Sailors and Marine Oilers Salary
The median pay for a sailors and marine oilers in Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY is $38,480/year ($18.5/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $32K at the entry level to $68K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 95.84), that's roughly $40,150 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,343/month, about 50.6% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $38K get you in Buffalo-Cheektowaga?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Buffalo-Cheektowaga’s Regional Price Parity (95.84). 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 sailors and marine oilers
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What this looks like in Buffalo-Cheektowaga
Pay for sailors and marine oilers in Buffalo-Cheektowaga runs about 25% below the U.S. median of $52K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,343/month, which is 51.2% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 95.84) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for sailors and marine oilerss.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for sailors and marine oilers in metros near Buffalo-Cheektowaga, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City | $63K | $56K |
| New Haven | $43K | $41K |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton | $44K | $41K |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington | $62K | $60K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY
Entry-level sailors and marine oilers (10th percentile) start around $32K. Mid-career wages sit at $38K. Top earners bring in $68K or more, a $35K spread from bottom to top.
Sailors and Marine Oilers pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Sailors and Marine Oilers salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | $76K | +48% | 340 |
| New Jersey | $72K | +40% | 520 |
| Oregon | $70K | +37% | 210 |
| Washington | $67K | +29% | 1,590 |
| Alaska | $63K | +23% | 480 |
| Tennessee | $61K | +18% | 870 |
| Delaware | $60K | +17% | 80 |
| Florida | $58K | +12% | 2,710 |
| Minnesota | $57K | +10% | 90 |
| Indiana | $57K | +10% | 570 |
| Texas | $56K | +8% | 4,270 |
| California | $55K | +7% | 1,680 |
| New York | $54K | +5% | 1,570 |
| Ohio | $54K | +4% | 140 |
| Missouri | $52K | +1% | 220 |
| Michigan | $51K | -0% | 250 |
| South Carolina | $51K | -2% | 210 |
| Mississippi | $50K | -2% | 490 |
| Virginia | $49K | -5% | 2,970 |
| Illinois | $49K | -5% | 420 |
| Wisconsin | $49K | -5% | 110 |
| Rhode Island | $49K | -5% | 210 |
| Iowa | $48K | -7% | 70 |
| Kentucky | $47K | -8% | 1,470 |
| West Virginia | $47K | -8% | 100 |
| Maine | $47K | -9% | 240 |
| Louisiana | $47K | -10% | 7,580 |
| Connecticut | $45K | -12% | 400 |
| North Carolina | $45K | -13% | 310 |
| Massachusetts | $44K | -14% | 420 |
| Alabama | $43K | -17% | 290 |
| Pennsylvania | $39K | -25% | 210 |
| Georgia | $38K | -27% | 80 |
| Arkansas | $24K | -53% | 70 |
Showing 1–10 of 34 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track sailors and marine oilers salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Buffalo-Cheektowaga numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a sailors and marine oiler afford a 2BR apartment alone in Buffalo-Cheektowaga?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $38K, rent takes 51.2% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,343/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 sailors and marine oilers in Buffalo-Cheektowaga?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new sailors and marine oilers typically earn — is $32K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,934/month. At HUD’s $1,343/month FMR, rent would take 69% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is sailors and marine oiler a high-paying job in Buffalo-Cheektowaga?
Local pay runs 25% below the national median — $38K here vs. $52K nationally.
How does Buffalo-Cheektowaga compare to the national average for sailors and marine oilers?
Buffalo-Cheektowaga pays $38K median vs. the U.S. average of $52K — that’s -25%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 95.84), the purchasing-power equivalent is $40K — below the national median.
How much do sailors and marine oilers make in Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY?
The median is $38,480 a year, that works out to about $19 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $32,240, and experienced sailors and marine oilers can clear $67,500. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $38K enough to live in Buffalo-Cheektowaga?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,621/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,343/month, which eats 51.2% 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 sailors and marine oilers salary go in Buffalo-Cheektowaga?
Buffalo-Cheektowaga has a Regional Price Parity of 95.84 (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 sailors and marine oilers salary is worth about $40,150 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do sailors and marine oilers 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.