Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders Salary
The median pay for a packaging and filling machine operators and tenders in Lewiston-Auburn, ME is $51,980/year ($24.99/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $40K at the entry level to $59K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 94.74), which stretches that salary to about $54,866 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,586/month, about 46.7% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $52K get you in Lewiston-Auburn?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Lewiston-Auburn’s Regional Price Parity (94.74). 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 packaging and filling machine operators and tenders
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What this looks like in Lewiston-Auburn
Lewiston-Auburn sits well above the national pay line for packaging and filling machine operators and tenders, local pay runs about 20% higher than the U.S. median of $43K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,586/month, which is 45.8% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 94.74 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 5% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. The pay premium is real, but so are the offsets.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for packaging and filling machine operators and tenders in metros near Lewiston-Auburn, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Portland-South Portland | $48K | $47K |
| Manchester-Nashua | $54K | $51K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Lewiston-Auburn, ME
Entry-level packaging and filling machine operators and tenders (10th percentile) start around $40K. Mid-career wages sit at $52K. Top earners bring in $59K or more, a $19K spread from bottom to top.
Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Hampshire | $49K | +14% | 620 |
| Wyoming | $49K | +13% | 360 |
| Missouri | $48K | +11% | 12,620 |
| Maine | $48K | +11% | 1,490 |
| North Dakota | $47K | +10% | 760 |
| Idaho | $47K | +8% | 3,950 |
| Vermont | $47K | +8% | 880 |
| West Virginia | $46K | +7% | 810 |
| Wisconsin | $46K | +7% | 16,150 |
| Nebraska | $46K | +7% | 4,410 |
| Colorado | $46K | +6% | 4,760 |
| Iowa | $46K | +6% | 6,990 |
| Kentucky | $45K | +5% | 8,640 |
| Oregon | $45K | +5% | 5,370 |
| Virginia | $45K | +4% | 6,150 |
| Kansas | $45K | +4% | 7,920 |
| Indiana | $45K | +3% | 12,880 |
| Pennsylvania | $44K | +3% | 19,340 |
| Montana | $44K | +3% | 380 |
| California | $44K | +2% | 43,430 |
| South Dakota | $44K | +1% | 1,000 |
| Utah | $44K | +1% | 6,350 |
| Maryland | $44K | +1% | 3,030 |
| Ohio | $43K | +0% | 17,850 |
| Tennessee | $43K | -0% | 7,400 |
| Illinois | $43K | -0% | 29,400 |
| Georgia | $43K | -1% | 11,380 |
| Washington | $42K | -4% | 8,450 |
| Michigan | $42K | -4% | 10,940 |
| North Carolina | $41K | -5% | 11,870 |
| Minnesota | $41K | -5% | 7,340 |
| Arizona | $41K | -6% | 7,090 |
| Massachusetts | $40K | -7% | 5,020 |
| New Jersey | $40K | -7% | 9,810 |
| South Carolina | $40K | -7% | 4,890 |
| Connecticut | $39K | -9% | 1,540 |
| New York | $39K | -9% | 18,150 |
| Oklahoma | $39K | -9% | 3,150 |
| Texas | $39K | -10% | 22,970 |
| Alaska | $39K | -10% | 260 |
| Delaware | $39K | -11% | 680 |
| Louisiana | $38K | -11% | 1,910 |
| Rhode Island | $38K | -11% | 1,100 |
| Alabama | $38K | -12% | 3,240 |
| Arkansas | $38K | -13% | 4,630 |
| Mississippi | $38K | -13% | 3,030 |
| Nevada | $37K | -13% | 2,700 |
| Florida | $37K | -14% | 14,010 |
| Hawaii | $37K | -15% | 380 |
| New Mexico | $36K | -18% | 1,550 |
Showing 1–10 of 50 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track packaging and filling machine operators and tenders salary changes
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Frequently asked questions
Can a packaging and filling machine operators and tender afford a 2BR apartment alone in Lewiston-Auburn?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $52K, rent takes 45.8% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,586/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 packaging and filling machine operators and tenders in Lewiston-Auburn?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new packaging and filling machine operators and tenders typically earn — is $40K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,407/month. At HUD’s $1,586/month FMR, rent would take 66% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is packaging and filling machine operators and tender a high-paying job in Lewiston-Auburn?
Local pay is 20% above the national median — $52K here vs. $43K nationally.
How does Lewiston-Auburn compare to the national average for packaging and filling machine operators and tenders?
Lewiston-Auburn pays $52K median vs. the U.S. average of $43K — that’s +20%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 94.74), the purchasing-power equivalent is $55K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do packaging and filling machine operators and tenders make in Lewiston-Auburn, ME?
The median is $51,980 a year, that works out to about $25 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $40,120, and experienced packaging and filling machine operators and tenders can clear $58,630. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $52K enough to live in Lewiston-Auburn?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,460/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,586/month, which eats 45.8% 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 packaging and filling machine operators and tenders salary go in Lewiston-Auburn?
Lewiston-Auburn has a Regional Price Parity of 94.74 (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 packaging and filling machine operators and tenders salary is worth about $54,866 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do packaging and filling 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.