Counter and Rental Clerks Salary
Counter and Rental Clerks in California make a median of $45,010 a year, or about $21.64 an hour. The range runs from $36K at the entry level to $70K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 106.14), so that salary is closer to $42,406 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $2,471/month, about 79.5% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across California. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $45K get you in California?
About counter and rental clerks
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What this looks like in California
Counter and rental clerks pay in California tracks closely to the national median, $45K locally vs. $41K nationwide, a 9% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $2,471/month, which is 79.7% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost-of-living overall is 6% above the national average (BEA RPP 106.14), so groceries and services cost more too. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, California
Entry-level counter and rental clerks (10th percentile) start around $36K. Mid-career wages sit at $45K. Top earners bring in $70K or more, a $34K spread from bottom to top.
Counter and Rental Clerks salary by metro in California
25 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara | $49K | +8% | 2,880 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont | $48K | +6% | 7,700 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma | $46K | +2% | 860 |
| Vallejo | $45K | +1% | 640 |
| Napa | $45K | +1% | 200 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom | $45K | +0% | 3,820 |
| Modesto | $45K | -1% | 750 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | $44K | -1% | 26,870 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura | $44K | -2% | 1,120 |
| Bakersfield-Delano | $44K | -2% | 1,090 |
| Yuba City | $44K | -3% | 210 |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles | $44K | -3% | 530 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara | $44K | -3% | 750 |
| Merced | $44K | -3% | 190 |
| Hanford-Corcoran | $43K | -4% | 110 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario | $43K | -4% | 6,660 |
| Salinas | $43K | -5% | 680 |
| Fresno | $43K | -5% | 1,620 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | $43K | -5% | 5,950 |
| Stockton-Lodi | $42K | -6% | 1,270 |
| Visalia | $42K | -6% | 460 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville | $42K | -8% | 380 |
| Redding | $41K | -9% | 310 |
| Chico | $40K | -10% | 330 |
| El Centro | $39K | -13% | 200 |
Showing 1–10 of 25 metros
Compare to other states
Track counter and rental clerks salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when California numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a counter and rental clerk afford a 2BR apartment alone in California?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $45K, rent takes 79.7% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,471/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 counter and rental clerks in California?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new counter and rental clerks typically earn — is $36K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,147/month. At HUD’s $2,471/month FMR, rent would take 115% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is counter and rental clerk a high-paying job in California?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $45K locally vs. $41K nationally, a 9% difference.
How does California compare to the national average for counter and rental clerks?
California pays $45K median vs. the U.S. average of $41K — that’s +9%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 106.14), the purchasing-power equivalent is $42K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do counter and rental clerks make in California?
The median is $45,010 a year, that works out to about $22 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $35,790, and experienced counter and rental clerks can clear $69,800. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $45K enough to live in California?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,101/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,471/month, which eats 79.7% 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 counter and rental clerks salary go in California?
California has a Regional Price Parity of 106.14 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median counter and rental clerks salary is worth about $42,406 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do counter and rental clerks 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.