Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders Salary
Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders in Joplin, MO-KS make a median of $37,190 a year, or about $17.88 an hour. The range runs from $37K at the entry level to $43K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 85.72), which stretches that salary to about $43,385 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $947/month, about 37.3% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $37K get you in Joplin?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Joplin’s Regional Price Parity (85.72). 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
Sponsored links, AffordMap may earn a commission at no cost to you. Learn more
What this looks like in Joplin
Pay for food cooking machine operators and tenders in Joplin 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 $947/month, which is 36.7% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 85.72 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 14% 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 cooking machine operators and tenderss.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for food cooking machine operators and tenders in metros near Joplin, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Kansas City | $34K | $37K |
| St. Louis | $39K | $41K |
| Springfield | $37K | $42K |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin | $44K | $43K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Joplin, MO-KS
Entry-level food cooking machine operators and tenders (10th percentile) start around $37K. Mid-career wages sit at $37K. Top earners bring in $43K or more, a $6K 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
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track food cooking machine operators and tenders salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Joplin numbers change.
Related careers in Production & Manufacturing
Frequently asked questions
Can a food cooking machine operators and tender afford a 2BR apartment alone in Joplin?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $37K, rent takes 36.7% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $947/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 Joplin?
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 $2,231/month. At HUD’s $947/month FMR, rent would take 42% 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 Joplin?
Local pay runs 11% below the national median — $37K here vs. $42K nationally. Cost of living is 14% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Joplin compare to the national average for food cooking machine operators and tenders?
Joplin pays $37K median vs. the U.S. average of $42K — that’s -11%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 85.72), the purchasing-power equivalent is $43K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do food cooking machine operators and tenders make in Joplin, MO-KS?
The median is $37,190 a year, that works out to about $18 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $37,190, and experienced food cooking machine operators and tenders can clear $43,100. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $37K enough to live in Joplin?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,579/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $947/month, which eats 36.7% 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 Joplin?
Joplin has a Regional Price Parity of 85.72 (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 $43,385 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.