Food Batchmakers Salary
Food Batchmakers in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA make a median of $37,580 a year, or about $18.07 an hour. The range runs from $36K at the entry level to $46K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 108.8), so that salary is closer to $34,540 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $3,124/month, about 120.4% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $38K get you in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Santa Maria-Santa Barbara’s Regional Price Parity (108.8). 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 Santa Maria-Santa Barbara
Pay for food batchmakers in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara runs about 11% below the U.S. median of $42K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $3,124/month, which is 118.8% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost-of-living overall is 9% above the national average (BEA RPP 108.8), so groceries and services cost more too. 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 Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | $39K | $34K |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont | $45K | $39K |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario | $39K | $36K |
| Visalia | $43K | $43K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA
Entry-level food batchmakers (10th percentile) start around $36K. Mid-career wages sit at $38K. Top earners bring in $46K or more, a $9K 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 Santa Maria-Santa Barbara numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a food batchmaker afford a 2BR apartment alone in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $38K, rent takes 118.8% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $3,124/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 batchmakers in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new food batchmakers typically earn — is $36K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,184/month. At HUD’s $3,124/month FMR, rent would take 143% 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 Santa Maria-Santa Barbara?
Local pay runs 11% below the national median — $38K here vs. $42K nationally.
How does Santa Maria-Santa Barbara compare to the national average for food batchmakers?
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara pays $38K median vs. the U.S. average of $42K — that’s -11%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 108.8), the purchasing-power equivalent is $35K — below the national median.
How much do food batchmakers make in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA?
The median is $37,580 a year, that works out to about $18 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $36,400, and experienced food batchmakers can clear $45,660. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $38K enough to live in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,629/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $3,124/month, which eats 118.8% 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 Santa Maria-Santa Barbara?
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara has a Regional Price Parity of 108.8 (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 batchmakers salary is worth about $34,540 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.