Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic Salaries by State
Mean and median pay, wage percentiles, employment, and top-paying metro areas for cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics across the U.S. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 (data.bls.gov OEWS tool /OESServices/combo/table, all-occupation crawl by area).
Job Outlook, 2024–2034
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034.
Salary Map
Brighter tiles = higher average pay; dashed tiles have no data. Click a state for details.
💰 Top 5 Highest-Paying States
- Oregon$55,390
- Washington$55,150
- Colorado$55,080
- Maine$52,050
- Michigan$51,880
📉 5 Lowest-Paying States
- New Mexico$40,630
- Florida$41,940
- Idaho$42,920
- Texas$43,580
- Alabama$43,760
State Rankings
| # | State | Mean | Median | Hourly | vs. U.S. | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oregon | $55,390 | $53,680 | $27 | +14.4% | 1,180 |
| 2 | Washington | $55,150 | $51,160 | $27 | +13.9% | 1,750 |
| 3 | Colorado | $55,080 | $50,790 | $26 | +13.7% | 1,400 |
| 4 | Maine | $52,050 | $51,820 | $25 | +7.5% | 180 |
| 5 | Michigan | $51,880 | $46,120 | $25 | +7.1% | 22,060 |
| 6 | Illinois | $51,740 | $48,990 | $25 | +6.8% | 8,060 |
| 7 | California | $51,620 | $48,450 | $25 | +6.6% | 7,710 |
| 8 | North Dakota | $51,620 | $48,400 | $25 | +6.6% | 230 |
| 9 | Alaska | $51,270 | $49,010 | $25 | +5.9% | 80 |
| 10 | Rhode Island | $50,870 | $48,170 | $24 | +5% | 470 |
| 11 | Minnesota | $50,850 | $49,770 | $24 | +5% | 6,130 |
| 12 | Missouri | $50,680 | $48,310 | $24 | +4.6% | 3,240 |
| 13 | Wisconsin | $50,500 | $49,270 | $24 | +4.3% | 7,960 |
| 14 | New York | $50,330 | $46,930 | $24 | +3.9% | 3,340 |
| 15 | Indiana | $49,900 | $46,980 | $24 | +3% | 9,680 |
| 16 | Pennsylvania | $49,670 | $47,860 | $24 | +2.6% | 8,890 |
| 17 | Massachusetts | $49,360 | $45,760 | $24 | +1.9% | 2,590 |
| 18 | Montana | $49,330 | $48,490 | $24 | +1.9% | 130 |
| 19 | Nebraska | $49,090 | $48,690 | $24 | +1.4% | 1,320 |
| 20 | Kansas | $48,770 | $46,840 | $23 | +0.7% | 1,900 |
| 21 | Kentucky | $48,770 | $45,760 | $23 | +0.7% | 7,290 |
| 22 | Utah | $48,760 | $46,670 | $23 | +0.7% | 1,050 |
| 23 | Virginia | $48,270 | $47,300 | $23 | -0.3% | 1,790 |
| 24 | Connecticut | $48,190 | $46,280 | $23 | -0.5% | 2,030 |
| 25 | New Hampshire | $48,150 | $48,110 | $23 | -0.6% | 600 |
| 26 | Wyoming | $48,060 | $46,890 | $23 | -0.8% | 60 |
| 27 | Iowa | $47,960 | $48,240 | $23 | -1% | 2,030 |
| 28 | South Dakota | $47,740 | $46,060 | $23 | -1.4% | 490 |
| 29 | Arizona | $47,680 | $46,610 | $23 | -1.5% | 1,100 |
| 30 | New Jersey | $47,670 | $45,680 | $23 | -1.6% | 1,950 |
| 31 | Maryland | $47,280 | $47,320 | $23 | -2.4% | 270 |
| 32 | Georgia | $47,040 | $45,080 | $23 | -2.9% | 5,260 |
| 33 | Vermont | $46,870 | $43,560 | $23 | -3.2% | 70 |
| 34 | Nevada | $46,710 | $47,690 | $22 | -3.6% | 580 |
| 35 | Ohio | $46,370 | $45,230 | $22 | -4.3% | 13,350 |
| 36 | North Carolina | $45,980 | $43,400 | $22 | -5.1% | 3,940 |
| 37 | South Carolina | $45,540 | $44,420 | $22 | -6% | 4,100 |
| 38 | West Virginia | $45,130 | $43,070 | $22 | -6.8% | 290 |
| 39 | Louisiana | $44,990 | $40,870 | $22 | -7.1% | 760 |
| 40 | Delaware | $44,700 | $41,640 | $21 | -7.7% | 240 |
| 41 | Arkansas | $44,480 | $45,580 | $21 | -8.2% | 3,020 |
| 42 | Oklahoma | $44,240 | $40,930 | $21 | -8.7% | 2,480 |
| 43 | Mississippi | $44,140 | $40,650 | $21 | -8.9% | 1,700 |
| 44 | Tennessee | $43,980 | $44,780 | $21 | -9.2% | 5,380 |
| 45 | Alabama | $43,760 | $43,830 | $21 | -9.6% | 6,000 |
| 46 | Texas | $43,580 | $42,720 | $21 | -10% | 13,290 |
| 47 | Idaho | $42,920 | $39,580 | $21 | -11.4% | 720 |
| 48 | Florida | $41,940 | $39,440 | $20 | -13.4% | 2,740 |
| 49 | New Mexico | $40,630 | $39,430 | $20 | -16.1% | 220 |
Top-Paying Metro Areas
Highest median pay among 383 metro areas.
| # | Metro area | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Flint, MI | $78,600 | $61,680 | 380 |
| 2 | Rome, GA | $63,740 | $61,880 | 200 |
| 3 | Oshkosh-Neenah, WI | $62,250 | $58,680 | 560 |
| 4 | Southern Indiana nonmetropolitan area | $61,610 | $59,200 | 1,690 |
| 5 | Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN | $60,230 | $56,030 | 3,100 |
| 6 | Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ | $60,080 | $53,270 | 730 |
| 7 | Bellingham, WA | $59,380 | $55,750 | 30 |
| 8 | Lewiston-Auburn, ME | $59,300 | $55,850 | 60 |
| 9 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $58,580 | $68,590 | 410 |
| 10 | Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $58,240 | $61,430 | 640 |
Pay by Industry
Highest-paying industries employing cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics (BLS OEWS, by median).
| # | Industry | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Plumbing, Heating, and Air-Conditioning Contractors | $73,130 | $84,640 | 130 |
| 2 | Motor Vehicle Manufacturing | $66,280 | $68,230 | 5,010 |
| 3 | Building Finishing Contractors | $64,180 | $59,810 | 30 |
| 4 | Engineering Services | $61,930 | $63,980 | 90 |
| 5 | Computer and Peripheral Equipment Manufacturing | $56,220 | $56,520 | 90 |
| 6 | Ship and Boat Building | $51,840 | $52,430 | 320 |
| 7 | Other Specialty Trade Contractors | $51,800 | $52,330 | 90 |
| 8 | Paper Manufacturing | $51,150 | $51,560 | 960 |
| 9 | Converted Paper Product Manufacturing | $51,150 | $51,380 | 940 |
| 10 | Food Manufacturing | $50,580 | $52,280 | 130 |
| 11 | Nonferrous Metal (except Aluminum) Production and Processing | $50,160 | $50,430 | 1,510 |
| 12 | Sectors 48 and 49 - Transportation and Warehousing | $50,160 | $50,950 | 280 |
Workforce Deep-Dive
Distribution and demographics from Census ACS (2023, self-reported). Wage figures here are ACS averages and run lower than the authoritative BLS wages above; use them for shape, not exact pay.
Annual wage distribution
Pay by age band
Education level
Full-time vs part-time
Race / ethnicity
Top fields of study
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic make in the U.S.?
The median cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic salary in the United States is $46,330 per year (mean $48,430), and about 80% earn between $35,760 and $65,510.
How much do cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic make per hour?
Roughly $23 per hour, based on a mean annual wage of $48,430 and 2,080 work hours per year.
Which state pays cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic the most?
Oregon has the highest average pay for cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic at $55,390 per year (median $53,680).
What is the job outlook for cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic?
Employment is projected to change -12.1% from 2024 to 2034 (Decline), with about 14,400 openings per year.