Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic Salaries by State
Mean and median pay, wage percentiles, employment, and top-paying metro areas for forging 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$71,820
- California$61,470
- Nebraska$61,420
- Massachusetts$59,820
- Michigan$57,080
📉 5 Lowest-Paying States
- Texas$39,210
- Mississippi$39,810
- Kentucky$40,810
- Arkansas$42,850
- West Virginia$42,910
State Rankings
| # | State | Mean | Median | Hourly | vs. U.S. | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oregon | $71,820 | $69,210 | $35 | +39% | 30 |
| 2 | California | $61,470 | $59,250 | $30 | +18.9% | 750 |
| 3 | Nebraska | $61,420 | $60,460 | $30 | +18.8% | 200 |
| 4 | Massachusetts | $59,820 | $51,770 | $29 | +15.8% | 310 |
| 5 | Michigan | $57,080 | $61,620 | $27 | +10.4% | 620 |
| 6 | Oklahoma | $56,820 | $61,720 | $27 | +9.9% | — |
| 7 | Wisconsin | $56,810 | $60,310 | $27 | +9.9% | 80 |
| 8 | Colorado | $56,220 | $57,970 | $27 | +8.8% | 140 |
| 9 | Ohio | $55,940 | $56,870 | $27 | +8.2% | 500 |
| 10 | New York | $55,410 | $56,350 | $27 | +7.2% | 260 |
| 11 | Pennsylvania | $54,500 | $50,280 | $26 | +5.5% | 550 |
| 12 | Virginia | $53,590 | $54,230 | $26 | +3.7% | 560 |
| 13 | Arizona | $52,630 | $48,730 | $25 | +1.8% | 30 |
| 14 | Indiana | $52,600 | $53,550 | $25 | +1.8% | 450 |
| 15 | Alabama | $52,460 | $46,970 | $25 | +1.5% | 70 |
| 16 | Illinois | $51,970 | $49,750 | $25 | +0.6% | 230 |
| 17 | Maryland | $51,710 | $49,920 | $25 | +0.1% | 30 |
| 18 | Kansas | $51,620 | $51,120 | $25 | -0.1% | 130 |
| 19 | Missouri | $51,610 | $55,210 | $25 | -0.1% | 60 |
| 20 | South Carolina | $51,540 | $49,610 | $25 | -0.3% | 80 |
| 21 | Georgia | $50,660 | $46,490 | $24 | -2% | 380 |
| 22 | Nevada | $49,320 | $45,040 | $24 | -4.6% | 40 |
| 23 | Iowa | $48,280 | $47,010 | $23 | -6.6% | — |
| 24 | Tennessee | $44,810 | $43,810 | $22 | -13.3% | 1,140 |
| 25 | Connecticut | $44,650 | $45,120 | $21 | -13.6% | 110 |
| 26 | Florida | $44,180 | $40,480 | $21 | -14.5% | 80 |
| 27 | New Jersey | $43,450 | $35,630 | $21 | -15.9% | — |
| 28 | West Virginia | $42,910 | $37,390 | $21 | -17% | — |
| 29 | Arkansas | $42,850 | $38,120 | $21 | -17.1% | 140 |
| 30 | Kentucky | $40,810 | $36,110 | $20 | -21% | — |
| 31 | Mississippi | $39,810 | $39,550 | $19 | -23% | 70 |
| 32 | Texas | $39,210 | $37,390 | $19 | -24.1% | 720 |
Top-Paying Metro Areas
Highest median pay among 35 metro areas.
| # | Metro area | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $67,230 | $72,070 | 40 |
| 2 | Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $63,880 | $59,440 | 190 |
| 3 | Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | $61,980 | $56,550 | 380 |
| 4 | Pittsburgh, PA | $61,480 | $58,210 | — |
| 5 | Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI | $60,500 | $58,430 | 60 |
| 6 | Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $60,090 | $60,360 | 90 |
| 7 | Cleveland, OH | $59,670 | $56,740 | 100 |
| 8 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $59,320 | $61,970 | 510 |
| 9 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $58,980 | $62,630 | 80 |
| 10 | Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN | $57,740 | $52,060 | 120 |
Pay by Industry
Highest-paying industries employing forging machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics (BLS OEWS, by median).
| # | Industry | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Schools and Hospitals and USPS | $69,310 | $69,530 | 320 |
| 2 | Sector 99 - Federal, State, and Local Government, excl. State & Local Schools & Hospitals & USPS | $69,310 | $69,530 | 320 |
| 3 | Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation) | $69,170 | $69,520 | 320 |
| 4 | Federal Government, including the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | $69,170 | $69,520 | 320 |
| 5 | Federal, State, and Local Government, including State and Local Schools and Hospitals and USPS | $68,810 | $69,360 | 330 |
| 6 | Other Miscellaneous Manufacturing | $63,370 | $54,430 | 80 |
| 7 | Nonferrous Metal (except Aluminum) Production and Processing | $62,050 | $64,360 | 200 |
| 8 | Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing | $60,130 | $60,720 | 390 |
| 9 | Turned Product and Screw, Nut, and Bolt Manufacturing | $59,250 | $58,440 | 1,050 |
| 10 | Foundries | $59,200 | $60,000 | 170 |
| 11 | Machine Shops; Turned Product; and Screw, Nut, and Bolt Manufacturing | $58,020 | $57,810 | 1,100 |
| 12 | Primary Metal Manufacturing | $57,970 | $56,930 | 710 |
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 forging machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic make in the U.S.?
The median forging machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic salary in the United States is $49,030 per year (mean $51,680), and about 80% earn between $36,800 and $68,720.
How much do forging machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic make per hour?
Roughly $25 per hour, based on a mean annual wage of $51,680 and 2,080 work hours per year.
Which state pays forging machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic the most?
Oregon has the highest average pay for forging machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic at $71,820 per year (median $69,210).
What is the job outlook for forging machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic?
Employment is projected to change -18.9% from 2024 to 2034 (Decline), with about 600 openings per year.