Food Batchmakers Salary
Food Batchmakers in Altoona, PA make a median of $35,670 a year, or about $17.15 an hour. The range runs from $23K at the entry level to $45K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 89.51), which stretches that salary to about $39,850 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,138/month, about 45.9% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $36K get you in Altoona?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Altoona’s Regional Price Parity (89.51). 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 batchmakers
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What this looks like in Altoona
Pay for food batchmakers in Altoona runs about 16% below the U.S. median of $42K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,138/month, which is 46.1% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 89.51 (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 batchmakerss.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for food batchmakers in metros near Altoona, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington | $37K | $36K |
| Lancaster | $42K | $42K |
| Harrisburg-Carlisle | $43K | $43K |
| Pittsburgh | $37K | $39K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Altoona, PA
Entry-level food batchmakers (10th percentile) start around $23K. Mid-career wages sit at $36K. Top earners bring in $45K or more, a $21K spread from bottom to top.
Food Batchmakers pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Food Batchmakers salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vermont | $50K | +19% | 1,000 |
| Idaho | $50K | +17% | 1,700 |
| Wisconsin | $48K | +14% | 18,040 |
| Iowa | $48K | +14% | 4,160 |
| Illinois | $48K | +14% | 12,320 |
| Kentucky | $47K | +11% | 4,570 |
| Georgia | $46K | +10% | 4,290 |
| Missouri | $46K | +8% | 2,280 |
| Colorado | $45K | +6% | 3,880 |
| Ohio | $45K | +5% | 7,040 |
| Minnesota | $43K | +2% | 7,660 |
| Kansas | $43K | +1% | 3,230 |
| Washington | $43K | +1% | 5,700 |
| Tennessee | $43K | +1% | 2,920 |
| Maine | $42K | -0% | 610 |
| California | $42K | -1% | 12,560 |
| Utah | $41K | -2% | 3,250 |
| Nebraska | $41K | -3% | 1,270 |
| Nevada | $41K | -3% | 880 |
| Virginia | $41K | -3% | 2,870 |
| North Dakota | $41K | -3% | 250 |
| Arizona | $41K | -4% | 2,300 |
| Maryland | $40K | -5% | 1,390 |
| Michigan | $40K | -5% | 5,130 |
| Pennsylvania | $40K | -6% | 8,160 |
| Oregon | $40K | -6% | 3,420 |
| Indiana | $40K | -6% | 5,570 |
| Montana | $40K | -6% | 170 |
| Rhode Island | $39K | -7% | 310 |
| South Dakota | $39K | -7% | 660 |
| Connecticut | $39K | -8% | 1,460 |
| Alaska | $39K | -8% | 100 |
| Arkansas | $39K | -8% | 2,120 |
| New York | $38K | -9% | 8,460 |
| Wyoming | $38K | -9% | 100 |
| New Jersey | $38K | -10% | 3,640 |
| Texas | $38K | -11% | 13,250 |
| Hawaii | $37K | -11% | 360 |
| New Hampshire | $37K | -11% | 190 |
| New Mexico | $37K | -12% | 450 |
| Delaware | $37K | -12% | 380 |
| South Carolina | $37K | -12% | 700 |
| Alabama | $37K | -13% | 1,280 |
| Massachusetts | $37K | -13% | 5,100 |
| North Carolina | $37K | -13% | 3,450 |
| Mississippi | $37K | -14% | 660 |
| Oklahoma | $36K | -14% | 930 |
| Florida | $36K | -16% | 3,670 |
| West Virginia | $35K | -18% | 70 |
| Louisiana | $35K | -18% | 530 |
Showing 1–10 of 50 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track food batchmakers salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Altoona numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a food batchmaker afford a 2BR apartment alone in Altoona?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $36K, rent takes 46.1% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,138/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 batchmakers in Altoona?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new food batchmakers typically earn — is $23K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,384/month. At HUD’s $1,138/month FMR, rent would take 82% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is food batchmaker a high-paying job in Altoona?
Local pay runs 16% below the national median — $36K here vs. $42K nationally. Cost of living is 10% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Altoona compare to the national average for food batchmakers?
Altoona pays $36K median vs. the U.S. average of $42K — that’s -16%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 89.51), the purchasing-power equivalent is $40K — below the national median.
How much do food batchmakers make in Altoona, PA?
The median is $35,670 a year, that works out to about $17 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $23,060, and experienced food batchmakers can clear $44,500. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $36K enough to live in Altoona?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,467/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,138/month, which eats 46.1% 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 batchmakers salary go in Altoona?
Altoona has a Regional Price Parity of 89.51 (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 batchmakers salary is worth about $39,850 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do food batchmakers 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.