1,580 |
| Washington | $46K | +24% | 6,270 |
| District of Columbia | $44K | +19% | 1,270 |
| California | $43K | +16% | 30,020 |
| Colorado | $41K | +9% | 4,680 |
| Minnesota | $40K | +8% | 2,660 |
| Wyoming | $40K | +8% | 240 |
| Vermont | $40K | +8% | 580 |
| Alaska | $40K | +7% | 430 |
| Nevada | $40K | +6% | 2,040 |
| Oregon | $40K | +6% | 4,160 |
| New Hampshire | $40K | +6% | 880 |
| New York | $39K | +4% | 15,130 |
| South Dakota | $38K | +3% | 330 |
| Rhode Island | $38K | +3% | 560 |
| Massachusetts | $38K | +3% | 6,070 |
| Arizona | $38K | +1% | 4,000 |
| Maine | $37K | +1% | 1,380 |
| Wisconsin | $37K | +0% | 4,930 |
| Iowa | $37K | +0% | 2,150 |
| Montana | $37K | +0% | 990 |
| Maryland | $37K | -0% | 2,740 |
| Illinois | $37K | -0% | 12,420 |
| New Jersey | $37K | -1% | 8,110 |
| North Dakota | $37K | -1% | 830 |
| Delaware | $37K | -1% | 290 |
| Utah | $37K | -1% | 3,190 |
| Connecticut | $36K | -2% | 3,670 |
| Pennsylvania | $36K | -2% | 10,380 |
| Indiana | $36K | -3% | 3,600 |
| Florida | $36K | -3% | 12,320 |
| Michigan | $36K | -4% | 7,290 |
| South Carolina | $35K | -5% | 2,940 |
| Nebraska | $35K | -5% | 1,030 |
| Missouri | $35K | -5% | 4,190 |
| Georgia | $35K | -6% | 7,350 |
| New Mexico | $35K | -6% | 1,540 |
| Ohio | $35K | -7% | 8,890 |
| North Carolina | $35K | -7% | 9,320 |
| Tennessee | $34K | -7% | 5,200 |
| Virginia | $34K | -7% | 7,820 |
| Kansas | $34K | -8% | 1,370 |
| Idaho | $34K | -8% | 2,230 |
| Alabama | $34K | -8% | 1,880 |
| Kentucky | $34K | -9% | 1,630 |
| Texas | $34K | -9% | 16,710 |
| Oklahoma | $31K | -15% | 1,980 |
| Arkansas | $30K | -18% | 2,400 |
| Mississippi | $29K | -22% | 1,300 |
| West Virginia | $28K | -23% | 750 |
| Louisiana | $28K | -25% | 2,450 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
Track bakers salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Auburn-Opelika numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a baker afford a 2BR apartment alone in Auburn-Opelika?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $30K, rent takes 48.5% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $995/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 bakers in Auburn-Opelika?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new bakers typically earn — is $19K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,160/month. At HUD’s $995/month FMR, rent would take 86% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is baker a high-paying job in Auburn-Opelika?
Local pay runs 20% below the national median — $30K here vs. $37K nationally. Cost of living is 12% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Auburn-Opelika compare to the national average for bakers?
Auburn-Opelika pays $30K median vs. the U.S. average of $37K — that’s -20%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 87.93), the purchasing-power equivalent is $34K — below the national median.
How much do bakers make in Auburn-Opelika, AL?
The median is $29,770 a year, that works out to about $14 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $19,330, and experienced bakers can clear $37,860. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $30K enough to live in Auburn-Opelika?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,053/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $995/month, which eats 48.5% 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 bakers salary go in Auburn-Opelika?
Auburn-Opelika has a Regional Price Parity of 87.93 (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 bakers salary is worth about $33,856 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do bakers 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.