Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders Salary
Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders in Oklahoma City, OK make a median of $38,480 a year, or about $18.5 an hour. The range runs from $36K at the entry level to $44K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 90.41), which stretches that salary to about $42,562 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,244/month, about 47.4% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $38K get you in Oklahoma City?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Oklahoma City’s Regional Price Parity (90.41). 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 Oklahoma City
Food cooking machine operators and tenders pay in Oklahoma City tracks closely to the national median, $38K locally vs. $42K nationwide, a 7% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,244/month, which is 47.2% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 90.41 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 10% 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 Oklahoma City, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Tulsa | $39K | $43K |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington | $35K | $34K |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands | $32K | $33K |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels | $30K | $32K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Oklahoma City, OK
Entry-level food cooking machine operators and tenders (10th percentile) start around $36K. Mid-career wages sit at $38K. Top earners bring in $44K or more, a $8K 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 Oklahoma City numbers change.
Related careers in Production & Manufacturing
Frequently asked questions
Can a food cooking machine operators and tender afford a 2BR apartment alone in Oklahoma City?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $38K, rent takes 47.2% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,244/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 Oklahoma City?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new food cooking machine operators and tenders typically earn — is $36K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,137/month. At HUD’s $1,244/month FMR, rent would take 58% 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 Oklahoma City?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $38K locally vs. $42K nationally, a 7% difference.
How does Oklahoma City compare to the national average for food cooking machine operators and tenders?
Oklahoma City pays $38K median vs. the U.S. average of $42K — that’s -7%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 90.41), the purchasing-power equivalent is $43K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do food cooking machine operators and tenders make in Oklahoma City, OK?
The median is $38,480 a year, that works out to about $19 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $35,610, and experienced food cooking machine operators and tenders can clear $43,510. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $38K enough to live in Oklahoma City?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,635/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,244/month, which eats 47.2% 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 Oklahoma City?
Oklahoma City has a Regional Price Parity of 90.41 (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 $42,562 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.