How much do Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders make in Merced, CA?

Percentile spread

For Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, the published 10th percentile is $39,410 and the 90th percentile is $83,140. The difference is $43,730, which is 70.6% of the median. Ten percent of measured wages fall below the 10th percentile and ten percent fall above the 90th. How to read a percentile.

The middle half of the distribution, from the 25th percentile at $45,260 to the 75th at $66,560, covers $21,300.

The mean annual wage is $58,870, which sits below the median of $61,920. Median and mean measure different points in the same distribution.

National and state comparison

The Merced, CA median is 20% higher than the national median of $51,610 for Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders. In 2024 national prices the local median is $63,007, which is 22.1% higher than that same national median. The national figure is already in national prices because the United States parity is 100.

It is 17% higher than the California median of $52,910.

Price-adjusted pay

The 2024 all-items regional price parity for Merced, CA is 98.275, with the United States at 100. The Bureau of Economic Analysis released those parities on February 19, 2026. Dividing the May 2025 median of $61,920 by that parity and multiplying by 100 puts Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders at $63,007 in national prices. The wage year and the price year are different. Compare this wage after prices.

Nearby metros

17 other metropolitan areas within 200 miles publish a annual median for Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders. Merced, CA ranks 6th of 18 on that median, counting itself. Distance is the great-circle mileage between Census Bureau internal points (U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer Files, Core Based Statistical Areas, internal points (INTPTLAT, INTPTLONG).).

• Modesto, CA is 30 miles away, with a median of $73,690 and employment of 1,000. That median is 19% higher than the median here. In 2024 national prices it is $70,782, against $63,007 here.
• San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA is 41 miles away, with a median of $56,910 and employment of 250. That median is 8.1% lower than the median here. In 2024 national prices it is $51,538, against $63,007 here.
• Stockton-Lodi, CA is 59 miles away, with a median of $53,940 and employment of 430. That median is 12.9% lower than the median here. In 2024 national prices it is $51,328, against $63,007 here.

Employment share

Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders accounts for 0.34% of wage-and-salary employment in Merced, CA (270 of 79,510). Nationally the occupation is 0.04% of employment (60,100 of 155,495,730). The local share is 8.79 times the national share. That ratio is the location quotient computed from these May 2025 employment counts. It is not copied from the location-quotient column in the BLS bulk file.