Tapers Salary
In Fresno, CA, tapers earn $69,340 at the median, or about $33.34 an hour. The range runs from $37K at the entry level to $110K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 102.16), that's roughly $67,874 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,664/month, about 36.8% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $69K get you in Fresno?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Fresno’s Regional Price Parity (102.16). 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 Fresno
Tapers pay in Fresno tracks closely to the national median, $69K locally vs. $68K nationwide, a 2% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,664/month, which is 36.6% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 102.16) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for tapers in metros near Fresno, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | $68K | $60K |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario | $60K | $56K |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara | $93K | $84K |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont | $85K | $73K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Fresno, CA
Entry-level tapers (10th percentile) start around $37K. Mid-career wages sit at $69K. Top earners bring in $110K or more, a $73K 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 Fresno numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a taper afford a 2BR apartment alone in Fresno?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $69K, rent takes 36.6% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,664/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,400/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for tapers in Fresno?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new tapers typically earn — is $37K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,237/month. At HUD’s $1,664/month FMR, rent would take 74% 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 Fresno?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $69K locally vs. $68K nationally, a 2% difference.
How does Fresno compare to the national average for tapers?
Fresno pays $69K median vs. the U.S. average of $68K — that’s +2%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 102.16), the purchasing-power equivalent is $68K — below the national median.
How much do tapers make in Fresno, CA?
The median is $69,340 a year, that works out to about $33 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $37,280, and experienced tapers can clear $110,020. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $69K enough to live in Fresno?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,544/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,664/month, which eats 36.6% 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 tapers salary go in Fresno?
Fresno has a Regional Price Parity of 102.16 (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 $67,874 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.