Food and Tobacco Roasting, Baking, and Drying Machine Operators and Tenders Salary
Food and Tobacco Roasting, Baking, and Drying Machine Operators and Tenders in Merced, CA make a median of $42,130 a year, or about $20.26 an hour. The range runs from $38K at the entry level to $57K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 98.28), that's roughly $42,867 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,503/month, about 51.7% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $42K 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 food and tobacco roasting, baking, and drying machine operators and tenders
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What this looks like in Merced
Food and tobacco roasting, baking, and drying machine operators and tenders pay in Merced tracks closely to the national median, $42K locally vs. $45K nationwide, a 6% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,503/month, which is 51.5% 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 food and tobacco roasting, baking, and drying machine operators and tenders in metros near Merced, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | $44K | $39K |
| Salinas | $47K | $43K |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont | $51K | $44K |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario | $49K | $46K |
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 food and tobacco roasting, baking, and drying machine operators and tenders (10th percentile) start around $38K. Mid-career wages sit at $42K. Top earners bring in $57K or more, a $19K 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 with published data
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
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Merced numbers change.
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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 Merced?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $42K, rent takes 51.5% 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 $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 Merced?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new food and tobacco roasting, baking, and drying machine operators and tenders typically earn — is $38K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,258/month. At HUD’s $1,503/month FMR, rent would take 67% 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 Merced?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $42K locally vs. $45K nationally, a 6% difference.
How does Merced compare to the national average for food and tobacco roasting, baking, and drying machine operators and tenders?
Merced pays $42K median vs. the U.S. average of $45K — that’s -6%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 98.28), the purchasing-power equivalent is $43K — below the national median.
How much do food and tobacco roasting, baking, and drying machine operators and tenders make in Merced, CA?
The median is $42,130 a year, that works out to about $20 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $37,640, and experienced food and tobacco roasting, baking, and drying machine operators and tenders can clear $56,830. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $42K enough to live in Merced?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,919/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,503/month, which eats 51.5% 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 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 food and tobacco roasting, baking, and drying machine operators and tenders salary is worth about $42,867 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.