Food and Tobacco Roasting, Baking, and Drying Machine Operators and Tenders Salary
Food and Tobacco Roasting, Baking, and Drying Machine Operators and Tenders in Las Cruces, NM make a median of $34,140 a year, or about $16.42 an hour. The range runs from $32K at the entry level to $45K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 90.21), which stretches that salary to about $37,845 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,042/month, about 44.7% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $34K get you in Las Cruces?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Las Cruces’s Regional Price Parity (90.21). 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 Las Cruces
Pay for food and tobacco roasting, baking, and drying machine operators and tenders in Las Cruces runs about 24% below the U.S. median of $45K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,042/month, which is 43.4% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 90.21 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 10% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for food and tobacco roasting, baking, and drying machine operators and tenderss.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for food and tobacco roasting, baking, and drying machine operators and tenders in metros near Las Cruces, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington | $38K | $37K |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels | $34K | $36K |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial | $63K | , |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands | $36K | $36K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Las Cruces, NM
Entry-level food and tobacco roasting, baking, and drying machine operators and tenders (10th percentile) start around $32K. Mid-career wages sit at $34K. Top earners bring in $45K or more, a $13K 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 Las Cruces?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $34K, rent takes 43.4% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,042/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $700/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 Las Cruces?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new food and tobacco roasting, baking, and drying machine operators and tenders typically earn — is $32K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,901/month. At HUD’s $1,042/month FMR, rent would take 55% 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 Las Cruces?
Local pay runs 24% below the national median — $34K here vs. $45K nationally. Cost of living is 10% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Las Cruces compare to the national average for food and tobacco roasting, baking, and drying machine operators and tenders?
Las Cruces pays $34K median vs. the U.S. average of $45K — that’s -24%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 90.21), the purchasing-power equivalent is $38K — below the national median.
How much do food and tobacco roasting, baking, and drying machine operators and tenders make in Las Cruces, NM?
The median is $34,140 a year, that works out to about $16 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $31,680, and experienced food and tobacco roasting, baking, and drying machine operators and tenders can clear $44,740. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $34K enough to live in Las Cruces?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,399/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,042/month, which eats 43.4% 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 Las Cruces?
Las Cruces has a Regional Price Parity of 90.21 (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 $37,845 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.