Counter and Rental Clerks Salary
Counter and Rental Clerks in Salem, OR make a median of $42,290 a year, or about $20.33 an hour. The range runs from $34K at the entry level to $75K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 103.65), that's roughly $40,801 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,560/month, about 53.4% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $42K get you in Salem?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Salem’s Regional Price Parity (103.65). 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 counter and rental clerks
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What this looks like in Salem
Counter and rental clerks pay in Salem tracks closely to the national median, $42K locally vs. $41K nationwide, a 2% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,560/month, which is 57% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 103.65) 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 counter and rental clerks in metros near Salem, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro | $46K | $43K |
| Eugene-Springfield | $38K | $38K |
| Bend | $45K | $43K |
| Medford | $42K | $42K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Salem, OR
Entry-level counter and rental clerks (10th percentile) start around $34K. Mid-career wages sit at $42K. Top earners bring in $75K or more, a $40K spread from bottom to top.
Counter and Rental Clerks pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Counter and Rental Clerks salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $54K | +30% | 480 |
| New Jersey | $49K | +18% | 9,540 |
| Vermont | $48K | +17% | 750 |
| Washington | $48K | +16% | 14,600 |
| New Hampshire | $47K | +14% | 1,590 |
| Maine | $47K | +13% | 1,180 |
| Rhode Island | $46K | +12% | 840 |
| New York | $46K | +12% | 18,320 |
| Colorado | $46K | +12% | 13,900 |
| Wisconsin | $46K | +11% | 6,600 |
| Virginia | $46K | +10% | 12,910 |
| California | $45K | +9% | 67,770 |
| Minnesota | $45K | +9% | 4,710 |
| North Dakota | $45K | +8% | 1,460 |
| Hawaii | $44K | +8% | 1,700 |
| Massachusetts | $44K | +7% | 8,220 |
| Arizona | $44K | +6% | 11,080 |
| Montana | $44K | +6% | 1,490 |
| Wyoming | $44K | +6% | 900 |
| Oregon | $44K | +6% | 5,450 |
| Alaska | $43K | +5% | 660 |
| Pennsylvania | $43K | +4% | 10,780 |
| Maryland | $39K | -4% | 4,060 |
| Connecticut | $39K | -4% | 3,060 |
| Idaho | $39K | -5% | 2,070 |
| Michigan | $39K | -5% | 13,410 |
| Nevada | $39K | -5% | 2,460 |
| Kansas | $39K | -5% | 2,990 |
| Kentucky | $39K | -6% | 2,960 |
| Iowa | $39K | -6% | 1,900 |
| Delaware | $39K | -7% | 870 |
| Ohio | $39K | -7% | 9,400 |
| Georgia | $39K | -7% | 11,490 |
| North Carolina | $38K | -7% | 17,580 |
| Illinois | $38K | -8% | 8,440 |
| Tennessee | $38K | -8% | 7,640 |
| Missouri | $38K | -8% | 4,880 |
| Florida | $38K | -8% | 27,160 |
| Utah | $38K | -9% | 3,280 |
| South Carolina | $37K | -10% | 6,280 |
| Texas | $37K | -10% | 36,600 |
| Oklahoma | $37K | -10% | 3,920 |
| Indiana | $37K | -11% | 7,990 |
| Nebraska | $36K | -12% | 3,960 |
| South Dakota | $36K | -12% | 690 |
| Mississippi | $36K | -12% | 2,820 |
| New Mexico | $36K | -14% | 2,360 |
| Alabama | $35K | -15% | 8,010 |
| Arkansas | $35K | -15% | 3,560 |
| Louisiana | $35K | -15% | 3,740 |
| West Virginia | $35K | -16% | 2,300 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
Track counter and rental clerks salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Salem numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a counter and rental clerk afford a 2BR apartment alone in Salem?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $42K, rent takes 57% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,560/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $800/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 Salem?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new counter and rental clerks typically earn — is $34K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,044/month. At HUD’s $1,560/month FMR, rent would take 76% 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 Salem?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $42K locally vs. $41K nationally, a 2% difference.
How does Salem compare to the national average for counter and rental clerks?
Salem pays $42K median vs. the U.S. average of $41K — that’s +2%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 103.65), the purchasing-power equivalent is $41K — below the national median.
How much do counter and rental clerks make in Salem, OR?
The median is $42,290 a year, that works out to about $20 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $34,060, and experienced counter and rental clerks can clear $74,500. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $42K enough to live in Salem?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,737/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,560/month, which eats 57% 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 Salem?
Salem has a Regional Price Parity of 103.65 (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 $40,801 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.