Packers and Packagers, Hand Salary
The median pay for a packers and packagers, hand in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA is $36,020/year ($17.32/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $34K at the entry level to $44K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 108.8), so that salary is closer to $33,107 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $3,124/month, about 125.6% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $36K get you in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Santa Maria-Santa Barbara’s Regional Price Parity (108.8). 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.
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What this looks like in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara
Packers and packagers, hand pay in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara tracks closely to the national median, $36K locally vs. $36K nationwide, a 1% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $3,124/month, which is 123.5% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost-of-living overall is 9% above the national average (BEA RPP 108.8), so groceries and services cost more too. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for packers and packagers, hands in metros near Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | $37K | $33K |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario | $38K | $36K |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont | $42K | $36K |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | $37K | $33K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA
Entry-level packers and packagers, hands (10th percentile) start around $34K. Mid-career wages sit at $36K. Top earners bring in $44K 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
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Santa Maria-Santa Barbara numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a packers and packagers, hand afford a 2BR apartment alone in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $36K, rent takes 123.5% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $3,124/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 Santa Maria-Santa Barbara?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new packers and packagers, hands typically earn — is $34K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,059/month. At HUD’s $3,124/month FMR, rent would take 152% 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 Santa Maria-Santa Barbara?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $36K locally vs. $36K nationally, a 1% difference.
How does Santa Maria-Santa Barbara compare to the national average for packers and packagers, hands?
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara pays $36K median vs. the U.S. average of $36K — that’s -1%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 108.8), the purchasing-power equivalent is $33K — below the national median.
How much do packers and packagers, hands make in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA?
The median is $36,020 a year, that works out to about $17 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $34,320, and experienced packers and packagers, hands can clear $44,460. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $36K enough to live in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,530/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $3,124/month, which eats 123.5% 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 Santa Maria-Santa Barbara?
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara has a Regional Price Parity of 108.8 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median packers and packagers, hand salary is worth about $33,107 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.