Bakers Salary
In Reading, PA, bakers earn $35,730 at the median, or about $17.18 an hour. The range runs from $26K at the entry level to $45K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 97.06), that's roughly $36,812 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,575/month, about 63.5% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $36K get you in Reading?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Reading’s Regional Price Parity (97.06). 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 Reading
Bakers pay in Reading tracks closely to the national median, $36K locally vs. $37K nationwide, a 4% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,575/month, which is 63.7% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 97.06) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for bakers in metros near Reading, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington | $38K | $37K |
| Pittsburgh | $35K | $37K |
| Lancaster | $36K | $37K |
| Scranton--Wilkes-Barre | $36K | $39K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Reading, PA
Entry-level bakers (10th percentile) start around $26K. Mid-career wages sit at $36K. Top earners bring in $45K or more, a $18K 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 Reading numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a baker afford a 2BR apartment alone in Reading?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $36K, rent takes 63.7% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,575/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $700/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for bakers in Reading?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new bakers typically earn — is $26K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,565/month. At HUD’s $1,575/month FMR, rent would take 101% 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 Reading?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $36K locally vs. $37K nationally, a 4% difference.
How does Reading compare to the national average for bakers?
Reading pays $36K median vs. the U.S. average of $37K — that’s -4%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 97.06), the purchasing-power equivalent is $37K — below the national median.
How much do bakers make in Reading, PA?
The median is $35,730 a year, that works out to about $17 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $26,090, and experienced bakers can clear $44,580. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $36K enough to live in Reading?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,471/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,575/month, which eats 63.7% 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 Reading?
Reading has a Regional Price Parity of 97.06 (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 $36,812 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.