Food and Tobacco Roasting, Baking, and Drying Machine Operators and Tenders Salary
Food and Tobacco Roasting, Baking, and Drying Machine Operators and Tenders in Salem, OR make a median of $39,590 a year, or about $19.03 an hour. The range runs from $33K at the entry level to $53K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 103.65), that's roughly $38,196 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,560/month, about 57.1% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $40K get you in Salem?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Salem’s Regional Price Parity (103.65). 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 Salem
Pay for food and tobacco roasting, baking, and drying machine operators and tenders in Salem runs about 12% below the U.S. median of $45K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,560/month, which is 60.6% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 103.65) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. 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 Salem, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro | $50K | $47K |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | $44K | $39K |
| Salinas | $47K | $43K |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue | $60K | $54K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Salem, OR
Entry-level food and tobacco roasting, baking, and drying machine operators and tenders (10th percentile) start around $33K. Mid-career wages sit at $40K. Top earners bring in $53K or more, a $20K 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 Salem 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 Salem?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $40K, rent takes 60.6% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,560/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 food and tobacco roasting, baking, and drying machine operators and tenders in Salem?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new food and tobacco roasting, baking, and drying machine operators and tenders typically earn — is $33K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,976/month. At HUD’s $1,560/month FMR, rent would take 79% 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 Salem?
Local pay runs 12% below the national median — $40K here vs. $45K nationally.
How does Salem compare to the national average for food and tobacco roasting, baking, and drying machine operators and tenders?
Salem pays $40K median vs. the U.S. average of $45K — that’s -12%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 103.65), 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 Salem, OR?
The median is $39,590 a year, that works out to about $19 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $32,930, and experienced food and tobacco roasting, baking, and drying machine operators and tenders can clear $53,330. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $40K enough to live in Salem?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,576/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,560/month, which eats 60.6% 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 food and tobacco roasting, baking, and drying machine operators and tenders salary go in Salem?
Salem has a Regional Price Parity of 103.65 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median food and tobacco roasting, baking, and drying machine operators and tenders salary is worth about $38,196 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.