Packers and Packagers, Hand Salary
The median pay for a packers and packagers, hand in Lawrence, KS is $44,370/year ($21.33/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $28K at the entry level to $44K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 90.24), which stretches that salary to about $49,169 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,182/month, about 39.1% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $44K get you in Lawrence?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Lawrence’s Regional Price Parity (90.24). 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 Lawrence
Lawrence sits well above the national pay line for packers and packagers, hand, local pay runs about 22% higher than the U.S. median of $36K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,182/month, which is 39.6% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 90.24 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 10% 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 packers and packagers, hands in metros near Lawrence, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Wichita | $40K | $45K |
| Topeka | $31K | $35K |
| Manhattan | $27K | $30K |
| Fort Collins-Loveland | $39K | , |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Lawrence, KS
Entry-level packers and packagers, hands (10th percentile) start around $28K. Mid-career wages sit at $44K. Top earners bring in $44K or more, a $17K 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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Frequently asked questions
Can a packers and packagers, hand afford a 2BR apartment alone in Lawrence?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $44K, rent takes 39.6% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,182/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $900/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 Lawrence?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new packers and packagers, hands typically earn — is $28K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,670/month. At HUD’s $1,182/month FMR, rent would take 71% 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 Lawrence?
Local pay is 22% above the national median — $44K here vs. $36K nationally.
How does Lawrence compare to the national average for packers and packagers, hands?
Lawrence pays $44K median vs. the U.S. average of $36K — that’s +22%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 90.24), the purchasing-power equivalent is $49K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do packers and packagers, hands make in Lawrence, KS?
The median is $44,370 a year, that works out to about $21 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $27,840, and experienced packers and packagers, hands can clear $44,370. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $44K enough to live in Lawrence?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,985/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,182/month, which eats 39.6% 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 Lawrence?
Lawrence has a Regional Price Parity of 90.24 (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 $49,169 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.