Recreation Workers pay range in Merced
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $34,630 a year or less, while the top 10% make $47,220 or more. The middle half of recreation workers in Merced earn between $35,100 and $46,180.
- $35K10th
- $35K25th
- $37KMedian
- $46K75th
- $47K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $42,280 | $3,523 | $20.33 |
| Median | $36,790 | $3,066 | $17.69 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $35,100 | $2,925 | $16.88 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $46,180 | $3,848 | $22.20 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Recreation Workers salary after taxes in Merced
On the average salary of $42,280, a single filer in Merced takes home about $35,325 a year, or $2,944 a month and $1,359 every two weeks. Taxes take 16% of gross pay.
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
Is Merced a good place for recreation workers? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the Merced area are 2% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 98.3), so the average $42,280 buys what about $43,022 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.8 times the median wage of all jobs in Merced ($47,220). A typical home costs $419,171, or 9.9 years of this average salary before tax.
Recreation Workers salary in other California cities
Merced ranks 11th of 25 California metro areas for this job; San Jose pays the most ($54,750).
- San Jose$54,750
- San Francisco$48,810
- Napa$45,860
- Santa Maria$45,460
- Santa Rosa$44,760
- Santa Cruz$43,410
- Sacramento$42,820
- Yuba City$42,790
- San Diego$42,610
- Merced$42,280
Highest-paying cities for recreation workers
Fairbanks, AK pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($61,070).
- Fairbanks, AK$61,070
- San Jose, CA$54,750
- San Francisco, CA$48,810
- Seattle, WA$47,840
- Bozeman, MT$47,520
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Recreation Workers salary in Merced: questions
How much do recreation workers make an hour in Merced?
$20.33 an hour on average, and $17.69 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level recreation workers salary in Merced?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $34,630 a year and the 25th percentile is $35,100, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the recreation workers take-home pay in Merced?
About $35,325 a year ($2,944 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $42,280. California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
Do recreation workers earn more in Merced than elsewhere?
The average here is 9% more than the U.S. metro average for this job ($38,839).
Sources and how to read this page
- Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 39-9032; area Merced, CA (32900). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 1.7%.
- Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
- Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
- Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
- Job concentration: location quotient 0.93, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.
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