Bakers Salary
In Cape Girardeau, MO-IL, bakers earn $29,950 at the median, or about $14.4 an hour. The range runs from $29K at the entry level to $44K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 86.08), which stretches that salary to about $34,793 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $992/month, about 46.8% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $30K get you in Cape Girardeau?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Cape Girardeau’s Regional Price Parity (86.08). 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 Cape Girardeau
Pay for bakers in Cape Girardeau runs about 19% below the U.S. median of $37K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $992/month, which is 46.7% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 86.08 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 14% 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 Cape Girardeau, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| St. Louis | $36K | $38K |
| Kansas City | $36K | $39K |
| Springfield | $35K | $39K |
| Columbia | $32K | $35K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Cape Girardeau, MO-IL
Entry-level bakers (10th percentile) start around $29K. Mid-career wages sit at $30K. Top earners bring in $44K or more, a $16K 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 states
Track bakers salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Cape Girardeau numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a baker afford a 2BR apartment alone in Cape Girardeau?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $30K, rent takes 46.7% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $992/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 Cape Girardeau?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new bakers typically earn — is $29K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,716/month. At HUD’s $992/month FMR, rent would take 58% 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 Cape Girardeau?
Local pay runs 19% below the national median — $30K here vs. $37K nationally. Cost of living is 14% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Cape Girardeau compare to the national average for bakers?
Cape Girardeau pays $30K median vs. the U.S. average of $37K — that’s -19%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 86.08), the purchasing-power equivalent is $35K — below the national median.
How much do bakers make in Cape Girardeau, MO-IL?
The median is $29,950 a year, that works out to about $14 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $28,600, and experienced bakers can clear $44,150. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $30K enough to live in Cape Girardeau?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,123/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $992/month, which eats 46.7% 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 Cape Girardeau?
Cape Girardeau has a Regional Price Parity of 86.08 (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 $34,793 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.