SalaryExplorer

SOC 51-3091 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS

Food and Tobacco Roasting, Baking, and Drying Machine Operators and Tenders — Hanford

Hanford-Corcoran, CA · 10 metro areas compared

$51,160 /year
$24.60per hour
40jobs in area
+14.2%vs US median

The median wage for Food and Tobacco Roasting, Baking, and Drying Machine Operators and Tenders in Hanford, CA is $51,160 per year, 14.2% above the national median of $44,810.

Wage distribution · annual

Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners

US MEDIAN $44,81010TH$35,02025TH$42,850MEDIAN$51,16090TH$64,070

How pay has moved

$55,018$31,8732021202320242025$51,160
$35,730 in 2021 to $51,160 in 2025, +43.2% before inflation. BLS states that OEWS estimates are not designed for comparison across years: the occupational classification, the sampling frame and the survey method have all changed inside this window. Read the direction, not the exact difference.

The next ten years

Projected to grow more slowly than average

Change in jobs, 2024 to 2034
+0.6%
Openings per year
2,400
Typical entry-level education
No formal educational credential
On-the-job training
Moderate-term on-the-job training

Includes jobs opened by workers leaving the occupation, not only new positions.

8.8% of people in this occupation work for themselves.

Projections are published nationally only. This is the outlook for the occupation across the United States, not a measurement for Hanford-Corcoran, CA.

Projections are based on 2024 employment and run to 2034. The wages above are from the May 2025 survey, a separate BLS programme on a different release cycle, so the two are not two views of one dataset.

Salary overview

The median wage for Food and Tobacco Roasting, Baking, and Drying Machine Operators and Tenders in Hanford, CA is $51,160 per year, 14.2% above the national median of $44,810. Half of workers earn between $42,850 and $64,070. Beyond that band, the tenth percentile sits at $35,020 and the ninetieth at $64,070.

The area has 40 jobs in this occupation, which works out to 0.9 of every thousand jobs. Within the state, Modesto records the highest median at $61,130. Of the 196 occupations with published wages in this area, it sits 117th.

Percentile breakdown

Annual wages by percentile · Hanford-Corcoran, CA · May 2025
PercentileAnnualvs US median
10th$35,020−21.8%
25th$42,850−4.4%
Median (50th)$51,160+14.2%
75th$64,070+43.0%
90th$64,070+43.0%
Mean$51,870+15.8%

Why the average earner is usually not a typical earner

Other metro areas in California

Median annual wage for Food and Tobacco Roasting, Baking, and Drying Machine Operators and Tenders, by metro area
#Metro areaMedianJobsRelative
1Modesto$61,13070
2Sacramento$56,270100
3San Francisco$50,680120
4Riverside$48,570120
5Salinas$46,650300
6Vallejo$44,42030
7Visalia$44,01040
8Los Angeles$43,940320
9Merced$42,13060
10Fresno$39,42090

What the pay is worth locally

Prices in Hanford sit close to the national average, so $51,160 is worth roughly its face value against pay elsewhere.

Published median

$51,160as reported by BLS

Local price level

101.6US average = 100 · BEA 2024

Adjusted for local prices

$50,354US average = 100 · BEA 2024

Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest

Key takeaways

  • Median pay is $51,160 a year, 14.2% above the national median.
  • Published pay spans $35,020 to $64,070 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
  • The area has 40 jobs in this occupation.
  • The highest-paying metro area covered is Modesto, at $61,130.

Frequently asked questions

What is the median wage for Food and Tobacco Roasting, Baking, and Drying Machine Operators and Tenders in Hanford, CA?

The median annual wage is $51,160, or $24.60 per hour, as of May 2025. Half of the workers in this occupation earn more than that and half earn less.

Is that higher than the national average?

The national median for this occupation is $44,810, so pay in Hanford, CA is 14.2% higher. These figures are medians, not averages: half of workers fall on each side.

What do the top earners make?

The top tenth of this occupation in Hanford, CA earns more than $64,070 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.

What is the starting range?

The tenth percentile wage is $35,020 per year. The survey measures wages actually paid rather than experience level, so this reflects the lowest-paid tenth rather than entry-level pay specifically.

Which area nearby pays the most?

The highest median for this occupation among the metro areas covered is in Modesto, at $61,130 per year.

How many jobs are there in this occupation here?

The survey estimates 40 jobs in this occupation in Hanford, CA. Self-employed workers are not included.

Source and methodology

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 Wages are for wage-and-salary workers; self-employed workers are not included. Salary Explorer is an independent project. It is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics or any government agency. Full methodology.

Food and Tobacco Roasting, Baking, and Drying Machine Operators and Tenders Salary in Hanford, CA (2025): $51,160 Median | Salary Explorer