Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders Salary
Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders in Connecticut make a median of $38,880 a year, or about $18.69 an hour. The range runs from $34K at the entry level to $50K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 102.88), that's roughly $37,792 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,679/month, about 62.5% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. This is an aggregate across all of Connecticut. BLS does not publish metro-level data for this occupation in this state.
So what does $39K get you in Connecticut?
About food cooking machine operators and tenders
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What this looks like in Connecticut
Food cooking machine operators and tenders pay in Connecticut tracks closely to the national median, $39K locally vs. $42K nationwide, a 7% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,679/month, which is 63.9% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 102.88) 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.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Connecticut
Entry-level food cooking machine operators and tenders (10th percentile) start around $34K. Mid-career wages sit at $39K. Top earners bring in $50K or more, a $16K spread from bottom to top.
Compare to other states
Track food cooking machine operators and tenders salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Connecticut numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a food cooking machine operators and tender afford a 2BR apartment alone in Connecticut?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $39K, rent takes 63.9% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,679/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 Connecticut?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new food cooking machine operators and tenders typically earn — is $34K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,041/month. At HUD’s $1,679/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 cooking machine operators and tender a high-paying job in Connecticut?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $39K locally vs. $42K nationally, a 7% difference.
How does Connecticut compare to the national average for food cooking machine operators and tenders?
Connecticut pays $39K median vs. the U.S. average of $42K — that’s -7%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 102.88), the purchasing-power equivalent is $38K — below the national median.
How much do food cooking machine operators and tenders make in Connecticut?
The median is $38,880 a year, that works out to about $19 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $34,010, and experienced food cooking machine operators and tenders can clear $49,680. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $39K enough to live in Connecticut?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,628/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,679/month, which eats 63.9% 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 Connecticut?
Connecticut has a Regional Price Parity of 102.88 (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 $37,792 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.