189 metro areas
Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setter, Operator, and Tender Salary by City (2026)
Separating earn the most in Napa, CA, an average of $74,210 a year, against $56,030 nationally. After local prices, pay goes furthest in Syracuse, NY ($74,370 in national-average dollars). Every metro area with its own BLS estimate is ranked below.
- US average (mean)
- $56,030BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Highest-paying city
- $74,210Napa, CA
- Best after cost of living
- $74,370Syracuse, NY
- Metro areas
- 189With their own estimate
Top cities
Highest-paying cities for separating
Top 10 metro areas
- Napa, CA$74,210
- Syracuse, NY$71,200
- Vallejo, CA$70,470
- Santa Rosa, CA$69,990
- Atlanta, GA$67,660
- Virginia Beach, VA-NC$67,020
- San Francisco, CA$66,850
- Savannah, GA$65,440
- Modesto, CA$65,400
- San Luis Obispo, CA$64,540
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Napa, CA | $74,210 |
| Syracuse, NY | $71,200 |
| Vallejo, CA | $70,470 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $69,990 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $67,660 |
| Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC | $67,020 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $66,850 |
| Savannah, GA | $65,440 |
| Modesto, CA | $65,400 |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA | $64,540 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Mean wage ÷ BEA price level
- Syracuse, NY$71,200 nominal$74,370
- Savannah, GA$65,440 nominal$68,740
- Virginia Beach, VA-NC$67,020 nominal$68,430
- Fargo, ND-MN$62,110 nominal$68,350
- Owensboro, KY$60,280 nominal$68,030
- Atlanta, GA$67,660 nominal$67,620
- Wichita, KS$59,010 nominal$66,340
- Napa, CA$74,210 nominal$65,930
- Sioux City, IA-NE-SD$56,530 nominal$65,390
- Vallejo, CA$70,470 nominal$64,960
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Syracuse, NY | $74,370 |
| Savannah, GA | $68,740 |
| Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC | $68,430 |
| Fargo, ND-MN | $68,350 |
| Owensboro, KY | $68,030 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $67,620 |
| Wichita, KS | $66,340 |
| Napa, CA | $65,930 |
| Sioux City, IA-NE-SD | $65,390 |
| Vallejo, CA | $64,960 |
Source: BLS OEWS 2025 · BEA RPP 2024
Every city
Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setter, Operator, and Tender salary in every metro area
Mean annual wage, with the Department of Labor's entry (Level I) and experienced (Level IV) prevailing-wage benchmarks for the same metro, and the mean at national-average prices. Sorted by mean pay.
| # | Metro area | Mean | Entry (Level I) | Experienced (Level IV) | At US prices |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Napa, CA | $74,210 | $48,340 | $86,960 | $65,930 |
| 2 | Syracuse, NY | $71,200 | $53,960 | $79,680 | $74,370 |
| 3 | Vallejo, CA | $70,470 | $46,650 | $82,200 | $64,960 |
| 4 | Santa Rosa, CA | $69,990 | $46,400 | $81,620 | $64,940 |
| 5 | Atlanta, GA | $67,660 | $46,720 | $77,980 | $67,620 |
| 6 | Virginia Beach, VA-NC | $67,020 | $45,680 | $77,520 | $68,430 |
| 7 | San Francisco, CA | $66,850 | $48,880 | $75,710 | $57,820 |
| 8 | Savannah, GA | $65,440 | $42,850 | $76,560 | $68,740 |
| 9 | Modesto, CA | $65,400 | $46,780 | $74,550 | $62,820 |
| 10 | San Luis Obispo, CA | $64,540 | $42,930 | $75,190 | $59,430 |
| 11 | Hanford, CA | $64,520 | $56,370 | $68,540 | $63,500 |
| 12 | Kennewick, WA | $63,710 | $42,890 | $73,990 | $63,660 |
| 13 | San Jose, CA | $63,650 | $44,410 | $73,110 | $57,640 |
| 14 | New York, NY-NJ | $63,400 | $45,760 | $72,070 | $56,320 |
| 15 | Austin, TX | $62,920 | $41,850 | $73,300 | $64,160 |
| 16 | Salem, OR | $62,460 | $41,020 | $73,010 | $60,260 |
| 17 | Washington, DC-VA-MD-WV | $62,440 | $44,720 | $71,180 | $57,350 |
| 18 | Fargo, ND-MN | $62,110 | $47,780 | $69,180 | $68,350 |
| 19 | Santa Cruz, CA | $61,710 | $46,200 | $69,370 | $56,150 |
| 20 | San Diego, CA | $61,570 | $44,740 | $69,870 | $55,030 |
| 21 | Charlottesville, VA | $61,320 | $42,040 | $70,820 | $61,850 |
| 22 | Seattle, WA | $60,990 | $45,740 | $68,490 | $54,880 |
| 23 | St. Louis, MO-IL | $60,860 | $41,160 | $70,550 | $64,000 |
| 24 | Boston, MA-NH | $60,690 | $46,240 | $67,810 | $56,060 |
| 25 | Owensboro, KY | $60,280 | $51,290 | $64,710 | $68,030 |
| 26 | Buffalo, NY | $60,050 | $46,280 | $66,850 | $62,650 |
| 27 | Santa Maria, CA | $60,050 | $42,990 | $68,430 | $55,190 |
| 28 | Reno, NV | $59,970 | $43,720 | $67,970 | $59,370 |
| 29 | Sacramento, CA | $59,950 | $43,430 | $68,080 | $56,200 |
| 30 | Salinas, CA | $59,610 | $41,370 | $68,600 | $54,670 |
| 31 | Stockton, CA | $59,070 | $41,810 | $67,560 | $56,210 |
| 32 | Wichita, KS | $59,010 | $40,500 | $68,120 | $66,340 |
| 33 | Albany, OR | $58,880 | $32,360 | $71,970 | $57,670 |
| 34 | Merced, CA | $58,860 | $41,970 | $67,180 | $59,890 |
| 35 | Boulder, CO | $58,740 | $43,100 | $66,440 | $55,840 |
| 36 | Allentown, PA-NJ | $58,680 | $43,560 | $66,120 | $58,700 |
| 37 | Wenatchee, WA | $58,550 | $43,370 | $66,040 | $56,380 |
| 38 | Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN | $58,530 | $48,280 | $63,590 | $62,890 |
| 39 | Phoenix, AZ | $58,530 | $45,530 | $64,940 | $56,650 |
| 40 | Walla Walla, WA | $58,300 | $40,350 | $67,120 | $59,180 |
| 41 | Portland, OR-WA | $58,140 | $43,160 | $65,520 | $55,150 |
| 42 | Baltimore, MD | $58,050 | $41,520 | $66,190 | $55,560 |
| 43 | Anchorage, AK | $57,870 | $44,390 | $64,480 | $54,890 |
| 44 | Richmond, VA | $57,760 | $37,380 | $67,810 | $59,020 |
| 45 | Atlantic City, NJ | $57,620 | $40,750 | $65,940 | $58,290 |
| 46 | Bridgeport, CT | $57,620 | $41,910 | $65,370 | $53,920 |
| 47 | Portland, ME | $57,390 | $48,050 | $62,000 | $56,340 |
| 48 | New Orleans, LA | $57,120 | $37,020 | $67,000 | $61,690 |
| 49 | Denver, CO | $56,950 | $41,480 | $64,560 | $53,840 |
| 50 | La Crosse, WI-MN | $56,930 | $39,670 | $65,420 | $62,040 |
| 51 | Prescott Valley, AZ | $56,660 | $37,730 | $65,980 | $57,670 |
| 52 | Minneapolis, MN-WI | $56,580 | $43,240 | $63,150 | $53,980 |
| 53 | Sioux City, IA-NE-SD | $56,530 | $46,360 | $61,550 | $65,390 |
| 54 | Bozeman, MT | $56,370 | $44,200 | $62,360 | $54,990 |
| 55 | Greensboro, NC | $56,330 | $37,270 | $65,710 | $60,660 |
| 56 | Bend, OR | $56,280 | $42,390 | $63,110 | $54,320 |
| 57 | Roanoke, VA | $56,240 | $41,140 | $63,670 | $60,070 |
| 58 | Spokane, WA | $56,240 | $41,810 | $63,340 | $56,050 |
| 59 | Kiryas Joel, NY | $55,990 | $42,720 | $62,550 | $51,170 |
| 60 | Bremerton, WA | $55,950 | $44,800 | $61,440 | $52,980 |
| 61 | Durham, NC | $55,890 | $40,290 | $63,560 | $57,280 |
| 62 | Burlington, VT | $55,870 | $46,680 | $60,380 | $55,340 |
| 63 | Rochester, MN | $55,850 | $44,760 | $61,320 | $61,490 |
| 64 | Rochester, NY | $55,700 | $42,310 | $62,300 | $57,400 |
| 65 | Raleigh, NC | $55,620 | $42,180 | $62,230 | $56,660 |
| 66 | New Haven, CT | $55,580 | $43,850 | $61,380 | $53,160 |
| 67 | Fresno, CA | $55,490 | $38,480 | $63,860 | $54,320 |
| 68 | Oklahoma City, OK | $55,350 | $38,710 | $63,540 | $61,220 |
| 69 | Chico, CA | $55,240 | $43,100 | $61,210 | $54,590 |
| 70 | Salt Lake City, UT | $55,200 | $41,480 | $61,960 | $54,720 |
| 71 | Twin Falls, ID | $55,200 | $47,860 | $58,820 | $59,930 |
| 72 | Indianapolis, IN | $55,100 | $47,240 | $58,970 | $57,580 |
| 73 | Riverside, CA | $55,100 | $41,060 | $62,000 | $51,770 |
| 74 | Albany, NY | $54,890 | $44,910 | $59,800 | $55,130 |
| 75 | Oxnard, CA | $54,890 | $42,140 | $61,150 | $49,660 |
| 76 | Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | $54,870 | $41,230 | $61,610 | $57,530 |
| 77 | Baton Rouge, LA | $54,640 | $33,300 | $65,170 | $60,190 |
| 78 | Philadelphia, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $54,640 | $38,150 | $62,750 | $53,280 |
| 79 | Kingston, NY | $54,450 | $40,080 | $61,550 | $54,070 |
| 80 | Greeley, CO | $54,080 | $40,870 | $60,590 | $53,980 |
| 81 | Bellingham, WA | $54,060 | $43,060 | $59,490 | $52,320 |
| 82 | Staunton, VA | $53,810 | $38,650 | $61,280 | $59,050 |
| 83 | Yakima, WA | $53,750 | $40,830 | $60,090 | $56,260 |
| 84 | Tampa, FL | $53,600 | $35,440 | $62,550 | $53,130 |
| 85 | Hartford, CT | $53,500 | $41,080 | $59,590 | $52,070 |
| 86 | Manchester, NH | $53,480 | $43,760 | $58,260 | $50,620 |
| 87 | Las Vegas, NV | $53,460 | $40,930 | $59,610 | $53,350 |
| 88 | Dallas, TX | $53,440 | $39,730 | $60,170 | $51,840 |
| 89 | Kahului, HI | $53,410 | $42,620 | $58,740 | $48,820 |
| 90 | Chicago, IL-IN | $53,230 | $36,500 | $61,480 | $51,380 |
| 91 | Springfield, MO | $53,210 | $38,150 | $60,630 | $60,070 |
| 92 | Glens Falls, NY | $53,190 | $44,530 | $57,470 | $56,070 |
| 93 | Ann Arbor, MI | $53,060 | $41,500 | $58,760 | $52,600 |
| 94 | Medford, OR | $52,870 | $35,530 | $61,400 | $52,120 |
| 95 | Kalamazoo, MI | $52,810 | $41,290 | $58,490 | $55,680 |
| 96 | Worcester, MA | $52,770 | $41,290 | $58,430 | $51,470 |
| 97 | Canton, OH | $52,750 | $40,210 | $58,950 | $59,000 |
| 98 | Charlotte, NC-SC | $52,710 | $39,810 | $59,050 | $54,150 |
| 99 | Lexington, KY | $52,670 | $41,350 | $58,240 | $56,700 |
| 100 | Winston, NC | $52,540 | $37,170 | $60,110 | $57,080 |
| 101 | Madison, WI | $52,310 | $39,670 | $58,530 | $53,770 |
| 102 | Visalia, CA | $52,210 | $38,770 | $58,840 | $52,300 |
| 103 | Lansing, MI | $52,190 | $41,270 | $57,570 | $54,940 |
| 104 | Fort Collins, CO | $52,170 | $38,580 | $58,840 | $51,590 |
| 105 | Urban Honolulu, HI | $51,980 | $38,380 | $58,680 | $46,850 |
| 106 | Reading, PA | $51,920 | $42,000 | $56,780 | $53,490 |
| 107 | Boise City, ID | $51,810 | $42,430 | $56,430 | $52,660 |
| 108 | Kansas City, MO-KS | $51,650 | $37,980 | $58,390 | $55,810 |
| 109 | Columbus, OH | $51,420 | $38,210 | $57,930 | $53,860 |
| 110 | Davenport, IA-IL | $51,330 | $36,110 | $58,820 | $57,620 |
| 111 | Missoula, MT | $51,310 | $40,210 | $56,780 | $53,200 |
| 112 | Green Bay, WI | $51,270 | $32,990 | $60,280 | $55,080 |
| 113 | Des Moines, IA | $51,250 | $39,790 | $56,890 | $55,890 |
| 114 | Kingsport, TN-VA | $51,230 | $37,020 | $58,240 | $59,260 |
| 115 | Oshkosh, WI | $51,230 | $39,290 | $57,120 | $55,130 |
| 116 | St. Cloud, MN | $51,190 | $41,350 | $56,040 | $58,410 |
| 117 | Lincoln, NE | $50,980 | $40,750 | $56,040 | $55,670 |
| 118 | Utica, NY | $50,980 | $42,220 | $55,290 | $55,010 |
| 119 | Topeka, KS | $50,940 | $39,940 | $56,350 | $57,350 |
| 120 | Bakersfield, CA | $50,880 | $39,890 | $56,310 | $50,430 |
| 121 | Asheville, NC | $50,840 | $39,000 | $56,680 | $52,680 |
| 122 | Pittsburgh, PA | $50,790 | $34,840 | $58,660 | $53,650 |
| 123 | Providence, RI-MA | $50,650 | $38,080 | $56,830 | $49,770 |
| 124 | Grand Rapids, MI | $50,630 | $38,290 | $56,700 | $52,990 |
| 125 | Columbia, SC | $50,560 | $37,190 | $57,160 | $53,980 |
| 126 | Detroit, MI | $50,340 | $38,730 | $56,060 | $50,190 |
| 127 | Omaha, NE-IA | $50,270 | $36,920 | $56,850 | $54,690 |
| 128 | Amarillo, TX | $50,190 | $41,560 | $54,450 | $54,660 |
| 129 | Houston, TX | $50,150 | $36,360 | $56,930 | $50,850 |
| 130 | Joplin, MO-KS | $50,110 | $37,290 | $56,430 | $58,460 |
| 131 | York, PA | $50,110 | $35,980 | $57,050 | $52,200 |
| 132 | Youngstown, OH | $50,070 | $40,460 | $54,790 | $57,290 |
| 133 | Birmingham, AL | $50,040 | $39,120 | $55,410 | $54,600 |
| 134 | Los Angeles, CA | $50,040 | $34,320 | $57,780 | $44,060 |
| 135 | Lafayette, IN | $49,900 | $39,170 | $55,200 | $53,410 |
| 136 | Lynchburg, VA | $49,820 | $42,040 | $53,660 | $55,750 |
| 137 | Sioux Falls, SD-MN | $49,670 | $40,390 | $54,250 | $54,800 |
| 138 | Fayetteville, AR | $49,380 | $38,080 | $54,930 | $54,050 |
| 139 | Memphis, TN-MS-AR | $49,320 | $39,560 | $54,100 | $53,500 |
| 140 | North Port, FL | $49,320 | $36,250 | $55,740 | $48,160 |
| 141 | Niles, MI | $49,280 | $39,960 | $53,850 | $53,350 |
| 142 | Tulsa, OK | $49,090 | $34,110 | $56,470 | $55,020 |
| 143 | Killeen, TX | $49,070 | $37,710 | $54,660 | $53,840 |
| 144 | Cleveland, OH | $49,030 | $37,520 | $54,680 | $52,200 |
| 145 | Blacksburg, VA | $48,960 | $35,860 | $55,430 | $52,810 |
| 146 | Eugene, OR | $48,710 | $33,950 | $56,010 | $47,960 |
| 147 | Duluth, MN-WI | $48,570 | $36,750 | $54,390 | $54,720 |
| 148 | Billings, MT | $48,510 | $37,480 | $53,930 | $51,870 |
| 149 | Tucson, AZ | $48,480 | $36,320 | $54,480 | $50,030 |
| 150 | Spartanburg, SC | $48,090 | $37,520 | $53,290 | $52,820 |
| 151 | Lakeland, FL | $48,030 | $34,240 | $54,810 | $49,440 |
| 152 | Chambersburg, PA | $47,670 | $36,860 | $53,020 | $50,370 |
| 153 | Wilmington, NC | $47,650 | $33,180 | $54,790 | $49,420 |
| 154 | Harrisburg, PA | $47,570 | $35,280 | $53,620 | $48,220 |
| 155 | Greenville, SC | $47,550 | $35,780 | $53,370 | $50,990 |
| 156 | Traverse City, MI | $47,420 | $35,240 | $53,440 | $50,790 |
| 157 | Vineland, NJ | $47,420 | $38,920 | $51,630 | $49,410 |
| 158 | Charleston, SC | $47,260 | $31,870 | $54,830 | $46,810 |
| 159 | El Centro, CA | $47,150 | $38,040 | $51,650 | $49,540 |
| 160 | Fort Wayne, IN | $47,150 | $42,450 | $49,440 | $50,930 |
| 161 | San Antonio, TX | $47,090 | $35,570 | $52,750 | $49,720 |
| 162 | Lafayette, LA | $47,050 | $29,620 | $55,640 | $53,950 |
| 163 | Altoona, PA | $46,970 | $37,190 | $51,790 | $52,480 |
| 164 | Lancaster, PA | $46,860 | $34,510 | $52,940 | $47,690 |
| 165 | Nashville, TN | $46,820 | $33,490 | $53,390 | $48,600 |
| 166 | Provo, UT | $46,510 | $37,690 | $50,840 | $47,350 |
| 167 | Fort Smith, AR-OK | $46,360 | $38,230 | $50,380 | $53,980 |
| 168 | Pueblo, CO | $46,240 | $38,730 | $49,940 | $50,390 |
| 169 | Scranton, PA | $45,970 | $32,740 | $52,480 | $49,140 |
| 170 | Dayton, OH | $45,950 | $36,360 | $50,670 | $49,570 |
| 171 | Colorado Springs, CO | $45,680 | $37,420 | $49,750 | $45,360 |
| 172 | Hagerstown, MD-WV | $45,240 | $31,100 | $52,190 | $48,040 |
| 173 | Orlando, FL | $44,990 | $32,970 | $50,900 | $44,360 |
| 174 | Valdosta, GA | $44,720 | $34,760 | $49,630 | $50,660 |
| 175 | Little Rock, AR | $44,470 | $33,300 | $49,960 | $49,760 |
| 176 | Jackson, MI | $44,280 | $31,180 | $50,730 | $48,250 |
| 177 | El Paso, TX | $44,120 | $33,900 | $49,130 | $49,070 |
| 178 | Grand Junction, CO | $44,010 | $33,090 | $49,400 | $46,100 |
| 179 | Columbia, MO | $43,870 | $39,620 | $45,970 | $49,050 |
| 180 | Ogden, UT | $43,850 | $37,940 | $46,760 | $43,700 |
| 181 | Jonesboro, AR | $43,800 | $36,520 | $47,400 | $51,000 |
| 182 | Albuquerque, NM | $43,080 | $34,280 | $47,420 | $45,090 |
| 183 | Toledo, OH | $42,910 | $32,740 | $47,900 | $46,920 |
| 184 | Knoxville, TN | $41,950 | $24,190 | $50,690 | $45,320 |
| 185 | Chattanooga, TN-GA | $41,040 | $33,050 | $44,970 | $44,870 |
| 186 | Miami, FL | $40,960 | $27,870 | $47,380 | $35,880 |
| 187 | Grand Island, NE | $39,120 | $30,560 | $43,350 | $45,140 |
| 188 | Erie, PA | $38,190 | $28,930 | $42,740 | $41,990 |
| 189 | San Juan, PR | $36,750 | $27,190 | $41,480 | N/A |
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Method
About these numbers
- Mean wages are BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2025 estimates for each metropolitan statistical area, as published in the Department of Labor’s 2026–27 OFLC prevailing-wage file. Only metros with their own BLS estimate are listed.
- Entry (Level I) and experienced (Level IV) are the Department of Labor’s prevailing-wage levels for the occupation in that metro, used for employer visa filings. They are benchmarks from the same OEWS survey, not percentiles.
- OEWS top-codes wages at $115 an hour ($239,200 a year); top-coded means are shown as "$239,200+" and left out of rankings.
- At US prices divides the mean by the metro’s BEA Regional Price Parity (2024) over 100, a NueCareer calculation.
Questions
Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setter, Operator, and Tender salary by city: FAQ
Which city pays separating the most?
Napa, CA, where the average (mean) wage is $74,210 a year, followed by Syracuse, NY ($71,200), Vallejo, CA ($70,470), Santa Rosa, CA ($69,990). The national mean is $56,030 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Where do separating earn the most after cost of living?
Divided by each metro's BEA price level, pay goes furthest in Syracuse, NY ($74,370 at national prices, $71,200 nominal), Savannah, GA ($68,740 at national prices, $65,440 nominal), Virginia Beach, VA-NC ($68,430 at national prices, $67,020 nominal).
How much do separating make in the biggest cities?
New York, NY-NJ: $63,400; Los Angeles, CA: $50,040; Chicago, IL-IN: $53,230; Dallas, TX: $53,440; Houston, TX: $50,150 (mean annual wage, BLS OEWS May 2025).
Where do separating earn the least?
Of the 189 metro areas with their own estimate, San Juan, PR has the lowest mean wage, $36,750.