Sort by any column. Employment is the number of molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic OEWS estimates in that state; blank cells are estimates BLS suppressed because the sample was too small.
Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setter, Operator, and Tender, Metal and Plastic Salary by State (2026)
Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic earn the most in Hawaii at $77,560 a year and the least in Puerto Rico at $23,080 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The national median is $44,350. All 50 states and territories with reported data are ranked below, with a cost-of-living adjusted column.
- Highest median
- $77,560
- National median
- $44,350
- Lowest median
- $23,080
- States reporting
- 50
Hawaii
BLS OEWS, May 2025
Puerto Rico
of 54 OEWS areas
Top 5 states for Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
- 1. Hawaii$77,560 median · $70,541 adjusted · 140 employed
- 2. Maryland$63,460 median · $60,462 adjusted · 230 employed
- 3. Maine$59,230 median · $61,030 adjusted · 470 employed
- 4. Minnesota$49,590 median · $50,283 adjusted · 2,230 employed
- 5. Nevada$49,590 median · $49,600 adjusted · 350 employed
Lowest-paying states for Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
- 50. Puerto Rico$23,080 median · no price parity · 920 employed
- 49. Wyoming$38,160 median · $41,169 adjusted · 60 employed
- 48. Florida$38,440 median · $37,171 adjusted · 3,290 employed
- 47. Louisiana$38,650 median · $43,817 adjusted · 90 employed
- 46. Tennessee$38,820 median · $42,255 adjusted · 3,730 employed
Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setter, Operator, and Tender, Metal and Plastic salary in every state
| # | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hawaii | $77,560 | $71,240 | $89,170 | 140 | $70,541 |
| 2 | Maryland | $63,460 | $47,840 | $67,500 | 230 | $60,462 |
| 3 | Maine | $59,230 | $47,580 | $64,500 | 470 | $61,030 |
| 4 | Minnesota | $49,590 | $40,270 | $57,700 | 2,230 | $50,283 |
| 5 | Nevada | $49,590 | $40,290 | $67,900 | 350 | $49,600 |
| 6 | Nebraska | $48,500 | $37,340 | $52,610 | 1,000 | $53,827 |
| 7 | Washington | $48,290 | $45,240 | $57,510 | 1,800 | $45,125 |
| 8 | Colorado | $48,200 | $43,950 | $55,970 | 2,160 | $46,773 |
| 9 | North Dakota | $47,780 | $45,650 | $53,130 | 160 | $53,710 |
| 10 | New Hampshire | $47,610 | $39,070 | $52,450 | 1,080 | $45,706 |
| 11 | California | $47,240 | $41,190 | $51,920 | 9,250 | $42,666 |
| 12 | Kentucky | $47,110 | $38,970 | $57,640 | 4,340 | $52,252 |
| 13 | Arizona | $46,930 | $37,900 | $58,280 | 1,430 | $46,614 |
| 14 | Pennsylvania | $46,760 | $37,410 | $54,470 | 7,000 | $47,924 |
| 15 | Utah | $46,750 | $42,370 | $59,020 | 2,400 | $47,287 |
| 16 | Connecticut | $46,240 | $38,010 | $59,140 | 1,100 | $44,629 |
| 17 | Oregon | $46,200 | $37,550 | $59,040 | 1,780 | $44,698 |
| 18 | Oklahoma | $45,680 | $37,690 | $57,520 | 2,030 | $52,002 |
| 19 | Illinois | $45,500 | $38,140 | $50,560 | 10,680 | $45,519 |
| 20 | Virginia | $45,370 | $36,180 | $50,310 | 1,680 | $44,875 |
| 21 | South Carolina | $45,270 | $37,010 | $50,650 | 3,240 | $48,289 |
| 22 | Delaware | $45,220 | $37,400 | $48,700 | 120 | $45,307 |
| 23 | Iowa | $45,220 | $37,230 | $55,550 | 3,670 | $51,526 |
| 24 | Ohio | $44,830 | $37,780 | $49,740 | 11,050 | $48,322 |
| 25 | Arkansas | $44,790 | $36,170 | $49,610 | 2,520 | $51,520 |
| 26 | Vermont | $44,530 | $37,910 | $47,530 | 110 | $45,458 |
| 27 | New York | $44,500 | $39,330 | $48,910 | 3,320 | $41,234 |
| 28 | Indiana | $44,290 | $35,810 | $53,110 | 8,810 | $47,456 |
| 29 | Wisconsin | $44,230 | $36,840 | $49,560 | 8,590 | $47,006 |
| 30 | Missouri | $44,120 | $38,150 | $53,340 | 3,340 | $48,581 |
| 31 | Montana | $43,340 | $37,210 | $50,350 | 110 | $45,792 |
| 32 | Georgia | $43,250 | $37,790 | $56,050 | 2,060 | $44,915 |
| 33 | Kansas | $43,050 | $37,540 | $44,890 | 1,240 | $47,797 |
| 34 | Idaho | $42,690 | $34,590 | $47,860 | 520 | $44,704 |
| 35 | Massachusetts | $42,570 | $37,460 | $49,330 | 3,810 | $40,253 |
| 36 | West Virginia | $42,500 | $39,990 | $53,570 | 420 | $47,488 |
| 37 | Rhode Island | $42,020 | $34,220 | $50,430 | 430 | $41,083 |
| 38 | New Mexico | $41,990 | $41,990 | $43,630 | 250 | $45,536 |
| 39 | North Carolina | $41,630 | $36,150 | $49,440 | 7,570 | $44,134 |
| 40 | Texas | $41,140 | $35,530 | $49,440 | 7,460 | $42,387 |
| 41 | South Dakota | $40,750 | $37,270 | $44,730 | 840 | $46,000 |
| 42 | New Jersey | $39,950 | $34,870 | $48,110 | 2,450 | $36,717 |
| 43 | Mississippi | $39,730 | $35,900 | $48,050 | 550 | $45,691 |
| 44 | Michigan | $39,490 | $36,960 | $47,360 | 13,550 | $41,043 |
| 45 | Alabama | $39,010 | $33,310 | $46,990 | 5,900 | $43,919 |
| 46 | Tennessee | $38,820 | $34,380 | $46,420 | 3,730 | $42,255 |
| 47 | Louisiana | $38,650 | $34,520 | $45,270 | 90 | $43,817 |
| 48 | Florida | $38,440 | $35,750 | $47,300 | 3,290 | $37,171 |
| 49 | Wyoming | $38,160 | $38,160 | $46,860 | 60 | $41,169 |
| 50 | Puerto Rico | $23,080 | $22,220 | $30,090 | 920 | N/A |
How the cost-of-living adjustment works
The adjusted column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity (RPP) and multiplies by 100. RPPs measure how much a fixed basket of goods, services and rents costs in one state relative to the national average, so the result restates local pay in national-average dollars.
For Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic, that changes the ranking: Hawaii leads on raw pay at $77,560, while Hawaii leads once prices are taken into account at $70,541.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities by State, 2024 (public domain). The adjustment is NueCareer's calculation, not a BLS or BEA published statistic.
Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setter, Operator, and Tender, Metal and Plastic pay by state: FAQ
Which state pays Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic the most?
Hawaii reports the highest median wage for Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic at $77,560 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), followed by Maryland ($63,460) and Maine ($59,230).
Which state pays Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic the least?
Puerto Rico reports the lowest median for Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic at $23,080 a year, $54,480 below the highest-paying state (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Where do Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic earn the most after cost of living?
Dividing each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity puts Hawaii first at $70,541 in national-average dollars, from a raw median of $77,560. BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.
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