Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders Salary
Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders in Idaho make a median of $45,120 a year, or about $21.69 an hour. The range runs from $37K at the entry level to $75K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 93.88), which stretches that salary to about $48,061 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,136/month, about 36.9% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Idaho. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $45K get you in Idaho?
About food cooking machine operators and tenders
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What this looks like in Idaho
Food cooking machine operators and tenders pay in Idaho tracks closely to the national median, $45K locally vs. $42K nationwide, a 8% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,136/month, which is 37.1% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 93.88 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 6% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Idaho
Entry-level food cooking machine operators and tenders (10th percentile) start around $37K. Mid-career wages sit at $45K. Top earners bring in $75K or more, a $39K spread from bottom to top.
Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders salary by metro in Idaho
2 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Twin Falls | $46K | +2% | 130 |
| Boise City | $45K | +0% | 360 |
Compare to other states
Track food cooking machine operators and tenders salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Idaho numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a food cooking machine operators and tender afford a 2BR apartment alone in Idaho?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $45K, rent takes 37.1% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,136/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $900/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 Idaho?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new food cooking machine operators and tenders typically earn — is $37K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,198/month. At HUD’s $1,136/month FMR, rent would take 52% 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 Idaho?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $45K locally vs. $42K nationally, a 8% difference.
How does Idaho compare to the national average for food cooking machine operators and tenders?
Idaho pays $45K median vs. the U.S. average of $42K — that’s +8%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 93.88), the purchasing-power equivalent is $48K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do food cooking machine operators and tenders make in Idaho?
The median is $45,120 a year, that works out to about $22 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $36,630, and experienced food cooking machine operators and tenders can clear $75,380. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $45K enough to live in Idaho?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,062/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,136/month, which eats 37.1% 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 Idaho?
Idaho has a Regional Price Parity of 93.88 (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 cooking machine operators and tenders salary is worth about $48,061 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.