Rolling Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic Salaries by State
Mean and median pay, wage percentiles, employment, and top-paying metro areas for rolling 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
- Washington$68,340
- New York$67,820
- Iowa$65,600
- Vermont$63,440
- New Hampshire$62,850
📉 5 Lowest-Paying States
- Kansas$42,800
- Mississippi$43,870
- Nebraska$44,370
- North Dakota$44,880
- Georgia$44,920
State Rankings
| # | State | Mean | Median | Hourly | vs. U.S. | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $68,340 | $63,560 | $33 | +28.4% | 350 |
| 2 | New York | $67,820 | $60,890 | $33 | +27.4% | 420 |
| 3 | Iowa | $65,600 | $72,670 | $32 | +23.3% | 660 |
| 4 | Vermont | $63,440 | $66,240 | $31 | +19.2% | 40 |
| 5 | New Hampshire | $62,850 | $60,570 | $30 | +18.1% | 40 |
| 6 | Pennsylvania | $62,240 | $66,970 | $30 | +16.9% | 3,070 |
| 7 | Oregon | $60,700 | $50,400 | $29 | +14.1% | 140 |
| 8 | Alabama | $59,960 | $53,380 | $29 | +12.7% | 1,710 |
| 9 | Maryland | $59,640 | $61,470 | $29 | +12.1% | 310 |
| 10 | Colorado | $57,530 | $57,500 | $28 | +8.1% | 110 |
| 11 | Minnesota | $57,260 | $60,620 | $28 | +7.6% | 50 |
| 12 | Louisiana | $56,380 | $49,920 | $27 | +5.9% | 110 |
| 13 | Connecticut | $55,050 | $60,610 | $26 | +3.4% | 150 |
| 14 | Utah | $55,030 | $47,540 | $26 | +3.4% | 60 |
| 15 | Wisconsin | $54,920 | $51,370 | $26 | +3.2% | 290 |
| 16 | Illinois | $53,580 | $54,180 | $26 | +0.7% | 550 |
| 17 | California | $52,860 | $48,040 | $25 | -0.7% | 1,150 |
| 18 | New Jersey | $52,270 | $46,980 | $25 | -1.8% | 250 |
| 19 | Ohio | $52,170 | $50,030 | $25 | -2% | 1,310 |
| 20 | Texas | $51,650 | $49,660 | $25 | -3% | 1,680 |
| 21 | Florida | $51,640 | $46,810 | $25 | -3% | 310 |
| 22 | Arizona | $50,890 | $47,820 | $24 | -4.4% | 110 |
| 23 | Massachusetts | $50,750 | $47,830 | $24 | -4.6% | 480 |
| 24 | Kentucky | $50,090 | $50,400 | $24 | -5.9% | 1,120 |
| 25 | Arkansas | $50,070 | $45,890 | $24 | -5.9% | 420 |
| 26 | Virginia | $49,800 | $46,450 | $24 | -6.4% | 450 |
| 27 | North Carolina | $49,640 | $48,450 | $24 | -6.7% | 510 |
| 28 | South Carolina | $49,210 | $48,210 | $24 | -7.5% | 820 |
| 29 | Indiana | $48,680 | $45,430 | $23 | -8.5% | 2,750 |
| 30 | Tennessee | $48,450 | $48,540 | $23 | -9% | 1,290 |
| 31 | Michigan | $48,250 | $44,090 | $23 | -9.3% | 1,480 |
| 32 | Oklahoma | $45,980 | $48,330 | $22 | -13.6% | 290 |
| 33 | Missouri | $45,680 | $47,390 | $22 | -14.2% | 180 |
| 34 | South Dakota | $45,290 | $46,040 | $22 | -14.9% | 70 |
| 35 | Georgia | $44,920 | $45,050 | $22 | -15.6% | 1,070 |
| 36 | North Dakota | $44,880 | $43,480 | $22 | -15.7% | 150 |
| 37 | Nebraska | $44,370 | $45,800 | $21 | -16.6% | 230 |
| 38 | Mississippi | $43,870 | $39,320 | $21 | -17.6% | 230 |
| 39 | Kansas | $42,800 | $40,260 | $21 | -19.6% | 170 |
Top-Paying Metro Areas
Highest median pay among 88 metro areas.
| # | Metro area | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Decatur, AL | $114,470 | $88,880 | 70 |
| 2 | Reading, PA | $70,310 | $66,900 | 670 |
| 3 | Pittsburgh, PA | $69,150 | $63,060 | 1,260 |
| 4 | Southwestern Pennsylvania nonmetropolitan area | $65,820 | $60,590 | 200 |
| 5 | Jackson, TN | $63,900 | $55,140 | 40 |
| 6 | New Haven, CT | $63,210 | $57,030 | 70 |
| 7 | Jacksonville, FL | $62,620 | $57,740 | 50 |
| 8 | Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $61,090 | $62,600 | 210 |
| 9 | Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY | $59,970 | $67,750 | 70 |
| 10 | Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | $59,660 | $53,890 | 500 |
Pay by Industry
Highest-paying industries employing rolling machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics (BLS OEWS, by median).
| # | Industry | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing | $65,520 | $72,550 | 230 |
| 2 | Engine, Turbine, and Power Transmission Equipment Manufacturing | $64,590 | $69,660 | — |
| 3 | Specialty Trade Contractors | $63,090 | $57,260 | — |
| 4 | Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing | $62,300 | $58,840 | — |
| 5 | Turned Product and Screw, Nut, and Bolt Manufacturing | $60,010 | $57,220 | 530 |
| 6 | Machine Shops; Turned Product; and Screw, Nut, and Bolt Manufacturing | $58,130 | $56,500 | 600 |
| 7 | Alumina and Aluminum Production and Processing | $56,650 | $58,430 | 2,250 |
| 8 | Sector 23 - Construction | $56,380 | $53,620 | 120 |
| 9 | Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing | $56,350 | $52,340 | 120 |
| 10 | Nonferrous Metal (except Aluminum) Production and Processing | $56,030 | $56,540 | 1,490 |
| 11 | Merchant Wholesalers, Durable Goods (4232, 4233, 4235, 4236, 4237, and 4239 only) | $55,420 | $54,100 | 1,210 |
| 12 | Electrical Equipment, Appliance, and Component Manufacturing | $54,860 | $53,820 | 50 |
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 rolling machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic make in the U.S.?
The median rolling machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic salary in the United States is $50,140 per year (mean $53,220), and about 80% earn between $37,690 and $70,310.
How much do rolling machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic make per hour?
Roughly $26 per hour, based on a mean annual wage of $53,220 and 2,080 work hours per year.
Which state pays rolling machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic the most?
Washington has the highest average pay for rolling machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic at $68,340 per year (median $63,560).
What is the job outlook for rolling machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic?
Employment is projected to change -8.3% from 2024 to 2034 (Decline), with about 1,900 openings per year.