Pay by state · 54 areas
Packer and Packager, Hand Salary by State (2026)
Packers and Packagers, Hand earn the most in Kansas at $44,460 a year and the least in Louisiana at $27,710 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The national median is $36,280. The table below covers all 50 states, DC, U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and Guam, with a cost-of-living adjusted column.
- Highest median
- $44,460Kansas
- National median
- $36,280BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Lowest median
- $27,710Louisiana
- Areas reporting
- 54of 54 OEWS areas
Top and bottom
Highest- and lowest-paying states for packers and packagers, hand
Ranked on the state median among the 50 states and DC. Territories are in the full table but not ranked here.
Highest median pay
- 1Kansas$44,460
- 2New Jersey$43,840
- 3Alaska$41,670
- 4District of Columbia$40,910
- 5Colorado$40,730
Lowest median pay
- 1Louisiana$27,710
- 2New Mexico$28,070
- 3Florida$28,280
- 4West Virginia$28,740
- 5South Dakota$28,760
All states
Packer and Packager, Hand salary in every state
Sort by any column. Employment is the number of packers and packagers, hand OEWS estimates in that state; blank cells are estimates BLS suppressed because the sample was too small.
| # | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | KSKansas | $44,460 | $38,020 | $44,570 | 9,900 | $49,363 |
| 2 | NJNew Jersey | $43,840 | $36,030 | $44,930 | 71,260 | $40,292 |
| 3 | AKAlaska | $41,670 | $34,960 | $47,010 | 560 | $40,710 |
| 4 | DCDistrict of Columbia | $40,910 | $37,140 | $43,990 | 170 | $37,224 |
| 5 | COColorado | $40,730 | $37,850 | $46,580 | 4,120 | $39,524 |
| 6 | MNMinnesota | $40,310 | $36,650 | $46,950 | 5,460 | $40,874 |
| 7 | VTVermont | $39,440 | $36,460 | $43,640 | 810 | $40,262 |
| 8 | WAWashington | $39,220 | $35,880 | $45,310 | 11,940 | $36,650 |
| 9 | NENebraska | $38,880 | $35,630 | $45,910 | 3,010 | $43,151 |
| 10 | MOMissouri | $37,670 | $33,440 | $40,240 | 5,910 | $41,479 |
| 11 | IAIowa | $37,470 | $33,260 | $43,010 | 4,090 | $42,695 |
| 12 | INIndiana | $37,420 | $33,430 | $43,850 | 9,690 | $40,095 |
| 13 | NVNevada | $37,400 | $34,950 | $41,600 | 3,750 | $37,408 |
| 14 | DEDelaware | $37,290 | $36,170 | $40,000 | 2,030 | $37,362 |
| 15 | CACalifornia | $37,260 | $35,290 | $42,420 | 79,730 | $33,652 |
| 16 | NYNew York | $37,260 | $34,230 | $43,360 | 14,830 | $34,525 |
| 17 | AZArizona | $37,060 | $32,970 | $42,730 | 7,380 | $36,811 |
| 18 | OHOhio | $37,000 | $32,370 | $40,800 | 20,700 | $39,882 |
| 19 | PAPennsylvania | $36,960 | $33,640 | $42,380 | 22,990 | $37,880 |
| 20 | IDIdaho | $36,920 | $28,660 | $42,950 | 2,020 | $38,662 |
| 21 | KYKentucky | $36,850 | $33,090 | $45,250 | 5,900 | $40,872 |
| 22 | RIRhode Island | $36,730 | $31,480 | $44,570 | 1,830 | $35,911 |
| 23 | MEMaine | $36,330 | $30,660 | $41,930 | 1,460 | $37,434 |
| 24 | OROregon | $36,190 | $33,700 | $40,170 | 6,370 | $35,013 |
| 25 | ILIllinois | $36,090 | $34,230 | $40,020 | 23,270 | $36,105 |
| 26 | UTUtah | $36,060 | $30,640 | $39,840 | 5,740 | $36,474 |
| 27 | WIWisconsin | $36,010 | $31,300 | $43,250 | 13,130 | $38,270 |
| 28 | TNTennessee | $35,980 | $30,470 | $40,460 | 14,030 | $39,164 |
| 29 | HIHawaii | $35,930 | $30,140 | $42,830 | 2,010 | $32,678 |
| 30 | CTConnecticut | $35,890 | $34,430 | $39,470 | 4,280 | $34,640 |
| 31 | MDMaryland | $35,860 | $33,220 | $40,020 | 4,230 | $34,166 |
| 32 | MIMichigan | $35,340 | $31,270 | $37,970 | 15,590 | $36,729 |
| 33 | VAVirginia | $35,000 | $29,360 | $39,950 | 7,790 | $34,618 |
| 34 | MTMontana | $34,960 | $28,730 | $43,200 | 1,490 | $36,938 |
| 35 | OKOklahoma | $34,520 | $28,190 | $40,240 | 3,900 | $39,297 |
| 36 | NCNorth Carolina | $34,360 | $29,130 | $39,040 | 19,600 | $36,427 |
| 37 | MAMassachusetts | $34,200 | $32,520 | $37,360 | 15,330 | $32,338 |
| 38 | ARArkansas | $33,930 | $30,920 | $36,840 | 3,050 | $39,028 |
| 39 | GAGeorgia | $33,260 | $27,840 | $37,900 | 17,380 | $34,540 |
| 40 | MSMississippi | $33,240 | $27,060 | $35,780 | 3,490 | $38,228 |
| 41 | TXTexas | $33,090 | $28,330 | $37,190 | 46,510 | $34,093 |
| 42 | SCSouth Carolina | $32,180 | $27,660 | $37,860 | 7,610 | $34,326 |
| 43 | WYWyoming | $32,110 | $28,250 | $36,340 | 340 | $34,642 |
| 44 | ALAlabama | $31,770 | $26,760 | $37,300 | 7,050 | $35,768 |
| 45 | NDNorth Dakota | $31,440 | $26,890 | $39,640 | 470 | $35,342 |
| 46 | NHNew Hampshire | $30,700 | $29,400 | $34,610 | 3,300 | $29,472 |
| 47 | SDSouth Dakota | $28,760 | $27,980 | $36,120 | 1,040 | $32,466 |
| 48 | WVWest Virginia | $28,740 | $27,660 | $36,670 | 1,140 | $32,113 |
| 49 | FLFlorida | $28,280 | $27,600 | $34,640 | 38,860 | $27,346 |
| 50 | NMNew Mexico | $28,070 | $26,160 | $35,590 | 1,050 | $30,441 |
| 51 | LALouisiana | $27,710 | $21,860 | $36,660 | 2,280 | $31,415 |
| 52 | VIU.S. Virgin Islands | $22,880 | $21,960 | $27,200 | 100 | N/A |
| 53 | PRPuerto Rico | $21,840 | $21,840 | $22,050 | 3,840 | N/A |
| 54 | GUGuam | $21,030 | $20,860 | $22,030 | 240 | N/A |
Method
How the cost-of-living adjustment works
The adjusted column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity (RPP) and multiplies by 100. RPPs measure how much a fixed basket of goods, services and rents costs in one state relative to the national average, so the result restates local pay in national-average dollars.
For packers and packagers, hand, the adjustment does not change the leader: Kansas is first on raw pay and still first once prices are taken into account, at $49,363.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities by State, 2024 (public domain). The adjustment is NueCareer's calculation, not a BLS or BEA published statistic.
Questions
Packer and Packager, Hand pay by state: FAQ
Which state pays packers and packagers, hand the most?
Kansas reports the highest median wage for packers and packagers, hand at $44,460 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), followed by New Jersey ($43,840) and Alaska ($41,670).
Which state pays packers and packagers, hand the least?
Among the 50 states and DC, Louisiana reports the lowest median for packers and packagers, hand at $27,710 a year, $16,750 below the highest-paying state (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Among the territories, U.S. Virgin Islands reports $22,880, Puerto Rico reports $21,840 and Guam reports $21,030.
Is the highest-paying state the best for packers and packagers, hand after cost of living?
Yes. Kansas stays first after dividing each state median by its BEA Regional Price Parity, at $49,363 in national-average dollars from a raw $44,460. BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024; the adjustment is NueCareer's calculation.