Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic Salaries by State

Mean and median pay, wage percentiles, employment, and top-paying metro areas for multiple machine tool 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).

National mean salary $50,030 ≈ $24/hr

National median salary $47,180

Total employment 124,590 nationwide

Job Outlook, 2024–2034

Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034.

Projected growth -0.5% Decline

Annual openings 12,800 per year (avg)

Employment 2024→2034 131,000 → 130,300 (-700)

Typical entry education High school diploma or equivalent

Salary Map

Brighter tiles = higher average pay; dashed tiles have no data. Click a state for details.

AK ME WI VT NH WA ID MT ND MN IL MI NY MA OR NV WY SD IA IN OH PA NJ CT RI CA UT CO NE MO KY WV VA MD DE AZ NM KS AR TN NC SC DC OK LA MS AL GA HI TX FL

Mean annual wage $37,000–$45,000 $45,000–$47,000 $47,000–$50,000 $50,000–$52,000 $52,000–$65,000 U.S. mean $50,030

💰 Top 5 Highest-Paying States

West Virginia$65,210
Kentucky$57,820
Missouri$57,580
Texas$55,890
Washington$55,570

📉 5 Lowest-Paying States

Mississippi$36,950
Rhode Island$41,750
Georgia$42,380
Nevada$43,150
Wyoming$43,200

State Rankings

⇄ Compare specific states

#	State	Mean	Median	Hourly	vs. U.S.	Employment
1	West Virginia	$65,210	$76,080	$31	+30.3%	1,920
2	Kentucky	$57,820	$54,960	$28	+15.6%	5,510
3	Missouri	$57,580	$53,160	$28	+15.1%	7,220
4	Texas	$55,890	$49,050	$27	+11.7%	10,540
5	Washington	$55,570	$50,540	$27	+11.1%	830
6	Vermont	$55,110	$50,450	$27	+10.2%	110
7	Maryland	$53,010	$51,780	$25	+6%	400
8	North Dakota	$52,580	$49,190	$25	+5.1%	490
9	Wisconsin	$52,330	$47,700	$25	+4.6%	3,570
10	New York	$52,010	$49,890	$25	+4%	3,660
11	Massachusetts	$51,570	$48,230	$25	+3.1%	1,390
12	Virginia	$51,560	$50,600	$25	+3.1%	1,030
13	Idaho	$51,240	$50,410	$25	+2.4%	480
14	Minnesota	$51,180	$48,980	$25	+2.3%	2,540
15	Colorado	$51,100	$46,160	$25	+2.1%	220
16	Michigan	$50,910	$45,920	$24	+1.8%	9,350
17	Oregon	$49,800	$47,470	$24	-0.5%	1,120
18	California	$49,660	$46,810	$24	-0.7%	3,190
19	Nebraska	$49,620	$50,960	$24	-0.8%	1,250
20	New Hampshire	$49,530	$45,710	$24	-1%	600
21	South Carolina	$49,330	$45,740	$24	-1.4%	4,520
22	Iowa	$49,140	$48,910	$24	-1.8%	4,460
23	North Carolina	$49,070	$47,320	$24	-1.9%	3,200
24	Ohio	$49,000	$46,420	$24	-2.1%	11,170
25	Pennsylvania	$48,770	$48,070	$23	-2.5%	7,960
26	South Dakota	$47,190	$44,700	$23	-5.7%	120
27	Maine	$46,920	$46,710	$23	-6.2%	300
28	Louisiana	$46,860	$46,210	$23	-6.3%	900
29	Oklahoma	$46,600	$46,470	$22	-6.9%	2,180
30	Indiana	$46,390	$45,100	$22	-7.3%	7,480
31	Alabama	$46,100	$43,800	$22	-7.9%	1,680
32	Connecticut	$45,560	$42,580	$22	-8.9%	2,150
33	Illinois	$45,540	$44,350	$22	-9%	6,090
34	Tennessee	$45,050	$43,630	$22	-10%	930
35	New Jersey	$45,040	$41,390	$22	-10%	3,090
36	Kansas	$44,830	$48,450	$22	-10.4%	290
37	Arizona	$44,620	$43,090	$21	-10.8%	1,760
38	Utah	$44,620	$43,550	$21	-10.8%	1,340
39	Arkansas	$43,950	$44,080	$21	-12.2%	1,570
40	Florida	$43,570	$41,220	$21	-12.9%	2,530
41	Wyoming	$43,200	$40,000	$21	-13.7%	110
42	Nevada	$43,150	$40,310	$21	-13.8%	—
43	Georgia	$42,380	$38,810	$20	-15.3%	2,980
44	Rhode Island	$41,750	$38,720	$20	-16.6%	680
45	Mississippi	$36,950	$36,330	$18	-26.1%	1,070

Top-Paying Metro Areas

Highest median pay among 272 metro areas.

#	Metro area	Median	Mean	Employment
1	Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX	$80,110	$67,500	5,440
2	Charleston, WV	$71,470	$57,970	90
3	Central East New York nonmetropolitan area	$66,900	$60,850	420
4	Southern South Carolina nonmetropolitan area	$66,770	$58,940	60
5	Saginaw, MI	$65,610	$55,420	130
6	Central New Hampshire nonmetropolitan area	$64,870	$61,680	40
7	Oshkosh-Neenah, WI	$63,060	$57,550	110
8	Athens-Clarke County, GA	$62,600	$54,950	170
9	St. Louis, MO-IL	$62,090	$64,890	4,480
10	Capital/Northern New York nonmetropolitan area	$61,350	$54,410	180

Pay by Industry

Highest-paying industries employing multiple machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics (BLS OEWS, by median).

#	Industry	Median	Mean	Employment
1	Transportation Equipment Manufacturing	$61,120	$61,100	25,960
2	Foundries	$60,720	$61,870	550
3	Engine, Turbine, and Power Transmission Equipment Manufacturing	$59,210	$61,390	1,520
4	Ship and Boat Building	$54,760	$56,320	—
5	Commercial and Service Industry Machinery Manufacturing	$54,090	$51,440	540
6	Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing	$51,060	$53,480	400
7	Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing	$51,060	$53,480	400
8	Electrical Equipment Manufacturing	$51,050	$50,450	1,830
9	Other Transportation Equipment Manufacturing	$50,680	$52,440	270
10	Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing	$50,530	$57,090	2,130
11	Nonferrous Metal (except Aluminum) Production and Processing	$49,830	$52,940	2,150
12	Other Electrical Equipment and Component Manufacturing	$49,790	$51,590	3,130

Frequently Asked Questions

How much do multiple machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic make in the U.S.?

The median multiple machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic salary in the United States is $47,180 per year (mean $50,030), and about 80% earn between $35,780 and $74,450.

How much do multiple machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic make per hour?

Roughly $24 per hour, based on a mean annual wage of $50,030 and 2,080 work hours per year.

Which state pays multiple machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic the most?

West Virginia has the highest average pay for multiple machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic at $65,210 per year (median $76,080).

What is the job outlook for multiple machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic?

Employment is projected to change -0.5% from 2024 to 2034 (Decline), with about 12,800 openings per year.