Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders Salary
Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders in Washington make a median of $51,100 a year, or about $24.57 an hour. The range runs from $41K at the entry level to $61K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 102.01), that's roughly $50,093 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,830/month, about 51.6% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Washington. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $51K get you in Washington?
About food cooking machine operators and tenders
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What this looks like in Washington
Washington sits well above the national pay line for food cooking machine operators and tenders, local pay runs about 23% higher than the U.S. median of $42K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,830/month, which is 51% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 102.01) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. The pay premium is real, but so are the offsets.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Washington
Entry-level food cooking machine operators and tenders (10th percentile) start around $41K. Mid-career wages sit at $51K. Top earners bring in $61K or more, a $20K spread from bottom to top.
Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders salary by metro in Washington
1 metro area with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue | $56K | +10% | 190 |
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Frequently asked questions
Can a food cooking machine operators and tender afford a 2BR apartment alone in Washington?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $51K, rent takes 51% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,830/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,100/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 Washington?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new food cooking machine operators and tenders typically earn — is $41K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,464/month. At HUD’s $1,830/month FMR, rent would take 74% 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 Washington?
Local pay is 23% above the national median — $51K here vs. $42K nationally.
How does Washington compare to the national average for food cooking machine operators and tenders?
Washington pays $51K median vs. the U.S. average of $42K — that’s +23%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 102.01), the purchasing-power equivalent is $50K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do food cooking machine operators and tenders make in Washington?
The median is $51,100 a year, that works out to about $25 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $41,060, and experienced food cooking machine operators and tenders can clear $60,660. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $51K enough to live in Washington?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,591/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,830/month, which eats 51% 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 Washington?
Washington has a Regional Price Parity of 102.01 (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 $50,093 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.