Packers and Packagers, Hand Salary
The median pay for a packers and packagers, hand in Dubuque, IA is $38,120/year ($18.33/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $35K at the entry level to $45K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 87.33), which stretches that salary to about $43,651 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,077/month, about 41.4% of take-home, which is tight.
Where the paycheck goes
What $38K actually covers in Dubuque, month by month
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Dubuque’s Regional Price Parity (87.33). 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 packers and packagers, hands
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What this looks like in Dubuque
Packers and packagers, hand pay in Dubuque tracks closely to the national median, $38K locally vs. $36K nationwide, a 5% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,077/month, which is 41.8% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 87.33 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 13% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for packers and packagers, hands in metros near Dubuque, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Des Moines-West Des Moines | $38K | $41K |
| Davenport-Moline-Rock Island | $35K | $39K |
| Cedar Rapids | $30K | $34K |
| Sioux City | $37K | $43K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Dubuque, IA
Entry-level packers and packagers, hands (10th percentile) start around $35K. Mid-career wages sit at $38K. Top earners bring in $45K or more, a $10K spread from bottom to top.
Packers and Packagers, Hand pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Packers and Packagers, Hand salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kansas | $44K | +23% | 9,900 |
| New Jersey | $44K | +21% | 71,260 |
| Alaska | $42K | +15% | 560 |
| District of Columbia | $41K | +13% | 170 |
| Colorado | $41K | +12% | 4,120 |
| Minnesota | $40K | +11% | 5,460 |
| Vermont | $39K | +9% | 810 |
| Washington | $39K | +8% | 11,940 |
| Nebraska | $39K | +7% | 3,010 |
| Missouri | $38K | +4% | 5,910 |
| Iowa | $37K | +3% | 4,090 |
| Indiana | $37K | +3% | 9,690 |
| Nevada | $37K | +3% | 3,750 |
| Delaware | $37K | +3% | 2,030 |
| California | $37K | +3% | 79,730 |
| New York | $37K | +3% | 14,830 |
| Arizona | $37K | +2% | 7,380 |
| Ohio | $37K | +2% | 20,700 |
| Pennsylvania | $37K | +2% | 22,990 |
| Idaho | $37K | +2% | 2,020 |
| Kentucky | $37K | +2% | 5,900 |
| Rhode Island | $37K | +1% | 1,830 |
| Maine | $36K | +0% | 1,460 |
| Oregon | $36K | -0% | 6,370 |
| Illinois | $36K | -1% | 23,270 |
| Utah | $36K | -1% | 5,740 |
| Wisconsin | $36K | -1% | 13,130 |
| Tennessee | $36K | -1% | 14,030 |
| Hawaii | $36K | -1% | 2,010 |
| Connecticut | $36K | -1% | 4,280 |
| Maryland | $36K | -1% | 4,230 |
| Michigan | $35K | -3% | 15,590 |
| Virginia | $35K | -4% | 7,790 |
| Montana | $35K | -4% | 1,490 |
| Oklahoma | $35K | -5% | 3,900 |
| North Carolina | $34K | -5% | 19,600 |
| Massachusetts | $34K | -6% | 15,330 |
| Arkansas | $34K | -6% | 3,050 |
| Georgia | $33K | -8% | 17,380 |
| Mississippi | $33K | -8% | 3,490 |
| Texas | $33K | -9% | 46,510 |
| South Carolina | $32K | -11% | 7,610 |
| Wyoming | $32K | -11% | 340 |
| Alabama | $32K | -12% | 7,050 |
| North Dakota | $31K | -13% | 470 |
| New Hampshire | $31K | -15% | 3,300 |
| South Dakota | $29K | -21% | 1,040 |
| West Virginia | $29K | -21% | 1,140 |
| Florida | $28K | -22% | 38,860 |
| New Mexico | $28K | -23% | 1,050 |
| Louisiana | $28K | -24% | 2,280 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
Track packers and packagers, hand salary changes
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Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a packers and packagers, hand afford a 2BR apartment alone in Dubuque?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $38K, rent takes 41.8% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,077/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $800/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for packers and packagers, hands in Dubuque?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new packers and packagers, hands typically earn — is $35K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,363/month. At HUD’s $1,077/month FMR, rent would take 46% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is packers and packagers, hand a high-paying job in Dubuque?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $38K locally vs. $36K nationally, a 5% difference.
How does Dubuque compare to the national average for packers and packagers, hands?
Dubuque pays $38K median vs. the U.S. average of $36K — that’s +5%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 87.33), the purchasing-power equivalent is $44K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do packers and packagers, hands make in Dubuque, IA?
The median is $38,120 a year, that works out to about $18 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $34,680, and experienced packers and packagers, hands can clear $44,630. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $38K enough to live in Dubuque?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,577/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,077/month, which eats 41.8% 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 packers and packagers, hand salary go in Dubuque?
Dubuque has a Regional Price Parity of 87.33 (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 packers and packagers, hand salary is worth about $43,651 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do packers and packagers, hands 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.