Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic Salaries by State
Mean and median pay, wage percentiles, employment, and top-paying metro areas for extruding and drawing 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
- Rhode Island$60,280
- Louisiana$59,600
- Vermont$59,370
- New Hampshire$57,150
- Oregon$55,960
📉 5 Lowest-Paying States
- Idaho$38,890
- Florida$42,180
- Oklahoma$42,220
- Arizona$44,560
- Mississippi$44,620
State Rankings
| # | State | Mean | Median | Hourly | vs. U.S. | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rhode Island | $60,280 | $61,350 | $29 | +21.8% | 430 |
| 2 | Louisiana | $59,600 | $47,930 | $29 | +20.5% | 580 |
| 3 | Vermont | $59,370 | $59,220 | $29 | +20% | 60 |
| 4 | New Hampshire | $57,150 | $50,210 | $27 | +15.5% | 580 |
| 5 | Oregon | $55,960 | $49,650 | $27 | +13.1% | 440 |
| 6 | Pennsylvania | $54,770 | $51,150 | $26 | +10.7% | 2,960 |
| 7 | Minnesota | $52,800 | $51,830 | $25 | +6.7% | 900 |
| 8 | New Jersey | $52,380 | $51,180 | $25 | +5.9% | 750 |
| 9 | Massachusetts | $52,350 | $50,370 | $25 | +5.8% | 1,490 |
| 10 | Wisconsin | $52,240 | $50,230 | $25 | +5.6% | 3,190 |
| 11 | Maine | $52,170 | $46,550 | $25 | +5.4% | 90 |
| 12 | Connecticut | $51,830 | $50,230 | $25 | +4.7% | 1,000 |
| 13 | Georgia | $51,700 | $48,410 | $25 | +4.5% | 2,560 |
| 14 | Arkansas | $51,460 | $50,150 | $25 | +4% | 1,270 |
| 15 | Utah | $51,240 | $49,000 | $25 | +3.6% | 410 |
| 16 | Nebraska | $51,020 | $52,360 | $25 | +3.1% | 510 |
| 17 | South Carolina | $50,980 | $49,040 | $25 | +3% | 2,000 |
| 18 | Colorado | $50,950 | $51,110 | $25 | +3% | 240 |
| 19 | North Carolina | $50,690 | $53,330 | $24 | +2.4% | 2,950 |
| 20 | Illinois | $50,450 | $48,520 | $24 | +2% | 2,750 |
| 21 | South Dakota | $50,370 | $49,620 | $24 | +1.8% | 50 |
| 22 | Indiana | $50,320 | $49,420 | $24 | +1.7% | 3,740 |
| 23 | Kentucky | $50,050 | $50,000 | $24 | +1.2% | 1,400 |
| 24 | Delaware | $49,830 | $46,140 | $24 | +0.7% | 470 |
| 25 | New York | $49,660 | $48,930 | $24 | +0.4% | 1,400 |
| 26 | Washington | $49,590 | $47,230 | $24 | +0.2% | 1,080 |
| 27 | Iowa | $49,300 | $47,240 | $24 | -0.4% | 450 |
| 28 | New Mexico | $48,050 | $45,670 | $23 | -2.9% | 50 |
| 29 | Missouri | $47,640 | $46,050 | $23 | -3.7% | 1,040 |
| 30 | Tennessee | $47,590 | $47,550 | $23 | -3.8% | 2,980 |
| 31 | Alabama | $47,540 | $47,690 | $23 | -3.9% | 1,200 |
| 32 | Texas | $47,440 | $45,890 | $23 | -4.1% | 4,070 |
| 33 | California | $47,310 | $45,880 | $23 | -4.4% | 3,870 |
| 34 | Virginia | $47,240 | $45,220 | $23 | -4.5% | 1,490 |
| 35 | Maryland | $46,920 | $46,730 | $23 | -5.2% | 270 |
| 36 | Ohio | $46,860 | $46,340 | $23 | -5.3% | 5,020 |
| 37 | Wyoming | $46,100 | $45,950 | $22 | -6.8% | 80 |
| 38 | Kansas | $45,960 | $46,270 | $22 | -7.1% | 1,140 |
| 39 | Michigan | $45,630 | $45,140 | $22 | -7.8% | 1,800 |
| 40 | Nevada | $45,050 | $44,210 | $22 | -9% | 260 |
| 41 | West Virginia | $44,760 | $44,510 | $22 | -9.5% | 540 |
| 42 | Mississippi | $44,620 | $44,220 | $21 | -9.8% | 550 |
| 43 | Arizona | $44,560 | $45,000 | $21 | -9.9% | 910 |
| 44 | Oklahoma | $42,220 | $38,820 | $20 | -14.7% | 490 |
| 45 | Florida | $42,180 | $39,730 | $20 | -14.8% | 1,190 |
| 46 | Idaho | $38,890 | $34,700 | $19 | -21.4% | — |
Top-Paying Metro Areas
Highest median pay among 192 metro areas.
| # | Metro area | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | High Desert Utah nonmetropolitan area | $71,850 | $61,780 | 60 |
| 2 | Central New Hampshire nonmetropolitan area | $68,010 | $69,500 | 150 |
| 3 | South Central Wisconsin nonmetropolitan area | $65,520 | $56,570 | 500 |
| 4 | Burlington-South Burlington, VT | $64,760 | $63,140 | 50 |
| 5 | Oshkosh-Neenah, WI | $64,760 | $61,930 | 450 |
| 6 | Cedar Rapids, IA | $64,520 | $59,580 | 110 |
| 7 | Appleton, WI | $61,960 | $58,660 | 250 |
| 8 | Lincoln, NE | $61,570 | $54,110 | 90 |
| 9 | Duluth, MN-WI | $61,530 | $58,810 | 80 |
| 10 | Pittsburgh, PA | $60,820 | $67,380 | 520 |
Pay by Industry
Highest-paying industries employing extruding and drawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics (BLS OEWS, by median).
| # | Industry | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Paper Manufacturing | $61,770 | $62,190 | 200 |
| 2 | Converted Paper Product Manufacturing | $61,770 | $62,190 | 200 |
| 3 | Turned Product and Screw, Nut, and Bolt Manufacturing | $59,670 | $59,440 | 80 |
| 4 | Iron and Steel Mills and Ferroalloy Manufacturing | $58,920 | $54,130 | 300 |
| 5 | Coating, Engraving, Heat Treating, and Allied Activities | $57,910 | $55,970 | 140 |
| 6 | Management of Companies and Enterprises | $57,810 | $55,600 | 540 |
| 7 | Management of Companies and Enterprises | $57,810 | $55,600 | 540 |
| 8 | Sector 55 - Management of Companies and Enterprises | $57,810 | $55,600 | 540 |
| 9 | Machine Shops; Turned Product; and Screw, Nut, and Bolt Manufacturing | $56,230 | $55,360 | 180 |
| 10 | Nonferrous Metal (except Aluminum) Production and Processing | $56,130 | $57,370 | 6,080 |
| 11 | Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods (4241, 4247, and 4249 only) | $52,560 | $54,350 | 60 |
| 12 | Beverage and Tobacco Product Manufacturing | $52,370 | $51,740 | 60 |
Workforce Deep-Dive
Distribution and demographics from Census ACS (2017, 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
Top Skills
Most important skills for this role (O*NET importance, 1–5 scale).
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do extruding and drawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic make in the U.S.?
The median extruding and drawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic salary in the United States is $47,720 per year (mean $49,480), and about 80% earn between $36,700 and $63,710.
How much do extruding and drawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic make per hour?
Roughly $24 per hour, based on a mean annual wage of $49,480 and 2,080 work hours per year.
Which state pays extruding and drawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic the most?
Rhode Island has the highest average pay for extruding and drawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic at $60,280 per year (median $61,350).
What is the job outlook for extruding and drawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic?
Employment is projected to change +1.2% from 2024 to 2034 (Slower than average), with about 6,500 openings per year.