Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
Median $49,030
Occupation · SOC 51-4021
Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic: pay and where the jobs are
What extruding and drawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic earn in the U.S., how pay varies across workers and states, and tools to plan around it.
National pay, May 2025
$47,720 median annual wage
- Mean (average) annual wage
- $49,480
- Median hourly wage
- $22.94
- Mean hourly wage
- $23.79
- Employment
- 60,840
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (released 2026-05-15), SOC 51-4021.
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See where your pay falls among extruding and drawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic nationally and in your state. Nothing you type leaves your browser.
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How much do extruding and drawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic make?
The median annual wage for extruding and drawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic was $47,720 in May 2025, so half of workers earned more and half earned less. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $36,700 and the highest-paid 10% more than $63,710. As an hourly rate, the median is $22.94. About 60,840 people work in this occupation nationwide. The highest state medians are in Rhode Island ($61,350), Vermont ($59,220) and North Carolina ($53,330). After taxes and local prices, though, a median paycheck goes furthest in Vermont.
Pay ladder
What each step of the pay range for extruding and drawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic looks like per month. Take-home here includes federal tax, Social Security and Medicare for a single filer; add your state in the paycheck calculator.
| Step | Annual | Hourly | Monthly gross | Monthly after federal tax & FICA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $36,700 | $17.65 | $3,058 | $2,639 |
| 25th percentile | $40,450 | $19.45 | $3,371 | $2,890 |
| Median | $47,720 | $22.94 | $3,977 | $3,377 |
| 75th percentile | $56,840 | $27.33 | $4,737 | $3,988 |
| 90th percentile | $63,710 | $30.63 | $5,309 | $4,448 |
Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic: pay by state
47 states and territories have a published median, sorted from highest to lowest. The last two columns are our estimates: the median after 2026 federal and state taxes, and that take-home restated in national-average prices.
1
$49,218 take-home in national prices
2
$48,021 take-home in national prices
3
$47,468 take-home in national prices
Where a median extruding and drawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic paycheck goes furthest after 2026 taxes and BEA price levels.
| State | Employment | Median | 10th pct. | 90th pct. | Median after tax* | In national prices† |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rhode Island | 430 | $61,350 | $47,740 | $74,270 | $49,116 | $48,021 |
| Vermont | 60 | $59,220 | $42,350 | $78,510 | $48,213 | $49,218 |
| North Carolina | 2,950 | $53,330 | $38,080 | $60,390 | $43,412 | $46,023 |
| Nebraska | 510 | $52,360 | $39,620 | $61,480 | $42,748 | $47,444 |
| Minnesota | 900 | $51,830 | $38,830 | $62,530 | $41,596 | $42,178 |
| New Jersey | 750 | $51,180 | $38,080 | $63,430 | $41,618 | $38,250 |
| Pennsylvania | 2,960 | $51,150 | $39,120 | $73,080 | $41,673 | $42,710 |
| Colorado | 240 | $51,110 | $41,020 | $60,720 | $41,482 | $40,253 |
| Massachusetts | 1,490 | $50,370 | $39,850 | $65,470 | $40,122 | $37,938 |
| Connecticut | 1,000 | $50,230 | $38,470 | $61,300 | $40,276 | $38,873 |
| Wisconsin | 3,190 | $50,230 | $34,200 | $71,950 | $40,952 | $43,522 |
| New Hampshire | 580 | $50,210 | $45,520 | $75,980 | $42,524 | $40,823 |
| Arkansas | 1,270 | $50,150 | $39,110 | $61,760 | $41,108 | $47,284 |
| Kentucky | 1,400 | $50,000 | $37,290 | $61,070 | $40,723 | $45,168 |
| Oregon | 440 | $49,650 | $39,010 | $78,720 | $38,599 | $37,344 |
| South Dakota | 50 | $49,620 | $39,740 | $61,200 | $42,050 | $47,468 |
| Indiana | 3,740 | $49,420 | $37,890 | $60,620 | $40,461 | $43,353 |
| South Carolina | 2,000 | $49,040 | $35,900 | $66,490 | $40,648 | $43,358 |
| Utah | 410 | $49,000 | $35,940 | $71,850 | $39,937 | $40,396 |
| New York | 1,400 | $48,930 | $37,380 | $59,500 | $39,207 | $36,330 |
| Illinois | 2,750 | $48,520 | $33,800 | $70,470 | $38,909 | $38,925 |
| Georgia | 2,560 | $48,410 | $37,550 | $67,970 | $39,410 | $40,927 |
| Louisiana | 580 | $47,930 | $33,660 | $108,530 | $39,640 | $44,940 |
| Alabama | 1,200 | $47,690 | $31,540 | $66,680 | $38,532 | $43,380 |
| Tennessee | 2,980 | $47,550 | $35,000 | $63,710 | $40,386 | $43,960 |
| Iowa | 450 | $47,240 | $36,240 | $64,520 | $38,994 | $44,432 |
| Washington | 1,080 | $47,230 | $39,670 | $61,690 | $39,474 | $36,887 |
| Maryland | 270 | $46,730 | $33,910 | $60,360 | $37,874 | $36,084 |
| Maine | 90 | $46,550 | $36,910 | $65,490 | $37,868 | $39,019 |
| Ohio | 5,020 | $46,340 | $35,850 | $59,640 | $38,583 | $41,589 |
| Kansas | 1,140 | $46,270 | $34,870 | $61,750 | $37,576 | $41,719 |
| Delaware | 470 | $46,140 | $36,930 | $59,480 | $37,185 | $37,257 |
| Missouri | 1,040 | $46,050 | $35,630 | $61,870 | $37,954 | $41,792 |
| Wyoming | 80 | $45,950 | $37,820 | $57,520 | $39,101 | $42,184 |
| Texas | 4,070 | $45,890 | $36,770 | $62,830 | $39,053 | $40,237 |
| California | 3,870 | $45,880 | $37,230 | $60,770 | $37,630 | $33,987 |
| New Mexico | 50 | $45,670 | $40,160 | $56,710 | $37,879 | $41,079 |
| Virginia | 1,490 | $45,220 | $38,320 | $58,930 | $36,728 | $36,327 |
| Michigan | 1,800 | $45,140 | $35,510 | $59,150 | $36,782 | $38,228 |
| Arizona | 910 | $45,000 | $35,540 | $52,800 | $37,606 | $37,353 |
| West Virginia | 540 | $44,510 | $36,270 | $56,790 | $36,731 | $41,042 |
| Mississippi | 550 | $44,220 | $36,570 | $53,850 | $36,674 | $42,177 |
| Nevada | 260 | $44,210 | $36,300 | $57,190 | $37,703 | $37,711 |
| Florida | 1,190 | $39,730 | $31,130 | $55,160 | $34,103 | $32,977 |
| Oklahoma | 490 | $38,820 | $35,500 | $53,680 | $32,170 | $36,623 |
| Idaho | Not published | $34,700 | $32,950 | $49,100 | $29,331 | $30,715 |
| Puerto Rico | 480 | $26,030 | $21,840 | $36,710 | — | — |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (released 2026-05-15), SOC 51-4021. *Our estimate for a single filer paid biweekly with no pre-tax deductions or local tax, 2026 federal and state rules. †Take-home ÷ BEA Regional Price Parity × 100 (2024 price levels).
Sources
- OEWS May 2025 (oesm25nat.zip) — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Accessed 2026-10-09.
- OEWS May 2025 (oesm25st.zip) — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Accessed 2026-10-09.