Machine Feeders and Offbearers Salary
The median pay for a machine feeders and offbearers in Reading, PA is $51,490/year ($24.76/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $26K at the entry level to $59K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 97.06), that's roughly $53,050 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,575/month, about 45.7% of take-home, which is tight.
Where the paycheck goes
What $51K actually covers in Reading, month by month
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Reading’s Regional Price Parity (97.06). 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 machine feeders and offbearers
Sponsored links, AffordMap may earn a commission at no cost to you. Learn more
What this looks like in Reading
Reading sits well above the national pay line for machine feeders and offbearers, local pay runs about 25% higher than the U.S. median of $41K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,575/month, which is 45.2% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 97.06) 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.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for machine feeders and offbearers in metros near Reading, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington | $44K | $43K |
| Scranton--Wilkes-Barre | $33K | $36K |
| York-Hanover | $39K | $41K |
| Harrisburg-Carlisle | $39K | $40K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Reading, PA
Entry-level machine feeders and offbearers (10th percentile) start around $26K. Mid-career wages sit at $51K. Top earners bring in $59K or more, a $33K spread from bottom to top.
Machine Feeders and Offbearers pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Machine Feeders and Offbearers salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wisconsin | $55K | +34% | 570 |
| Wyoming | $51K | +24% | 30 |
| Minnesota | $49K | +18% | 410 |
| Colorado | $48K | +17% | 650 |
| Kansas | $48K | +16% | 430 |
| Missouri | $47K | +13% | 1,280 |
| New Hampshire | $47K | +13% | 200 |
| Washington | $46K | +11% | 1,040 |
| Oregon | $46K | +11% | 2,390 |
| Nebraska | $45K | +10% | 210 |
| Iowa | $45K | +10% | 560 |
| Arkansas | $45K | +10% | 1,580 |
| Ohio | $45K | +9% | 2,930 |
| New Jersey | $45K | +9% | 850 |
| Delaware | $44K | +7% | 30 |
| Massachusetts | $44K | +6% | 620 |
| New York | $43K | +5% | 770 |
| Louisiana | $43K | +5% | 130 |
| Idaho | $43K | +3% | 170 |
| Michigan | $42K | +3% | 740 |
| Kentucky | $42K | +2% | 980 |
| Maryland | $42K | +1% | 110 |
| Pennsylvania | $41K | +0% | 1,390 |
| Nevada | $41K | -2% | 150 |
| Tennessee | $40K | -2% | 450 |
| California | $40K | -2% | 4,830 |
| Arizona | $40K | -2% | 170 |
| Utah | $40K | -3% | 140 |
| West Virginia | $39K | -5% | 180 |
| Georgia | $39K | -5% | 1,550 |
| South Dakota | $39K | -5% | 660 |
| Alabama | $39K | -6% | 2,160 |
| Mississippi | $38K | -7% | 670 |
| South Carolina | $38K | -8% | 680 |
| Indiana | $38K | -8% | 2,800 |
| North Carolina | $37K | -9% | 2,040 |
| Texas | $37K | -9% | 3,100 |
| Connecticut | $37K | -10% | 120 |
| Oklahoma | $37K | -11% | 310 |
| Virginia | $36K | -12% | 1,340 |
| Florida | $35K | -15% | 1,110 |
| Rhode Island | $33K | -20% | N/A |
| Maine | $32K | -22% | 210 |
Showing 1–10 of 43 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track machine feeders and offbearers salary changes
BLS updates this data annually. We'll email you when Reading numbers change.
Related careers in Transportation
Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a machine feeders and offbearer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Reading?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $51K, rent takes 45.2% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,575/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,000/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for machine feeders and offbearers in Reading?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new machine feeders and offbearers typically earn — is $26K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,874/month. At HUD’s $1,575/month FMR, rent would take 84% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is machine feeders and offbearer a high-paying job in Reading?
Local pay is 25% above the national median — $51K here vs. $41K nationally.
How does Reading compare to the national average for machine feeders and offbearers?
Reading pays $51K median vs. the U.S. average of $41K — that’s +25%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 97.06), the purchasing-power equivalent is $53K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do machine feeders and offbearers make in Reading, PA?
The median is $51,490 a year, that works out to about $25 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $26,470, and experienced machine feeders and offbearers can clear $59,210. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $51K enough to live in Reading?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,486/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,575/month, which eats 45.2% 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 machine feeders and offbearers salary go in Reading?
Reading has a Regional Price Parity of 97.06 (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 machine feeders and offbearers salary is worth about $53,050 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do machine feeders and offbearers 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.