Bakers Salary
In Tuscaloosa, AL, bakers earn $42,580 at the median, or about $20.47 an hour. The range runs from $29K at the entry level to $46K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 87.72), which stretches that salary to about $48,541 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,169/month, about 40.3% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $43K get you in Tuscaloosa?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Tuscaloosa’s Regional Price Parity (87.72). 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 Tuscaloosa
Tuscaloosa sits well above the national pay line for bakers, local pay runs about 15% higher than the U.S. median of $37K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,169/month, which is 40.9% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 87.72 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 12% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. The pay premium is real, but so are the offsets.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for bakers in metros near Tuscaloosa, 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, Tuscaloosa, AL
Entry-level bakers (10th percentile) start around $29K. Mid-career wages sit at $43K. Top earners bring in $46K or more, a $17K 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 Tuscaloosa numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a baker afford a 2BR apartment alone in Tuscaloosa?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $43K, rent takes 40.9% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,169/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $900/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for bakers in Tuscaloosa?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new bakers typically earn — is $29K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,715/month. At HUD’s $1,169/month FMR, rent would take 68% 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 Tuscaloosa?
Local pay is 15% above the national median — $43K here vs. $37K nationally.
How does Tuscaloosa compare to the national average for bakers?
Tuscaloosa pays $43K median vs. the U.S. average of $37K — that’s +15%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 87.72), the purchasing-power equivalent is $49K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do bakers make in Tuscaloosa, AL?
The median is $42,580 a year, that works out to about $20 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $28,590, and experienced bakers can clear $46,000. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $43K enough to live in Tuscaloosa?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,857/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,169/month, which eats 40.9% 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 Tuscaloosa?
Tuscaloosa has a Regional Price Parity of 87.72 (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 $48,541 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.