Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders Salary
Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders in Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH make a median of $41,030 a year, or about $19.73 an hour. The range runs from $40K at the entry level to $51K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 108.27), so that salary is closer to $37,896 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $2,941/month, about 105.1% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $41K get you in Boston-Cambridge-Newton?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Boston-Cambridge-Newton’s Regional Price Parity (108.27). 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 cooking machine operators and tenders
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What this looks like in Boston-Cambridge-Newton
Food cooking machine operators and tenders pay in Boston-Cambridge-Newton tracks closely to the national median, $41K locally vs. $42K nationwide, a 1% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $2,941/month, which is 107.1% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost-of-living overall is 8% above the national average (BEA RPP 108.27), so groceries and services cost more too. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for food cooking machine operators and tenders in metros near Boston-Cambridge-Newton, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City | $42K | $37K |
| Rochester | $48K | $49K |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga | $46K | $48K |
| Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh | $58K | $53K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH
Entry-level food cooking machine operators and tenders (10th percentile) start around $40K. Mid-career wages sit at $41K. Top earners bring in $51K or more, a $11K spread from bottom to top.
Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | $51K | +23% | 310 |
| Utah | $49K | +17% | 390 |
| Massachusetts | $48K | +15% | 170 |
| Iowa | $48K | +15% | 850 |
| Michigan | $47K | +14% | 380 |
| Minnesota | $47K | +14% | 1,410 |
| Colorado | $47K | +13% | 300 |
| Kansas | $46K | +10% | 750 |
| New York | $46K | +10% | 1,300 |
| Tennessee | $46K | +10% | 1,820 |
| Nebraska | $45K | +9% | 670 |
| Idaho | $45K | +8% | 790 |
| California | $45K | +8% | 2,010 |
| Oregon | $45K | +7% | 570 |
| Louisiana | $44K | +7% | 550 |
| Arizona | $44K | +6% | 560 |
| Indiana | $43K | +4% | 540 |
| Pennsylvania | $43K | +3% | 1,580 |
| Illinois | $43K | +3% | 2,460 |
| Missouri | $42K | +1% | 620 |
| Kentucky | $42K | +1% | 300 |
| Ohio | $41K | -1% | 980 |
| Arkansas | $40K | -3% | 330 |
| New Hampshire | $40K | -3% | 110 |
| Wisconsin | $40K | -4% | 850 |
| South Dakota | $39K | -6% | 120 |
| North Carolina | $39K | -6% | 770 |
| Connecticut | $39K | -7% | 60 |
| Georgia | $38K | -8% | 690 |
| South Carolina | $38K | -8% | 520 |
| Maine | $38K | -10% | 170 |
| New Jersey | $37K | -11% | 430 |
| Maryland | $37K | -11% | N/A |
| Nevada | $37K | -12% | N/A |
| Florida | $36K | -12% | 970 |
| Oklahoma | $36K | -13% | 1,140 |
| Virginia | $35K | -16% | 510 |
| Texas | $34K | -18% | 3,180 |
| Delaware | $31K | -25% | N/A |
| Mississippi | $31K | -25% | 110 |
| Alabama | $27K | -35% | 250 |
Showing 1–10 of 41 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track food cooking machine operators and tenders salary changes
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Frequently asked questions
Can a food cooking machine operators and tender afford a 2BR apartment alone in Boston-Cambridge-Newton?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $41K, rent takes 107.1% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,941/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 cooking machine operators and tenders in Boston-Cambridge-Newton?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new food cooking machine operators and tenders typically earn — is $40K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,380/month. At HUD’s $2,941/month FMR, rent would take 124% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is food cooking machine operators and tender a high-paying job in Boston-Cambridge-Newton?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $41K locally vs. $42K nationally, a 1% difference.
How does Boston-Cambridge-Newton compare to the national average for food cooking machine operators and tenders?
Boston-Cambridge-Newton pays $41K median vs. the U.S. average of $42K — that’s -1%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 108.27), the purchasing-power equivalent is $38K — below the national median.
How much do food cooking machine operators and tenders make in Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH?
The median is $41,030 a year, that works out to about $20 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $39,670, and experienced food cooking machine operators and tenders can clear $50,910. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $41K enough to live in Boston-Cambridge-Newton?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,746/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,941/month, which eats 107.1% 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 cooking machine operators and tenders salary go in Boston-Cambridge-Newton?
Boston-Cambridge-Newton has a Regional Price Parity of 108.27 (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 cooking machine operators and tenders salary is worth about $37,896 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do food cooking 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.