Tapers Salary
In Indiana, tapers earn $42,810 at the median, or about $20.58 an hour. The range runs from $36K at the entry level to $110K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 91.81), which stretches that salary to about $46,629 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,144/month, about 38.5% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. This is an aggregate across all of Indiana. BLS does not publish metro-level data for this occupation in this state.
So what does $43K get you in Indiana?
About tapers
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What this looks like in Indiana
Pay for tapers in Indiana runs about 37% below the U.S. median of $68K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,144/month, which is 39.1% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 91.81 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 8% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for taperss.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Indiana
Entry-level tapers (10th percentile) start around $36K. Mid-career wages sit at $43K. Top earners bring in $110K or more, a $74K spread from bottom to top.
Compare to other states
Track tapers salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Indiana numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a taper afford a 2BR apartment alone in Indiana?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $43K, rent takes 39.1% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,144/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 tapers in Indiana?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new tapers typically earn — is $36K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,184/month. At HUD’s $1,144/month FMR, rent would take 52% 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 Indiana?
Local pay runs 37% below the national median — $43K here vs. $68K nationally. Cost of living is 8% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Indiana compare to the national average for tapers?
Indiana pays $43K median vs. the U.S. average of $68K — that’s -37%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 91.81), the purchasing-power equivalent is $47K — below the national median.
How much do tapers make in Indiana?
The median is $42,810 a year, that works out to about $21 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $36,400, and experienced tapers can clear $110,340. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $43K enough to live in Indiana?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,928/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,144/month, which eats 39.1% 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 Indiana?
Indiana has a Regional Price Parity of 91.81 (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 tapers salary is worth about $46,629 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.