Pay by state · 40 states
Plating Machine Setter, Operator, and Tender, Metal and Plastic Salary by State (2026)
Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic earn the most in Iowa at $70,910 a year and the least in Alabama at $33,730 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The national median is $43,960. All 40 states and territories with reported data are ranked below, with a cost-of-living adjusted column.
- Highest median
- $70,910Iowa
- National median
- $43,960BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Lowest median
- $33,730Alabama
- States reporting
- 40of 54 OEWS areas
All states
Plating Machine Setter, Operator, and Tender, Metal and Plastic salary in every state
Sort by any column. Employment is the number of plating 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.
| # | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | IAIowa | $70,910 | $45,930 | $70,910 | 440 | $80,798 |
| 2 | WAWashington | $58,000 | $49,360 | $64,410 | 410 | $54,199 |
| 3 | MSMississippi | $52,090 | $48,610 | $52,090 | 60 | $59,906 |
| 4 | ARArkansas | $51,140 | $39,420 | $65,060 | 230 | $58,824 |
| 5 | OKOklahoma | $49,330 | $38,830 | $65,640 | 180 | $56,157 |
| 6 | OROregon | $48,050 | $45,790 | $50,810 | 310 | $46,488 |
| 7 | NENebraska | $48,010 | $38,520 | $61,880 | 400 | $53,283 |
| 8 | COColorado | $47,930 | $45,490 | $57,630 | 190 | $46,510 |
| 9 | AZArizona | $47,110 | $38,230 | $49,140 | 640 | $46,793 |
| 10 | UTUtah | $46,940 | $41,870 | $63,200 | 180 | $47,479 |
| 11 | OHOhio | $46,790 | $41,050 | $51,860 | 1,810 | $50,434 |
| 12 | CACalifornia | $46,760 | $39,390 | $51,180 | 5,600 | $42,233 |
| 13 | MNMinnesota | $46,730 | $40,590 | $59,120 | 560 | $47,383 |
| 14 | FLFlorida | $46,460 | $36,820 | $57,110 | 530 | $44,926 |
| 15 | NHNew Hampshire | $46,300 | $45,100 | $48,380 | 60 | $44,449 |
| 16 | MAMassachusetts | $46,150 | $37,820 | $50,130 | 860 | $43,638 |
| 17 | MEMaine | $45,720 | $40,140 | $48,280 | 170 | $47,110 |
| 18 | PAPennsylvania | $45,590 | $37,600 | $55,890 | 1,740 | $46,724 |
| 19 | NYNew York | $45,510 | $38,160 | $56,360 | 830 | $42,170 |
| 20 | SCSouth Carolina | $44,560 | $39,300 | $48,840 | 470 | $47,531 |
| 21 | IDIdaho | $44,470 | $38,200 | $48,580 | 60 | $46,568 |
| 22 | WIWisconsin | $44,350 | $37,220 | $57,790 | 940 | $47,133 |
| 23 | MOMissouri | $44,080 | $35,970 | $48,780 | 150 | $48,537 |
| 24 | NCNorth Carolina | $43,540 | $36,750 | $47,920 | 710 | $46,159 |
| 25 | VAVirginia | $43,380 | $37,090 | $47,720 | 270 | $42,906 |
| 26 | MDMaryland | $42,030 | $39,520 | $59,440 | 60 | $40,044 |
| 27 | NJNew Jersey | $40,800 | $32,220 | $46,970 | 380 | $37,498 |
| 28 | TNTennessee | $39,510 | $36,410 | $47,630 | 1,660 | $43,006 |
| 29 | GAGeorgia | $39,160 | $35,000 | $46,950 | 660 | $40,668 |
| 30 | TXTexas | $39,060 | $32,420 | $47,150 | 2,090 | $40,244 |
| 31 | KSKansas | $38,770 | $36,500 | $47,510 | 360 | $43,045 |
| 32 | INIndiana | $38,680 | $38,150 | $48,850 | 1,250 | $41,445 |
| 33 | ILIllinois | $38,620 | $36,830 | $47,990 | 2,380 | $38,636 |
| 34 | RIRhode Island | $38,580 | $38,390 | $46,780 | 450 | $37,720 |
| 35 | MIMichigan | $37,600 | $35,100 | $44,990 | 3,330 | $39,078 |
| 36 | NVNevada | $37,460 | $37,100 | $42,070 | 60 | $37,468 |
| 37 | CTConnecticut | $37,220 | $35,400 | $49,590 | 620 | $35,923 |
| 38 | KYKentucky | $34,680 | $27,520 | $43,680 | 630 | $38,465 |
| 39 | LALouisiana | $34,040 | $30,960 | $38,080 | 100 | $38,591 |
| 40 | ALAlabama | $33,730 | $29,500 | $38,890 | 400 | $37,974 |
Method
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 Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic, that changes the ranking: Iowa leads on raw pay at $70,910, while Iowa leads once prices are taken into account at $80,798.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities by State, 2024 (public domain). The adjustment is NueCareer's calculation, not a BLS or BEA published statistic.
Questions
Plating Machine Setter, Operator, and Tender, Metal and Plastic pay by state: FAQ
Which state pays Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic the most?
Iowa reports the highest median wage for Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic at $70,910 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), followed by Washington ($58,000) and Mississippi ($52,090).
Which state pays Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic the least?
Alabama reports the lowest median for Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic at $33,730 a year, $37,180 below the highest-paying state (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Where do Plating 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 Iowa first at $80,798 in national-average dollars, from a raw median of $70,910. BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.