Industrial Machinery Mechanics Salary
Industrial Machinery Mechanics in San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA make a median of $73,200 a year, or about $35.19 an hour. The range runs from $46K at the entry level to $106K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 108.6), so that salary is closer to $67,403 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $2,512/month, about 52.6% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $73K get you in San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles’s Regional Price Parity (108.6). 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 industrial machinery mechanics
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What this looks like in San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles
San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles sits well above the national pay line for industrial machinery mechanics, local pay runs about 13% higher than the U.S. median of $65K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $2,512/month, which is 53% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost-of-living overall is 9% above the national average (BEA RPP 108.6), so groceries and services cost more too. The pay premium is real, but so are the offsets.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for industrial machinery mechanics in metros near San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | $72K | $63K |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario | $73K | $69K |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont | $91K | $78K |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | $67K | $60K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA
Entry-level industrial machinery mechanics (10th percentile) start around $46K. Mid-career wages sit at $73K. Top earners bring in $106K or more, a $60K spread from bottom to top.
Industrial Machinery Mechanics pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Industrial Machinery Mechanics salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $88K | +36% | 200 |
| Wyoming | $78K | +21% | 2,010 |
| Nevada | $78K | +21% | 2,240 |
| Alaska | $77K | +20% | 860 |
| Hawaii | $77K | +20% | 910 |
| Washington | $77K | +20% | 10,710 |
| Illinois | $76K | +18% | 12,100 |
| Oregon | $76K | +17% | 7,070 |
| Colorado | $76K | +17% | 7,260 |
| Arizona | $75K | +16% | 5,020 |
| New Jersey | $75K | +16% | 8,380 |
| California | $74K | +15% | 26,830 |
| Massachusetts | $73K | +13% | 6,130 |
| Maine | $72K | +12% | 1,190 |
| Minnesota | $72K | +12% | 6,510 |
| Maryland | $72K | +11% | 2,880 |
| Utah | $71K | +10% | 4,040 |
| Connecticut | $70K | +8% | 2,360 |
| New York | $70K | +8% | 12,740 |
| Missouri | $67K | +4% | 5,420 |
| Delaware | $67K | +4% | 890 |
| Montana | $67K | +4% | 820 |
| Wisconsin | $67K | +3% | 13,870 |
| North Dakota | $66K | +2% | 2,560 |
| Kansas | $66K | +2% | 7,700 |
| Ohio | $65K | +1% | 21,950 |
| Tennessee | $65K | +1% | 12,850 |
| Rhode Island | $65K | +0% | 1,070 |
| Kentucky | $65K | +0% | 11,540 |
| Iowa | $64K | -0% | 6,050 |
| Michigan | $64K | -0% | 17,310 |
| New Hampshire | $64K | -1% | 1,950 |
| Nebraska | $64K | -1% | 2,880 |
| Virginia | $64K | -1% | 9,470 |
| Indiana | $64K | -1% | 14,960 |
| Pennsylvania | $64K | -1% | 22,160 |
| Vermont | $63K | -2% | 700 |
| Idaho | $63K | -3% | 2,750 |
| North Carolina | $62K | -3% | 15,720 |
| South Carolina | $62K | -3% | 9,890 |
| Texas | $62K | -4% | 56,950 |
| Alabama | $62K | -4% | 17,850 |
| West Virginia | $62K | -4% | 3,150 |
| South Dakota | $62K | -5% | 1,230 |
| Oklahoma | $62K | -5% | 6,250 |
| Georgia | $61K | -5% | 14,230 |
| New Mexico | $61K | -6% | 2,780 |
| Florida | $61K | -6% | 17,120 |
| Louisiana | $60K | -7% | 7,410 |
| Arkansas | $60K | -7% | 6,270 |
| Mississippi | $58K | -10% | 4,460 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
Track industrial machinery mechanics salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a industrial machinery mechanic afford a 2BR apartment alone in San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $73K, rent takes 53% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,512/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,400/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for industrial machinery mechanics in San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new industrial machinery mechanics typically earn — is $46K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,771/month. At HUD’s $2,512/month FMR, rent would take 91% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is industrial machinery mechanic a high-paying job in San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles?
Local pay is 13% above the national median — $73K here vs. $65K nationally. Keep in mind cost of living here is 9% above the national average, which offsets some of that premium.
How does San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles compare to the national average for industrial machinery mechanics?
San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles pays $73K median vs. the U.S. average of $65K — that’s +13%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 108.6), the purchasing-power equivalent is $67K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do industrial machinery mechanics make in San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA?
The median is $73,200 a year, that works out to about $35 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $46,190, and experienced industrial machinery mechanics can clear $106,090. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $73K enough to live in San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,744/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,512/month, which eats 53% 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 industrial machinery mechanics salary go in San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles?
San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles has a Regional Price Parity of 108.6 (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 industrial machinery mechanics salary is worth about $67,403 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do industrial machinery mechanics 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.