Driver/Sales Workers Salary
The median pay for a driver/sales workers in Merced, CA is $49,290/year ($23.7/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $38K at the entry level to $65K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 98.28), that's roughly $50,153 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,503/month, about 44.2% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $49K get you in Merced?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Merced’s Regional Price Parity (98.28). 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 driver/sales workers
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What this looks like in Merced
Merced sits well above the national pay line for driver/sales workers, local pay runs about 27% higher than the U.S. median of $39K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,503/month, which is 44.7% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 98.28) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. The pay premium is real, but so are the offsets.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for driver/sales workers in metros near Merced, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | $45K | $40K |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont | $44K | $38K |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario | $46K | $43K |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | $47K | $42K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Merced, CA
Entry-level driver/sales workers (10th percentile) start around $38K. Mid-career wages sit at $49K. Top earners bring in $65K or more, a $27K spread from bottom to top.
Driver/Sales Workers pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Driver/Sales Workers salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | $48K | +25% | 1,270 |
| Iowa | $47K | +22% | 4,400 |
| Massachusetts | $47K | +21% | 3,830 |
| Vermont | $46K | +19% | 510 |
| California | $46K | +18% | 34,480 |
| South Dakota | $45K | +16% | 1,050 |
| New Jersey | $45K | +15% | 9,720 |
| Colorado | $43K | +12% | 10,790 |
| Kansas | $43K | +11% | 1,950 |
| New York | $43K | +10% | 18,990 |
| Tennessee | $42K | +9% | 9,620 |
| District of Columbia | $42K | +7% | 1,020 |
| Washington | $42K | +7% | 5,890 |
| New Hampshire | $42K | +7% | 1,990 |
| Oregon | $41K | +6% | 5,210 |
| Missouri | $40K | +4% | 7,590 |
| Georgia | $40K | +3% | 19,150 |
| Maine | $40K | +3% | 2,160 |
| Arkansas | $40K | +3% | 3,170 |
| Michigan | $40K | +2% | 15,490 |
| Alabama | $39K | +1% | 4,310 |
| Illinois | $39K | +0% | 13,680 |
| North Dakota | $39K | -0% | 1,740 |
| Maryland | $39K | -1% | 11,940 |
| Arizona | $38K | -1% | 10,550 |
| Pennsylvania | $37K | -4% | 15,100 |
| Virginia | $37K | -4% | 10,780 |
| Kentucky | $37K | -4% | 6,140 |
| Connecticut | $37K | -5% | 3,730 |
| North Carolina | $37K | -6% | 14,530 |
| Louisiana | $36K | -6% | 3,200 |
| Florida | $36K | -6% | 24,380 |
| Indiana | $36K | -6% | 12,040 |
| Texas | $36K | -8% | 40,950 |
| Idaho | $36K | -8% | 2,090 |
| Ohio | $36K | -8% | 20,430 |
| Mississippi | $35K | -8% | 2,550 |
| Nebraska | $35K | -10% | 2,590 |
| Rhode Island | $34K | -12% | 1,260 |
| Minnesota | $33K | -15% | 9,750 |
| Nevada | $32K | -18% | 4,310 |
| Hawaii | $31K | -19% | 920 |
| Delaware | $31K | -20% | N/A |
| New Mexico | $30K | -23% | 2,970 |
| Oklahoma | $29K | -25% | 5,110 |
| West Virginia | $29K | -26% | 2,540 |
| Montana | $28K | -29% | 2,100 |
| Wisconsin | $28K | -29% | 10,020 |
| Wyoming | $27K | -31% | 1,140 |
| Utah | $27K | -31% | 3,050 |
| South Carolina | $22K | -43% | 6,430 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 states
Track driver/sales workers salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Merced numbers change.
Related careers in Transportation
Frequently asked questions
Can a driver/sales worker afford a 2BR apartment alone in Merced?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $49K, rent takes 44.7% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,503/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,000/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for driver/sales workers in Merced?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new driver/sales workers typically earn — is $38K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,261/month. At HUD’s $1,503/month FMR, rent would take 66% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is driver/sales worker a high-paying job in Merced?
Local pay is 27% above the national median — $49K here vs. $39K nationally.
How does Merced compare to the national average for driver/sales workers?
Merced pays $49K median vs. the U.S. average of $39K — that’s +27%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 98.28), the purchasing-power equivalent is $50K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do driver/sales workers make in Merced, CA?
The median is $49,290 a year, that works out to about $24 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $37,680, and experienced driver/sales workers can clear $64,810. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $49K enough to live in Merced?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,366/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,503/month, which eats 44.7% 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 driver/sales workers salary go in Merced?
Merced has a Regional Price Parity of 98.28 (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 driver/sales workers salary is worth about $50,153 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do driver/sales workers 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.