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What does a Food and Tobacco Roasting, Baking, and Drying Machine Operators and Tenders salary really buy you in Colorado?
Colorado is 2.3% pricier than the US averageData: BLS OEWS 2025 + BEA Regional Price Parities 2022 • Updated 2026-05-19
Colorado's Regional Price Parity (RPP) is 102.3, meaning prices are 2.3% higher the national average. A Food and Tobacco Roasting, Baking, and Drying Machine Operators and Tenders earning $59,590 in Colorado has the equivalent purchasing power of $58,250 in an average-cost US state.
Every dollar goes further in low-cost states. Here is how each salary percentile compares after adjusting for Colorado's cost of living.
| Percentile | Nominal Salary | COL-Adjusted | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th Percentile (P10) | $38,640 | $37,771 | $-868 |
| 25th Percentile (P25) | $45,970 | $44,936 | $-1,033 |
| Median (P50) | $59,590 | $58,250 | $-1,339 |
| 75th Percentile (P75) | $64,970 | $63,509 | $-1,460 |
| 90th Percentile (P90) | $74,420 | $72,746 | $-1,673 |
Colorado's cost of living is close to the national average, so $59,590 keeps most of its value at $58,250 in real terms. Location choice here is more about career opportunities than cost arbitrage.
With an RPP of 102.3, Colorado is within a few percent of the national cost-of-living baseline. Salary adjustment for Food and Tobacco Roasting, Baking, and Drying Machine Operators and Tenders is therefore minor — what you earn is close to what you'd keep in real purchasing power.
After adjusting for Colorado's cost of living, $59,590 nominal nets out to $58,250 in real purchasing power — a small 2.2% loss. The state's cost profile is close enough to average that COL alone shouldn't drive location decisions for this Food and Tobacco Roasting, Baking, and Drying Machine Operators and Tenders.
Ranked on COL-adjusted median pay for Food and Tobacco Roasting, Baking, and Drying Machine Operators and Tenders, Colorado places #2 of 44 states — top quartile. Either nominal wages run high, cost of living runs low, or both.
Where does Food and Tobacco Roasting, Baking, and Drying Machine Operators and Tenders salary stretch the furthest? Top 10 states ranked by COL-adjusted median salary.
Colorado ranks #2 out of 44 states for Food and Tobacco Roasting, Baking, and Drying Machine Operators and Tenders after cost-of-living adjustment.
How much do you actually take home? See Food and Tobacco Roasting, Baking, and Drying Machine Operators and Tenders take-home pay in Colorado after taxes →
A Food and Tobacco Roasting, Baking, and Drying Machine Operators and Tenders in Colorado earns a median salary of $59,590 per year. After adjusting for Colorado's cost of living (RPP=102.3), the real purchasing power is $58,250 — a -2.2% difference.
Colorado's cost of living is 2.3% higher than the national average according to the BEA Regional Price Parities (2022). The RPP index for Colorado is 102.3 (US average = 100).
Regional Price Parities (RPPs) are price indexes published by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) that measure differences in price levels across states. They are expressed as a percentage of the national average (US = 100). Higher RPP means higher cost of living.
The adjusted salary is calculated as: Nominal Salary x (100 / RPP). For a Food and Tobacco Roasting, Baking, and Drying Machine Operators and Tenders in Colorado: $59,590 x (100 / 102.3) = $58,250. This represents what the salary would be worth in a state with average living costs.
Partially — a Food and Tobacco Roasting, Baking, and Drying Machine Operators and Tenders's nominal salary of $59,590 in Colorado has 2.2% less purchasing power due to higher living costs. The real value is $58,250. However, Colorado may offer better career opportunities, networking, and industry access.
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