Occupation · SOC 51-4023

Rolling Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic: pay and where the jobs are

What rolling 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.

BLS May 2025 data · methodology

National pay, May 2025

$50,140 median annual wage

Mean (average) annual wage
$53,220
Median hourly wage
$24.10
Mean hourly wage
$25.59
Employment
25,250

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (released 2026-05-15), SOC 51-4023.

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How much do rolling machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic make?

The median annual wage for rolling machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic was $50,140 in May 2025, so half of workers earned more and half earned less. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $37,690 and the highest-paid 10% more than $70,310. As an hourly rate, the median is $24.10. About 25,250 people work in this occupation nationwide. The highest state medians are in Iowa ($72,670), Pennsylvania ($66,970) and Vermont ($66,240). Iowa also comes out on top after taxes and local prices.

Pay ladder

What each step of the pay range for rolling 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.

Rolling Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic: pay at each percentile
StepAnnualHourlyMonthly grossMonthly after federal tax & FICA
10th percentile$37,690$18.12$3,141$2,705
25th percentile$44,020$21.16$3,668$3,129
Median$50,140$24.10$4,178$3,539
75th percentile$61,880$29.75$5,157$4,325
90th percentile$70,310$33.80$5,859$4,858

Rolling Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic: pay by state

40 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

Iowa

$65,910 take-home in national prices

2

Pennsylvania

$55,180 take-home in national prices

3

Vermont

$54,652 take-home in national prices

Where a median rolling machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic paycheck goes furthest after 2026 taxes and BEA price levels.

Annual wages by state, May 2025, with after-tax and price-adjusted estimates
StateEmploymentMedian10th pct.90th pct.Median after tax*In national prices†
Iowa660$72,670$48,580$72,670$57,844$65,910
Pennsylvania3,070$66,970$48,240$70,310$53,841$55,180
Vermont40$66,240$44,130$78,810$53,536$54,652
Washington350$63,560$38,630$105,440$52,369$48,937
Maryland310$61,470$48,420$64,410$49,017$46,701
New York420$60,890$47,110$99,810$48,120$44,588
Minnesota50$60,620$36,030$65,310$48,023$48,694
Connecticut150$60,610$40,130$73,820$47,994$46,321
New Hampshire40$60,570$46,890$74,440$50,848$48,815
Colorado110$57,500$38,760$65,420$46,307$44,935
Illinois550$54,180$37,360$62,980$43,177$43,195
Alabama1,710$53,380$39,170$78,370$42,853$48,246
Wisconsin290$51,370$39,810$71,820$41,812$44,435
Kentucky1,120$50,400$38,530$60,560$41,030$45,508
Oregon140$50,400$40,150$85,510$39,139$37,866
Ohio1,310$50,030$39,220$67,640$41,447$44,675
Louisiana110$49,920$37,980$80,520$41,179$46,685
Texas1,680$49,660$35,600$75,730$42,082$43,358
Tennessee1,290$48,540$31,690$71,860$41,182$44,826
North Carolina510$48,450$36,260$65,730$39,685$42,072
Oklahoma290$48,330$34,670$57,420$39,384$44,834
South Carolina820$48,210$38,840$64,000$40,036$42,705
California1,150$48,040$37,690$75,570$39,234$35,435
Massachusetts480$47,830$39,260$61,690$38,220$36,139
Arizona110$47,820$38,850$65,860$39,802$39,534
Utah60$47,540$40,980$85,740$38,848$39,294
Missouri180$47,390$31,400$56,970$38,968$42,908
New Jersey250$46,980$38,500$76,740$38,493$35,378
Florida310$46,810$35,690$78,580$39,792$38,478
Virginia450$46,450$37,800$64,180$37,646$37,235
South Dakota70$46,040$38,400$52,900$39,173$44,220
Arkansas420$45,890$39,560$69,460$37,842$43,528
Nebraska230$45,800$33,790$57,130$37,776$41,925
Indiana2,750$45,430$36,860$64,240$37,372$40,044
Georgia1,070$45,050$27,130$60,430$36,878$38,298
Michigan1,480$44,090$37,570$63,020$35,983$37,398
North Dakota150$43,480$43,370$49,510$37,116$41,723
Kansas170$40,260$33,650$56,080$33,082$36,730
Mississippi230$39,320$31,670$55,080$32,933$37,874
Puerto Rico170$22,650$22,150$30,610——

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (released 2026-05-15), SOC 51-4023. *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

  1. OEWS May 2025 (oesm25nat.zip) — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Accessed 2026-10-09.
  2. OEWS May 2025 (oesm25st.zip) — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Accessed 2026-10-09.