Medical Equipment Preparers Salary
The median pay for a medical equipment preparers in Merced, CA is $51,110/year ($24.57/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $42K at the entry level to $58K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 98.28), that's roughly $52,004 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,503/month, about 45% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $51K 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 medical equipment preparers
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What this looks like in Merced
Medical equipment preparers pay in Merced tracks closely to the national median, $51K locally vs. $48K nationwide, a 7% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,503/month, which is 43.2% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 98.28) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for medical equipment preparers in metros near Merced, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Chico | $47K | $46K |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | $60K | $52K |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont | $82K | $71K |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario | $60K | $56K |
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 medical equipment preparers (10th percentile) start around $42K. Mid-career wages sit at $51K. Top earners bring in $58K or more, a $16K spread from bottom to top.
Medical Equipment Preparers pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Medical Equipment Preparers salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | $61K | +29% | 8,720 |
| Washington | $59K | +23% | 1,670 |
| Massachusetts | $59K | +23% | 1,900 |
| New York | $57K | +20% | 5,190 |
| Delaware | $53K | +12% | 190 |
| Hawaii | $52K | +8% | 220 |
| Rhode Island | $51K | +8% | 190 |
| New Jersey | $50K | +5% | 2,440 |
| Minnesota | $50K | +5% | 1,390 |
| Alaska | $50K | +5% | 220 |
| Vermont | $49K | +3% | 140 |
| New Hampshire | $49K | +3% | 380 |
| Oregon | $49K | +2% | 1,570 |
| Maryland | $49K | +2% | 1,160 |
| District of Columbia | $49K | +2% | 310 |
| Wyoming | $48K | +1% | 120 |
| Illinois | $48K | +1% | 2,800 |
| Connecticut | $48K | +1% | 1,060 |
| Utah | $48K | +1% | 600 |
| Georgia | $48K | +0% | 1,860 |
| Colorado | $48K | +0% | 1,950 |
| Wisconsin | $48K | -0% | 1,380 |
| Tennessee | $47K | -1% | 1,590 |
| Texas | $47K | -2% | 4,520 |
| Kentucky | $47K | -2% | 1,120 |
| Maine | $47K | -2% | 510 |
| Arizona | $47K | -2% | 2,320 |
| Nevada | $47K | -2% | 510 |
| Virginia | $47K | -2% | 1,840 |
| Idaho | $46K | -3% | 580 |
| Florida | $46K | -4% | 5,250 |
| Pennsylvania | $46K | -4% | 3,450 |
| Michigan | $46K | -4% | 2,420 |
| Ohio | $46K | -5% | 3,210 |
| Kansas | $45K | -5% | 740 |
| Indiana | $45K | -5% | 1,750 |
| North Carolina | $45K | -5% | 2,900 |
| West Virginia | $45K | -6% | 530 |
| Montana | $45K | -6% | 330 |
| Missouri | $43K | -9% | 1,970 |
| Oklahoma | $43K | -9% | 690 |
| South Carolina | $43K | -11% | 1,160 |
| South Dakota | $42K | -11% | 480 |
| Nebraska | $41K | -13% | 550 |
| Iowa | $40K | -16% | 590 |
| North Dakota | $39K | -18% | 350 |
| Arkansas | $38K | -20% | 320 |
| New Mexico | $37K | -23% | 300 |
| Louisiana | $36K | -25% | 620 |
| Alabama | $36K | -25% | 1,000 |
| Mississippi | $35K | -26% | 350 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 states
Track medical equipment preparers salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Merced numbers change.
Related careers in Healthcare Support
Frequently asked questions
Can a medical equipment preparer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Merced?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $51K, rent takes 43.2% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,503/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 medical equipment preparers in Merced?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new medical equipment preparers typically earn — is $42K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,506/month. At HUD’s $1,503/month FMR, rent would take 60% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is medical equipment preparer a high-paying job in Merced?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $51K locally vs. $48K nationally, a 7% difference.
How does Merced compare to the national average for medical equipment preparers?
Merced pays $51K median vs. the U.S. average of $48K — that’s +7%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 98.28), the purchasing-power equivalent is $52K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do medical equipment preparers make in Merced, CA?
The median is $51,110 a year, that works out to about $25 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $41,760, and experienced medical equipment preparers can clear $57,810. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $51K enough to live in Merced?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,479/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,503/month, which eats 43.2% 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 medical equipment preparers 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 medical equipment preparers salary is worth about $52,004 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do medical equipment preparers 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.