Loan Officers Salary
Loan Officers in Merced, CA make a median of $78,940 a year, or about $37.95 an hour. The range runs from $35K at the entry level to $139K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 98.28), that's roughly $80,322 in purchasing power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,503/month, or 29.2% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $79K get you in Merced?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Merced’s Regional Price Parity (98.28). 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 loan officers
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What this looks like in Merced
Loan officers pay in Merced tracks closely to the national median, $79K locally vs. $77K nationwide, a 3% difference. Rent runs $1,503/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 29.8% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Cost of living (RPP 98.28) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Pay and costs are both near average, leaving limited margin for savings at the median wage.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for loan officers in metros near Merced, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | $80K | $71K |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont | $103K | $89K |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | $82K | $73K |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom | $79K | $74K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Merced, CA
Entry-level loan officers (10th percentile) start around $35K. Mid-career wages sit at $79K. Top earners bring in $139K or more, a $104K spread from bottom to top.
Loan Officers pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Loan Officers salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts | $102K | +32% | 4,470 |
| Connecticut | $96K | +25% | 2,220 |
| New York | $96K | +25% | 10,840 |
| Minnesota | $95K | +24% | 6,430 |
| Colorado | $95K | +23% | 3,230 |
| Oregon | $94K | +23% | 4,220 |
| New Jersey | $93K | +21% | 6,200 |
| District of Columbia | $93K | +21% | 370 |
| Vermont | $89K | +16% | 350 |
| Kansas | $87K | +13% | 3,540 |
| North Dakota | $85K | +10% | 1,370 |
| Iowa | $84K | +9% | 2,840 |
| Delaware | $83K | +8% | 1,420 |
| Maine | $82K | +7% | 1,060 |
| California | $82K | +7% | 25,790 |
| New Hampshire | $81K | +5% | 1,120 |
| Washington | $80K | +4% | 6,040 |
| South Dakota | $80K | +4% | 1,820 |
| Nebraska | $80K | +4% | 2,710 |
| Wyoming | $80K | +4% | 740 |
| Illinois | $79K | +3% | 10,890 |
| Virginia | $78K | +2% | 8,790 |
| Wisconsin | $78K | +2% | 4,940 |
| Rhode Island | $77K | +1% | 1,290 |
| Ohio | $76K | -0% | 9,880 |
| North Carolina | $76K | -1% | 10,700 |
| Michigan | $74K | -3% | 11,340 |
| Missouri | $74K | -4% | 7,050 |
| Maryland | $74K | -4% | 3,850 |
| Oklahoma | $73K | -5% | 4,100 |
| Indiana | $73K | -5% | 4,790 |
| Alaska | $73K | -5% | 490 |
| Montana | $72K | -7% | 1,180 |
| Florida | $71K | -7% | 18,830 |
| Idaho | $71K | -7% | 2,030 |
| Arkansas | $70K | -8% | 2,610 |
| Pennsylvania | $69K | -10% | 8,140 |
| Georgia | $68K | -11% | 9,540 |
| Alabama | $67K | -13% | 5,050 |
| Texas | $66K | -13% | 21,200 |
| Nevada | $65K | -16% | 2,580 |
| Hawaii | $64K | -17% | 980 |
| South Carolina | $63K | -18% | 4,140 |
| Tennessee | $63K | -18% | 6,510 |
| New Mexico | $63K | -18% | 1,140 |
| Arizona | $62K | -19% | 10,020 |
| Kentucky | $62K | -19% | 3,940 |
| Louisiana | $61K | -20% | 2,810 |
| Mississippi | $60K | -21% | 3,450 |
| Utah | $59K | -22% | 3,990 |
| West Virginia | $58K | -25% | 1,290 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
Track loan officers salary changes
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Frequently asked questions
Can a loan officer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Merced?
Yes — at the median salary of $79K, rent takes 29.8% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,503/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for loan officers in Merced?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new loan officers typically earn — is $35K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,075/month. At HUD’s $1,503/month FMR, rent would take 72% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is loan officer a high-paying job in Merced?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $79K locally vs. $77K nationally, a 3% difference.
How does Merced compare to the national average for loan officers?
Merced pays $79K median vs. the U.S. average of $77K — that’s +3%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 98.28), the purchasing-power equivalent is $80K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do loan officers make in Merced, CA?
The median is $78,940 a year, that works out to about $38 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $34,580, and experienced loan officers can clear $138,860. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $79K enough to live in Merced?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,037/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,503/month, which eats 29.8% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a loan officers salary go in Merced?
Merced has a Regional Price Parity of 98.28 (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 loan officers salary is worth about $80,322 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do loan officers 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.