Livable Wages for Chico

The California Budget Project’s (CPB, http://www.cpb.org) December, 2013 report, “Making Ends Meet: How Much Does It Cost to Support a Family in California?” analyzed the cost to live in California and each of its counties.  The CBP analyzed the following basic living needs: housing and utilities, child care, transportation, food, health care, miscellaneous expenses (including telephone service, housekeeping supplies, and other basic costs), and taxes.

Livable Wage in Chico/Butte County

  • A single adult needs an annual income of $26,615, or $12.80/hour.
  • A single-parent family with two children needs an annual income of $61,605, or $29.62/hour.
  • A two-parent family with one parent working and two children needs an annual income of $53,138, or $25.57/hour.
  • A family with two working parents and two children needs an annual income of $69,480, or $16.70/hour for each working parent.

How much do people in Chico make? According the latest Census information, American Community Survey (ACS) reports that in Chico:

  • The median household income is $42,896/year, or $20.62/hour.
  • The median family income is $56,301/year, or $27.07/hour.
  • The per capita income is $23,573, or $11.33/hour.

The US Census reports that 23% of the population in Chico is below poverty level.

California Budget Project – Dec. 2013 Annual Costs Butte Co.
Single Adult Single-Parent Family Two-Parent Family (One working) Two-Working Parent Family
Housing/Utilities $532 $878 $878 $878
Child Care $0 $892 $0 $892
Transportation $309 $309 $309 $538
Food $293 $627 $866 $866
Health Care $484 $1,350 $1,411 $1,411
Miscellaneous $212 $439 $509 $509
Taxes $388 $639 $460 $697
MONTHLY TOTAL $2,218 $5,134 $4,432 $5,790
ANNUAL TOTAL $26,615 $61,605 $53,183 $69,480
HOURLY WAGE $12.80 $29.62 $25.57 $33.40

Livable Wage for the State of California (statewide average)

  • A single adult needs an annual income of $32,625, or $15.69/hour.
  • A single-parent family with two children needs an annual income of $74,477, or $35.81/hour.
  • A two-parent family with one parent working and two children needs an annual income of $60,771, or $29.22/hour.
  • A family with two working parents and two children needs an annual income of $81,553, $19.61/hour per each working parent.

HUD Low-Income Status – Butte County

HUD Income Limits – Butte Co, 2014
Persons in Family Extremely Low Income (30%) $/Hour Very Low Income (50%) $/Hour Low Income (80%) $/Hour
1 $11,500 $5.53 $19,150 $9.21 $30,650 $14.74
2 $13,150 $6.32 $21,900 $10.53 $35,000 $16.83
3 $14,800 $7.12 $24,650 $11.85 $39,400 $18.94
4 $16,400 $7.88 $27,350 $13.15 $43,750 $21.03
5 $17,750 $8.53 $29,550 $14.21 $47,250 $22.72
6 $19,050 $9.16 $31,750 $15.26 $50,750 $24.40
7 $20,350 $9.78 $33,950 $16.32 $54,250 $26.08
8 $21,650 $10.41 $36,150 $17.38 $57,750 $27.76
Median Income $54,000

Chico Jobs that Pay Less Than a Livable Wage

The following list of wages in Chico comes from the Employment Development Department’s California Labor Market data for Chico (http://www.labormarketinfo.edd.ca.gov). Seven of the top-ten, high hourly wage jobs are medical (dentists, doctors, pharmacists, physician assistants, etc.) while police supervisors (ranked #6) make more than PAs, chief executives, and architects/engineers.

At the other end of the scale the ten, lowest wage jobs in Chico include primarily restaurant workers (6 out of the bottom 10), home health aides, community and social service specialists, tree trimmers, and amusement and recreation attendees. Waiters and waitresses were the lowest, hourly wage workers in Chico.

  • Livable Wage for a Single Person in Chico = $12.80/hr., 21% of all occupations in Chico pay less than the Livable Wage for a single person.
  • Livable Wage for a One-Worker Family in Chico is $29.62/hr., 77% of all occupations in Chico have a median wage that is less than the Livable Wage for Chico.
High Wage Occupations in Chico MSA, California Labor Market Info 2013 Median Hourly Wage 2013 Average Hourly Wage
Dentists, General $0.00 $115.23
Pediatricians, General $0.00 $113.76
Physicians and Surgeons, All Other $0.00 $106.91
Internists, General $0.00 $102.85
Pharmacists $69.14 $69.50
Family and General Practitioners $61.65 $70.81
Police and Detective Supervisors $59.97 $57.27
Physician Assistants $52.79 $51.29
Chief Executives $51.47 $65.99
Architectural and Engineering Managers $50.61 $69.79
Nurse Practitioners $50.04 $50.73
Lawyers $48.73 $45.22
Sales Managers $48.05 $52.41
Purchasing Managers $47.29 $44.50
Computer and Information Systems Managers $46.01 $47.41
Occupational Therapists $44.40 $45.20
Registered Nurses $44.28 $44.28
Medical and Health Services Managers $44.24 $45.98
Human Resources Managers $44.09 $51.57
Speech-Language Pathologists $43.90 $45.27
Dental Hygienists $43.73 $45.43
Optometrists $43.71 $43.95
Construction Managers $43.38 $42.81
Engineers, All Other $43.22 $43.15
Physical Therapists $42.82 $44.59
Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technologists $41.98 $41.28
Industrial Engineers $40.90 $39.76
Tax Examiners and Collectors, and Revenue Agents $40.10 $38.77
Marketing Managers $39.76 $41.92
Sales Representatives, Technical and Scientific $39.61 $47.08
Industrial Production Managers $39.53 $38.25
Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technicians $39.00 $35.16
Financial Managers $38.99 $44.66
Electronics Engineers $38.83 $38.35
Surveyors $38.76 $35.49
Power Plant Operators $38.35 $38.89
Management Occupations $38.12 $45.16
Information Security Analysts $38.12 $37.24
Veterinarians $37.98 $40.30
General and Operations Managers $37.05 $47.04
Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations $37.05 $39.42
Diagnostic Medical Sonographers $36.61 $38.42
Urban and Regional Planners $36.37 $37.85
Civil Engineers $36.36 $36.05
Software Developers, Applications $36.33 $39.42
Hydrologists $36.19 $40.34
Vocational Education Teachers, Postsecondary $35.83 $32.62
Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers $34.98 $35.74
Financial Analysts $34.93 $38.66
Social and Community Service Managers $34.72 $32.67
Detectives and Criminal Investigators $34.60 $33.13
Budget Analysts $34.37 $34.66
Soil and Plant Scientists $33.90 $36.42
Construction Trades and Extraction Supervisors $33.82 $34.08
Respiratory Therapists $33.64 $33.51
Police and Sheriff Patrol Officers $33.60 $35.07
Education Administrators, All Other $33.17 $40.47
Network and Computer Systems Administrators $32.94 $35.61
Administrative Services Managers $32.69 $37.99
Clinical, Counseling, and School Psychologists $32.36 $31.51
Water and Liquid Waste Treatment Plant Workers $32.21 $31.66
Meter Readers, Utilities $31.89 $29.93
Computer Systems Analysts $31.64 $33.02
Claims Adjusters, Examiners, and Investigators $31.60 $30.45
Database Administrators $31.20 $29.78
Architecture and Engineering Occupations $31.05 $32.39
Social Scientists and Related Workers, All Other $30.77 $32.00
Postmasters and Mail Superintendents $30.63 $33.12
Computer Network Architects* $30.61 $34.94
Personal Financial Advisors $30.58 $42.91
Computer and Mathematical Occupations $30.02 $31.67
Construction and Building Inspectors $30.00 $30.41
Radiologic Technologists $29.96 $30.08
Accountants and Auditors $29.75 $31.46
Industrial Machinery Mechanics $29.62 $33.15
Occupations Paying less than Livable Wages in Butte County for One-Worker Families 2013 Median Hourly Wage 2013 Average Hourly Wage
Labor Relations Specialists $29.28 $29.16
Compensation, Benefits, and Job Analysis Specialists $29.09 $32.69
Mechanics, Installers, and Repair Supervisors $28.95 $31.84
Management Analysts $28.89 $30.27
Physical Therapist Assistants $28.86 $30.17
Librarians $28.83 $28.96
Mechanical Engineers $28.35 $31.87
Business Operations Specialists, All Other $28.19 $34.06
Environmental Scientists, Including Health $27.98 $26.68
Instructional Coordinators $27.79 $29.32
Surgical Technologists $27.66 $28.38
Legal Occupations $27.35 $35.64
Civil Engineering Technicians $27.35 $27.32
Postal Service Mail Carriers $27.09 $25.18
Environmental Technicians, Including Health $27.03 $27.27
Business and Financial Operations Occupations $26.92 $29.72
Occupational Therapy Assistants $26.82 $24.64
Transportation and Material-Moving Supervisors $26.72 $26.70
Educational, Guidance, School, and Vocational Counselors $26.60 $29.61
Fire Fighting and Prevention Workers Supervisors $26.49 $28.19
Environmental Engineers $26.48 $30.22
Social Workers, All Other $26.41 $24.92
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Supervisors $26.37 $29.98
Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists* $26.27 $29.56
Education, Training, and Library Occupations $26.11 $28.86
Postal Service Clerks $25.87 $23.80
Postal Service Mail Processors $25.87 $21.31
Industrial Engineering Technicians $25.86 $26.80
Healthcare Social Workers $25.85 $26.17
Computer User Support Specialists $25.82 $25.19
Financial Services Sales Agents $25.74 $30.66
Computer Programmers $25.71 $27.61
Dietitians and Nutritionists $25.47 $25.27
Heating/Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Workers $25.08 $24.46
Loan Officers $25.02 $26.80
Cost Estimators $24.70 $29.03
Real Estate Appraisers and Assessors $24.66 $25.41
Excavating and Loading Machine Operators $24.64 $27.25
Public Safety Dispatchers $24.55 $23.71
Landscaping and Groundskeeping Supervisors $24.50 $24.09
Mental Health Counselors $24.39 $23.70
Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanics, Except Engines $24.29 $24.11
Licensed Vocational Nurses $24.20 $24.40
Non-Retail Sales Supervisors $23.88 $25.28
Human Resources Specialists* $23.82 $24.93
Electricians $23.81 $24.25
Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers $23.80 $20.82
Machinists $23.77 $22.65
Child, Family, and School Social Workers $23.72 $22.54
Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installers $23.21 $22.99
Compliance Officers $23.18 $25.09
Protective Service Occupations $23.07 $24.07
Fire Inspectors and Investigators $23.07 $23.38
Purchasing Agents $23.01 $24.37
Public Relations Specialists $22.95 $25.34
Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations $22.89 $26.01
Production and Operating Supervisors $22.83 $24.60
Office and Administrative Support Supervisors $22.80 $23.98
Food Service Managers $22.54 $23.53
Architectural and Civil Drafters $22.54 $23.09
Chefs and Head Cooks $22.52 $24.07
Mechanical Drafters $22.30 $22.97
Cardiovascular Technologists and Technicians $22.27 $25.44
Sales Representatives, Except Technical $22.09 $29.49
Separating and Filtering Machine Workers $22.09 $23.51
Roofers $22.07 $21.28
Real Estate Sales Agents $22.05 $22.62
Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters $21.97 $21.80
Procurement Clerks $21.71 $21.23
Automotive Body and Related Repairers $21.58 $21.84
Painters, Transportation Equipment $21.57 $26.16
Operating Engineers $21.49 $23.42
Highway Maintenance Workers $21.36 $21.41
Computer Network Support Specialists $21.24 $20.92
Construction and Extraction Occupations $21.22 $23.14
Education Administrators, Preschool and Child Care Center/Program $21.20 $21.75
Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Commercial $21.18 $23.34
Training and Development Specialists $21.09 $22.48
Cement Masons and Concrete Finishers $20.99 $24.37
Wholesale and Retail Buyers, Except Farm Products $20.77 $23.77
Advertising Sales Agents $20.66 $25.28
Lodging Managers $20.61 $22.09
Legal Support Workers, All Other $20.47 $23.73
Editors $20.36 $22.88
Helpers, Laborers, and Material-Moving Supervisors $20.33 $21.17
Eligibility Interviewers, Government Programs $20.31 $19.86
Fitness Trainers and Aerobics Instructors $20.26 $19.64
Executive Secretaries $20.02 $20.63
Heavy Truck Drivers $20.00 $21.15
Property and Community Association Managers $19.93 $20.71
Fire Fighters $19.84 $21.36
Sales Representatives, Services, All Other $19.70 $22.51
Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics $19.63 $20.41
Paralegals and Legal Assistants* $19.52 $21.69
Production, Planning, and Expediting Clerks $19.36 $20.82
Payroll and Timekeeping Clerks $19.35 $20.04
Education/Training/Library Workers, All Other $19.33 $21.82
Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders $19.20 $17.68
Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installers $18.95 $18.36
Pharmacy Technicians $18.78 $19.76
Self-Enrichment Education Teachers $18.74 $20.91
Health Technologists and Technicians, All Other $18.58 $18.92
Construction Laborers $18.57 $22.42
Court, Municipal, and License Clerks $18.57 $19.39
Counselors, All Other $18.56 $22.21
Financial Specialists, All Other $18.55 $20.89
Writers and Authors $18.36 $18.72
Web Developers $18.31 $22.14
Marriage and Family Therapists $18.26 $20.50
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Occupations $18.20 $20.40
Medical Transcriptionists $18.17 $19.54
Community and Social Services Occupations $18.16 $19.77
Carpenters $18.00 $25.37
Bus and Truck Mechanics $17.98 $19.28
Butchers and Meat Cutters $17.94 $17.33
Loan Interviewers and Clerks $17.92 $17.82
Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, and Weighers $17.81 $19.49
Interpreters and Translators $17.79 $20.31
Housekeeping and Janitorial Supervisors $17.70 $19.52
Farm Equipment Mechanics $17.60 $18.58
Graphic Designers $17.53 $18.67
Retail Sales Supervisors $17.49 $18.84
Maintenance Workers, Machinery $17.39 $18.30
Library Technicians $17.39 $18.20
Opticians, Dispensing $17.18 $17.99
Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians $17.17 $17.20
Producers and Directors $17.16 $19.19
Dental Assistants $17.11 $16.80
Phlebotomists $17.09 $17.24
Pipelayers $17.03 $18.06
Bill and Account Collectors $16.92 $16.82
Meeting, Convention, and Event Planners* $16.89 $16.72
Prepress Technicians and Workers $16.81 $16.66
Helpers, Electricians $16.76 $17.44
Computer-Controlled Machine Tool Operators $16.74 $16.79
Word Processors and Typists $16.72 $17.02
Library Assistants, Clerical $16.71 $17.35
Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks $16.70 $17.31
Interviewers, Except Eligibility and Loan $16.64 $17.07
Printing Press Operators $16.63 $15.99
Veterinary Technologists and Technicians $16.62 $15.99
Substance Abuse and Behavioral Disorder Counselors $16.59 $17.84
Human Resources Assistants $16.46 $17.25
Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors $16.36 $15.16
Painters, Construction and Maintenance $16.34 $18.39
Information and Record Clerks, All Other $16.32 $16.73
Healthcare Support Workers, All Other $16.20 $17.09
Bus Drivers, School or Special Client $16.19 $16.18
Health Information Technicians $16.18 $17.11
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media $16.15 $19.00
Medical Equipment Preparers $15.86 $15.92
Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance $15.85 $16.18
Personal Service Worker Supervisors $15.82 $16.50
Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators $15.78 $16.52
Medical Secretaries $15.71 $15.52
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Workers, All Other $15.70 $18.23
Insurance Claims and Policy Processing Clerks $15.67 $16.20
Billing and Posting Clerks $15.67 $15.89
Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers $15.49 $15.90
Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters $15.43 $15.79
Emergency Medical Technicians and Paramedics $15.28 $15.85
Total, All Occupations $15.26 $20.43
Life and Social Science Technicians, All Other $15.26 $16.69
Production Occupations $15.05 $17.31
Maintenance and Repair Workers, General $15.03 $16.48
Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Workers $15.03 $16.27
Electronic Home Entertainment Equipment Workers $14.97 $15.15
Shipping, Receiving, and Traffic Clerks $14.86 $16.03
Pest Control Workers $14.86 $15.47
Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers $14.81 $15.96
Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technicians $14.73 $19.02
Animal Control Workers $14.70 $16.22
Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Workers $14.68 $15.98
Secretaries, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive $14.64 $15.29
Office and Administrative Support Occupations $14.54 $15.55
Protective Service Workers, All Other $14.53 $16.38
Weighers, Measurers, Checkers, and Samplers $14.44 $14.89
Legal Secretaries $14.34 $14.81
Motorcycle Mechanics $14.26 $16.27
Agricultural and Food Science Technicians $14.19 $15.61
Cabinetmakers and Bench Carpenters $14.00 $14.72
Pharmacy Aides $13.92 $15.50
Light Truck Drivers $13.75 $17.78
Transportation and Material-Moving Occupations $13.65 $15.59
Office Machine Operators, Except Computer $13.65 $15.00
Forest and Conservation Technicians $13.64 $16.17
Sheet Metal Workers $13.63 $14.91
Tax Preparers $13.62 $14.46
Packaging and Filling Machine Workers $13.61 $13.77
Merchandise Displayers and Window Trimmers $13.55 $13.62
Computer and Office Machine Repairers $13.46 $13.71
Order Clerks $13.46 $13.38
Outdoor Power Equipment Mechanics $13.45 $16.16
Medical Equipment Repairers $13.29 $14.08
Medical Assistants $13.29 $13.60
Reporters and Correspondents $13.15 $14.56
Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria $13.13 $13.92
Assemblers and Fabricators, All Other $12.97 $13.12
Veterinary Assistants/Laboratory Animal Caretakers $12.90 $13.13
Occupations Paying less than Livable Wages in Butte County for a Single Person 2013 Median Hourly Wage 2013 Average Hourly Wage
Tellers $12.76 $12.62
Mail Workers, Except Postal Service $12.61 $12.54
Parts Salespersons $12.47 $13.46
Food Preparation and Serving Workers Supervisors $12.44 $13.43
Laborers and Material Movers $12.38 $12.50
Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education $12.26 $14.05
Receptionists and Information Clerks $12.03 $13.09
Helpers, Construction Trades, All Other $11.99 $12.80
Nursing Assistants $11.99 $12.79
Healthcare Support Occupations $11.97 $13.05
File Clerks $11.95 $14.10
Service Station Attendants $11.87 $11.67
Grinding, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Workers $11.85 $12.80
Counter and Rental Clerks $11.70 $13.52
Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids/Housekeeping $11.60 $12.71
Bakers $11.57 $12.44
Recreation Workers $11.55 $13.15
Stock Clerks and Order Fillers $11.48 $12.74
Dietetic Technicians $11.40 $12.14
Building, Grounds, and Maintenance Occupations $11.34 $12.88
Woodworking Machine Workers, Except Sawing $11.31 $12.70
Team Assemblers $11.29 $12.45
Sales and Related Occupations $11.25 $15.33
Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Workers $11.18 $12.12
Office Clerks, General $11.13 $12.25
Sales and Related Workers, All Other $11.07 $12.98
Switchboard Operators $11.07 $11.47
Demonstrators and Product Promoters $10.96 $11.08
Residential Advisors $10.95 $12.16
Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers $10.89 $12.37
Driver/Sales Workers $10.76 $13.83
Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners $10.68 $11.42
Social and Human Service Assistants $10.58 $12.46
Helpers, Installation and Repair Workers $10.57 $11.10
Helpers, Roofers $10.55 $10.93
Physical Therapist Aides $10.52 $11.90
Taxi Drivers and Chauffeurs $10.48 $10.43
Cooks, Restaurant $10.45 $10.79
Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers $10.44 $10.52
Security Guards $10.40 $11.68
Cooks, All Other $10.33 $10.50
Cleaners of Vehicles and Equipment $10.32 $11.40
Childcare Workers $10.23 $10.77
Data Entry Keyers $10.21 $12.04
Transportation Workers, All Other $10.16 $11.75
Hotel, Motel, and Resort Desk Clerks $10.13 $10.71
Nonfarm Animal Caretakers $10.12 $11.31
Food Preparation Workers $10.10 $11.00
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Occupations $9.88 $11.74
Office and Administrative Support Workers, All Other $9.75 $10.98
Packers and Packagers $9.69 $10.07
Retail Salespersons $9.64 $11.61
Food Servers, Nonrestaurant $9.64 $9.66
Personal Care and Service Occupations $9.56 $11.70
Cashiers $9.54 $10.99
Cutting and Slicing Machine Workers $9.48 $11.98
Motor Vehicle Operators, All Other $9.47 $10.72
Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop and Nursery $9.40 $9.87
Tire Repairers and Changers $9.37 $10.42
Broadcast Technicians $9.30 $10.99
Sewing Machine Operators $9.24 $9.97
Cooks, Short Order $9.22 $9.81
Personal Care Aides $9.21 $9.43
Bartenders $9.21 $9.33
Food Preparation and Serving Related Occupations $9.19 $9.89
Counter Attendants, Concession, and Coffee Shop $9.16 $9.56
Helpers, Production Workers $9.14 $9.93
Home Health Aides $9.14 $9.31
Community and Social Service Specialists, All Other $9.10 $12.60
Combined Food Preparation and Serving Workers $9.09 $9.50
Tree Trimmers and Pruners $9.06 $10.38
Cooks, Fast Food $9.06 $9.07
Amusement and Recreation Attendants $9.05 $9.35
Dining Room, Cafeteria, and Bartender Helpers $9.02 $9.37
Dishwashers $8.95 $8.91
Hosts, Hostesses, Restaurant, and Coffee Shop $8.93 $8.75
Waiters and Waitresses $8.88 $8.78

Source: California Labor Market Information

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