Food and Tobacco Roasting, Baking, and Drying Machine Operators and Tenders Salary
Food and Tobacco Roasting, Baking, and Drying Machine Operators and Tenders in Grand Forks, ND-MN make a median of $43,610 a year, or about $20.97 an hour. The range runs from $44K at the entry level to $65K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 86.66), which stretches that salary to about $50,323 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,089/month, about 36% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $44K get you in Grand Forks?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Grand Forks’s Regional Price Parity (86.66). 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 food and tobacco roasting, baking, and drying machine operators and tenders
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What this looks like in Grand Forks
Food and tobacco roasting, baking, and drying machine operators and tenders pay in Grand Forks tracks closely to the national median, $44K locally vs. $45K nationwide, a 3% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,089/month, which is 36.1% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 86.66 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 13% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for food and tobacco roasting, baking, and drying machine operators and tenders in metros near Grand Forks, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington | $48K | $46K |
| St. Cloud | $48K | $55K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Grand Forks, ND-MN
Entry-level food and tobacco roasting, baking, and drying machine operators and tenders (10th percentile) start around $44K. Mid-career wages sit at $44K. Top earners bring in $65K or more, a $22K spread from bottom to top.
Food and Tobacco Roasting, Baking, and Drying Machine Operators and Tenders pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Food and Tobacco Roasting, Baking, and Drying Machine Operators and Tenders salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Dakota | $77K | +73% | 30 |
| Maryland | $60K | +34% | 200 |
| Colorado | $60K | +33% | 500 |
| Virginia | $59K | +32% | 270 |
| Alaska | $55K | +23% | 30 |
| Nevada | $55K | +23% | 130 |
| Washington | $51K | +13% | 720 |
| Minnesota | $50K | +12% | 1,120 |
| Maine | $50K | +12% | 100 |
| Pennsylvania | $50K | +11% | 540 |
| New York | $49K | +9% | 1,370 |
| Wisconsin | $49K | +8% | 540 |
| Kentucky | $49K | +8% | 340 |
| Idaho | $48K | +8% | 430 |
| Michigan | $48K | +8% | 700 |
| Iowa | $48K | +7% | 660 |
| Utah | $48K | +7% | 130 |
| Oregon | $46K | +3% | 500 |
| California | $46K | +2% | 1,630 |
| Massachusetts | $45K | +1% | 190 |
| Hawaii | $45K | +1% | 90 |
| Arkansas | $45K | +1% | 580 |
| South Dakota | $45K | +1% | 120 |
| Kansas | $45K | -1% | 220 |
| Ohio | $44K | -1% | 910 |
| Missouri | $43K | -3% | 1,030 |
| Nebraska | $43K | -3% | 440 |
| Indiana | $43K | -3% | 260 |
| Arizona | $43K | -4% | 90 |
| Oklahoma | $42K | -5% | 370 |
| Connecticut | $42K | -7% | 60 |
| Vermont | $41K | -9% | 80 |
| South Carolina | $40K | -11% | 140 |
| Tennessee | $39K | -13% | 350 |
| Louisiana | $38K | -14% | 80 |
| Illinois | $38K | -15% | 440 |
| Georgia | $37K | -17% | 290 |
| New Jersey | $37K | -17% | 630 |
| Texas | $37K | -17% | 1,800 |
| Mississippi | $37K | -17% | 60 |
| North Carolina | $36K | -20% | 1,510 |
| New Mexico | $35K | -21% | 70 |
| Montana | $35K | -21% | 130 |
| Florida | $35K | -21% | 360 |
Showing 1–10 of 44 states
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track food and tobacco roasting, baking, and drying machine operators and tenders salary changes
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Frequently asked questions
Can a food and tobacco roasting, baking, and drying machine operators and tender afford a 2BR apartment alone in Grand Forks?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $44K, rent takes 36.1% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,089/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 food and tobacco roasting, baking, and drying machine operators and tenders in Grand Forks?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new food and tobacco roasting, baking, and drying machine operators and tenders typically earn — is $44K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,617/month. At HUD’s $1,089/month FMR, rent would take 42% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is food and tobacco roasting, baking, and drying machine operators and tender a high-paying job in Grand Forks?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $44K locally vs. $45K nationally, a 3% difference.
How does Grand Forks compare to the national average for food and tobacco roasting, baking, and drying machine operators and tenders?
Grand Forks pays $44K median vs. the U.S. average of $45K — that’s -3%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 86.66), the purchasing-power equivalent is $50K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do food and tobacco roasting, baking, and drying machine operators and tenders make in Grand Forks, ND-MN?
The median is $43,610 a year, that works out to about $21 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $43,610, and experienced food and tobacco roasting, baking, and drying machine operators and tenders can clear $65,460. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $44K enough to live in Grand Forks?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,019/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,089/month, which eats 36.1% 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 food and tobacco roasting, baking, and drying machine operators and tenders salary go in Grand Forks?
Grand Forks has a Regional Price Parity of 86.66 (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 food and tobacco roasting, baking, and drying machine operators and tenders salary is worth about $50,323 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do food and tobacco roasting, baking, and drying machine operators and tenders 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.
