Farmworkers, Farm, Ranch, and Aquacultural Animals Salary
Farmworkers, Farm, Ranch, and Aquacultural Animals in Merced, CA make a median of $35,900 a year, or about $17.26 an hour. The range runs from $34K at the entry level to $45K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 98.28), that's roughly $36,528 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,503/month, about 60.6% of take-home, which is tight.
Where the paycheck goes
What $36K actually covers in Merced, month by month
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.
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What this looks like in Merced
Farmworkers, farm, ranch, and aquacultural animals pay in Merced tracks closely to the national median, $36K locally vs. $37K nationwide, a 2% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,503/month, which is 59.6% 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. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for farmworkers, farm, ranch, and aquacultural animals in metros near Merced, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Stockton-Lodi | $35K | $33K |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | $38K | $33K |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont | $44K | $38K |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | $43K | $38K |
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 farmworkers, farm, ranch, and aquacultural animals (10th percentile) start around $34K. Mid-career wages sit at $36K. Top earners bring in $45K or more, a $11K spread from bottom to top.
Farmworkers, Farm, Ranch, and Aquacultural Animals pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Farmworkers, Farm, Ranch, and Aquacultural Animals salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | $50K | +38% | 40 |
| West Virginia | $48K | +32% | 40 |
| Hawaii | $47K | +28% | 160 |
| Minnesota | $46K | +25% | 580 |
| Washington | $45K | +24% | 1,100 |
| Maine | $42K | +15% | 140 |
| Maryland | $42K | +14% | 310 |
| Vermont | $41K | +11% | 80 |
| Idaho | $41K | +11% | 480 |
| North Dakota | $40K | +10% | 130 |
| Colorado | $40K | +8% | 1,270 |
| New Hampshire | $40K | +8% | 130 |
| New Jersey | $39K | +6% | 250 |
| Wyoming | $39K | +6% | 470 |
| North Carolina | $39K | +6% | 910 |
| Virginia | $39K | +5% | 630 |
| California | $39K | +5% | 3,600 |
| Massachusetts | $38K | +4% | 270 |
| Kentucky | $38K | +4% | 700 |
| South Dakota | $38K | +4% | 100 |
| Indiana | $38K | +2% | 420 |
| Mississippi | $37K | +2% | 290 |
| Nebraska | $37K | +1% | 570 |
| Kansas | $37K | +1% | 1,340 |
| Montana | $37K | +1% | 660 |
| Delaware | $37K | +1% | 90 |
| Florida | $37K | +0% | 820 |
| Alabama | $37K | -0% | 1,300 |
| Iowa | $36K | -1% | 1,240 |
| New Mexico | $36K | -1% | 330 |
| Oregon | $35K | -3% | 700 |
| Pennsylvania | $35K | -4% | 1,330 |
| Arizona | $35K | -4% | 650 |
| Connecticut | $35K | -4% | 90 |
| South Carolina | $35K | -4% | 190 |
| New York | $35K | -5% | 530 |
| Texas | $34K | -7% | 3,750 |
| Illinois | $34K | -8% | 450 |
| Tennessee | $34K | -8% | 450 |
| Oklahoma | $34K | -8% | 420 |
| Utah | $33K | -10% | 80 |
| Wisconsin | $33K | -10% | 930 |
| Missouri | $33K | -10% | 1,310 |
| Michigan | $33K | -11% | 750 |
| Louisiana | $32K | -13% | 80 |
| Nevada | $32K | -14% | 210 |
| Ohio | $31K | -15% | 1,160 |
| Arkansas | $29K | -20% | 460 |
| Georgia | $28K | -23% | 690 |
Showing 1–10 of 49 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track farmworkers, farm, ranch, and aquacultural animals salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Merced numbers change.
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Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a farmworkers, farm, ranch, and aquacultural animal afford a 2BR apartment alone in Merced?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $36K, rent takes 59.6% 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 $800/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for farmworkers, farm, ranch, and aquacultural animals in Merced?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new farmworkers, farm, ranch, and aquacultural animals typically earn — is $34K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,422/month. At HUD’s $1,503/month FMR, rent would take 62% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is farmworkers, farm, ranch, and aquacultural animal a high-paying job in Merced?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $36K locally vs. $37K nationally, a 2% difference.
How does Merced compare to the national average for farmworkers, farm, ranch, and aquacultural animals?
Merced pays $36K median vs. the U.S. average of $37K — that’s -2%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 98.28), the purchasing-power equivalent is $37K — below the national median.
How much do farmworkers, farm, ranch, and aquacultural animals make in Merced, CA?
The median is $35,900 a year, that works out to about $17 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $34,320, and experienced farmworkers, farm, ranch, and aquacultural animals can clear $45,030. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $36K enough to live in Merced?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,522/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,503/month, which eats 59.6% 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 farmworkers, farm, ranch, and aquacultural animals 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 farmworkers, farm, ranch, and aquacultural animals salary is worth about $36,528 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do farmworkers, farm, ranch, and aquacultural animals 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.