Tapers Salary
In Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX, tapers earn $47,620 at the median, or about $22.89 an hour. The range runs from $40K at the entry level to $48K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 103.09), that's roughly $46,193 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,931/month, about 56.4% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $48K get you in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington’s Regional Price Parity (103.09). 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 tapers
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What this looks like in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington
Pay for tapers in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington runs about 30% below the U.S. median of $68K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,931/month, which is 57.5% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 103.09) 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 taperss.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for tapers in metros near Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Albuquerque | $48K | $51K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX
Entry-level tapers (10th percentile) start around $40K. Mid-career wages sit at $48K. Top earners bring in $48K or more, a $7K spread from bottom to top.
Tapers pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Tapers salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Illinois | $113K | +66% | 320 |
| Hawaii | $95K | +40% | 170 |
| Pennsylvania | $82K | +20% | 60 |
| Washington | $79K | +16% | 1,550 |
| Minnesota | $78K | +14% | 220 |
| New York | $78K | +14% | N/A |
| Kansas | $74K | +9% | 30 |
| Ohio | $74K | +8% | 110 |
| California | $73K | +8% | 4,540 |
| Oregon | $71K | +5% | 500 |
| Iowa | $67K | -2% | 100 |
| Massachusetts | $65K | -5% | 510 |
| Michigan | $64K | -7% | 190 |
| Connecticut | $64K | -7% | 80 |
| Missouri | $63K | -8% | 220 |
| Nevada | $61K | -11% | 1,190 |
| Wisconsin | $58K | -15% | 70 |
| Idaho | $58K | -15% | 310 |
| Arizona | $56K | -18% | 780 |
| Colorado | $55K | -20% | N/A |
| Utah | $53K | -22% | 210 |
| Florida | $49K | -28% | N/A |
| New Mexico | $48K | -29% | 60 |
| North Carolina | $46K | -33% | N/A |
| Texas | $44K | -36% | 220 |
| Indiana | $43K | -37% | 120 |
| West Virginia | $42K | -39% | 30 |
Showing 1–10 of 27 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track tapers salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a taper afford a 2BR apartment alone in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $48K, rent takes 57.5% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,931/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 tapers in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new tapers typically earn — is $40K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,413/month. At HUD’s $1,931/month FMR, rent would take 80% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is taper a high-paying job in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington?
Local pay runs 30% below the national median — $48K here vs. $68K nationally.
How does Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington compare to the national average for tapers?
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington pays $48K median vs. the U.S. average of $68K — that’s -30%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 103.09), the purchasing-power equivalent is $46K — below the national median.
How much do tapers make in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX?
The median is $47,620 a year, that works out to about $23 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $40,210, and experienced tapers can clear $47,620. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $48K enough to live in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,359/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,931/month, which eats 57.5% 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 tapers salary go in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington?
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington has a Regional Price Parity of 103.09 (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 tapers salary is worth about $46,193 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do tapers 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.