Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders Salaries by State
Mean and median pay, wage percentiles, employment, and top-paying metro areas for paper goods machine setters, operators, and tenderss 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
- Louisiana$61,080
- Idaho$60,810
- Maine$60,780
- Washington$58,970
- Oregon$58,860
📉 5 Lowest-Paying States
- South Dakota$45,160
- Kansas$45,740
- Rhode Island$45,800
- Delaware$46,950
- Nebraska$47,010
State Rankings
| # | State | Mean | Median | Hourly | vs. U.S. | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Louisiana | $61,080 | $58,230 | $29 | +15.6% | 1,150 |
| 2 | Idaho | $60,810 | $57,950 | $29 | +15.1% | 480 |
| 3 | Maine | $60,780 | $61,780 | $29 | +15% | 740 |
| 4 | Washington | $58,970 | $59,410 | $28 | +11.6% | 2,170 |
| 5 | Oregon | $58,860 | $56,810 | $28 | +11.4% | 680 |
| 6 | Kentucky | $58,480 | $58,050 | $28 | +10.7% | 2,670 |
| 7 | Oklahoma | $58,480 | $63,640 | $28 | +10.7% | 1,390 |
| 8 | Utah | $58,230 | $60,790 | $28 | +10.2% | 1,350 |
| 9 | Minnesota | $57,470 | $58,150 | $28 | +8.8% | 1,960 |
| 10 | Wisconsin | $56,430 | $58,050 | $27 | +6.8% | 8,510 |
| 11 | Alabama | $55,280 | $52,290 | $27 | +4.6% | 3,800 |
| 12 | Iowa | $54,610 | $46,110 | $26 | +3.3% | 1,010 |
| 13 | South Carolina | $54,490 | $50,040 | $26 | +3.1% | 2,460 |
| 14 | Illinois | $54,030 | $56,400 | $26 | +2.3% | 5,360 |
| 15 | New Hampshire | $53,990 | $50,200 | $26 | +2.2% | 230 |
| 16 | Connecticut | $53,910 | $48,530 | $26 | +2% | 650 |
| 17 | Michigan | $53,580 | $50,540 | $26 | +1.4% | 3,000 |
| 18 | Pennsylvania | $53,220 | $51,780 | $26 | +0.7% | 7,410 |
| 19 | New York | $52,840 | $52,800 | $25 | +0% | 3,280 |
| 20 | Virginia | $52,620 | $49,900 | $25 | -0.4% | 2,370 |
| 21 | New Mexico | $52,170 | $53,930 | $25 | -1.3% | 100 |
| 22 | Massachusetts | $52,120 | $48,840 | $25 | -1.4% | 1,920 |
| 23 | Georgia | $52,110 | $50,160 | $25 | -1.4% | 5,650 |
| 24 | Florida | $51,980 | $48,910 | $25 | -1.6% | 1,360 |
| 25 | Mississippi | $51,890 | $47,380 | $25 | -1.8% | 960 |
| 26 | Colorado | $51,690 | $48,940 | $25 | -2.2% | 240 |
| 27 | California | $51,600 | $48,730 | $25 | -2.3% | 5,570 |
| 28 | Arkansas | $50,660 | $48,630 | $24 | -4.1% | 2,060 |
| 29 | Ohio | $50,350 | $47,450 | $24 | -4.7% | 4,640 |
| 30 | Indiana | $49,710 | $48,780 | $24 | -5.9% | 2,580 |
| 31 | Missouri | $49,550 | $47,560 | $24 | -6.2% | 1,540 |
| 32 | Nevada | $49,080 | $47,780 | $24 | -7.1% | 380 |
| 33 | Texas | $48,900 | $47,830 | $24 | -7.5% | 3,740 |
| 34 | Maryland | $48,640 | $47,780 | $23 | -7.9% | 480 |
| 35 | North Carolina | $48,430 | $47,940 | $23 | -8.3% | 4,800 |
| 36 | New Jersey | $47,890 | $45,950 | $23 | -9.4% | 3,210 |
| 37 | Arizona | $47,450 | $49,160 | $23 | -10.2% | 1,190 |
| 38 | Tennessee | $47,120 | $46,920 | $23 | -10.8% | 3,490 |
| 39 | Nebraska | $47,010 | $47,980 | $23 | -11% | 300 |
| 40 | Delaware | $46,950 | $48,110 | $23 | -11.1% | 160 |
| 41 | Rhode Island | $45,800 | $48,710 | $22 | -13.3% | 240 |
| 42 | Kansas | $45,740 | $45,840 | $22 | -13.4% | 420 |
| 43 | South Dakota | $45,160 | $46,910 | $22 | -14.5% | 130 |
Top-Paying Metro Areas
Highest median pay among 176 metro areas.
| # | Metro area | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cedar Rapids, IA | $83,470 | $70,830 | 260 |
| 2 | Upper Peninsula of Michigan nonmetropolitan area | $66,750 | $69,370 | 460 |
| 3 | Pittsfield, MA | $65,190 | $62,350 | 190 |
| 4 | Northeast Louisiana nonmetropolitan area | $65,170 | $61,890 | — |
| 5 | Terre Haute, IN | $65,110 | $61,390 | 40 |
| 6 | Northeast Oklahoma nonmetropolitan area | $64,690 | $62,150 | 460 |
| 7 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $64,020 | $59,650 | 460 |
| 8 | South Georgia nonmetropolitan area | $63,910 | $57,410 | 540 |
| 9 | Albany, OR | $63,800 | $66,820 | 80 |
| 10 | West Kentucky nonmetropolitan area | $63,690 | $63,120 | 550 |
Pay by Industry
Highest-paying industries employing paper goods machine setters, operators, and tenderss (BLS OEWS, by median).
| # | Industry | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pulp, Paper, and Paperboard Mills | $62,260 | $63,160 | 21,380 |
| 2 | Paper Manufacturing | $51,110 | $53,860 | 87,050 |
| 3 | Sectors 31, 32, and 33 - Manufacturing | $50,790 | $53,500 | 90,760 |
| 4 | Dairy Product Manufacturing | $50,470 | $52,320 | 130 |
| 5 | Cross-Industry, Private, Federal, State, and Local | $50,270 | $52,840 | 96,130 |
| 6 | Cross-industry, Private Ownership only | $50,270 | $52,840 | 96,130 |
| 7 | Converted Paper Product Manufacturing | $49,230 | $50,840 | 65,660 |
| 8 | Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3321, 3322, 3325, 3326, and 3329 only) | $47,680 | $44,620 | 30 |
| 9 | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | $46,730 | $48,100 | 70 |
| 10 | Advertising, Public Relations, and Related Services | $46,730 | $48,760 | 70 |
| 11 | Sector 54 - Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | $46,730 | $48,100 | 70 |
| 12 | Printing and Related Support Activities | $45,640 | $46,800 | 2,060 |
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
Top Skills
Most important skills for this role (O*NET importance, 1–5 scale).
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do paper goods machine setters, operators, and tenders make in the U.S.?
The median paper goods machine setters, operators, and tenders salary in the United States is $50,270 per year (mean $52,840), and about 80% earn between $37,300 and $70,320.
How much do paper goods machine setters, operators, and tenders make per hour?
Roughly $25 per hour, based on a mean annual wage of $52,840 and 2,080 work hours per year.
Which state pays paper goods machine setters, operators, and tenders the most?
Louisiana has the highest average pay for paper goods machine setters, operators, and tenders at $61,080 per year (median $58,230).
What is the job outlook for paper goods machine setters, operators, and tenders?
Employment is projected to change -6.3% from 2024 to 2034 (Decline), with about 8,100 openings per year.