Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders Salary
Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders in Memphis, TN-MS-AR make a median of $55,270 a year, or about $26.57 an hour. The range runs from $28K at the entry level to $58K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 92.18), which stretches that salary to about $59,959 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,274/month, about 33.2% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $55K get you in Memphis?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Memphis’s Regional Price Parity (92.18). 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 Memphis
Memphis sits well above the national pay line for food cooking machine operators and tenders, local pay runs about 33% higher than the U.S. median of $42K. Rent runs $1,274/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 32.9% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Regional Price Parity sits at 92.18 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 8% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. 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 Memphis, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Knoxville | $41K | $45K |
| Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin | $45K | $47K |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell | $40K | $40K |
| Kansas City | $34K | $37K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Memphis, TN-MS-AR
Entry-level food cooking machine operators and tenders (10th percentile) start around $28K. Mid-career wages sit at $55K. Top earners bring in $58K or more, a $30K 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
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Memphis numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a food cooking machine operators and tender afford a 2BR apartment alone in Memphis?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $55K, rent takes 32.9% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,274/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,200/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 Memphis?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new food cooking machine operators and tenders typically earn — is $28K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,675/month. At HUD’s $1,274/month FMR, rent would take 76% 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 Memphis?
Local pay is 33% above the national median — $55K here vs. $42K nationally.
How does Memphis compare to the national average for food cooking machine operators and tenders?
Memphis pays $55K median vs. the U.S. average of $42K — that’s +33%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 92.18), the purchasing-power equivalent is $60K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do food cooking machine operators and tenders make in Memphis, TN-MS-AR?
The median is $55,270 a year, that works out to about $27 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $27,920, and experienced food cooking machine operators and tenders can clear $58,070. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $55K enough to live in Memphis?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,871/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,274/month, which eats 32.9% 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 Memphis?
Memphis has a Regional Price Parity of 92.18 (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 $59,959 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.