Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic pay in California
$51,620avg. a year
$24.82 an hour · 7,710 employed
Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic in California earn an average of $51,620 a year. That is $3,190 (7%) more than the U.S. average of $48,430. The best-paying metro area is San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA at $68,590.
$48,450Median pay
$24.82Average hourly
+30%Avg. pay since 2020
#7Of 49 states
Top-paying California metro areas
Average pay for cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic by metro area. Swipe to see all 16.
1410 jobs
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA
$68,590
$32.98 an hour
2140 jobs
Modesto, CA
$56,370
$27.10 an hour
340 jobs
Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA
$53,710
$25.82 an hour
460 jobs
Vallejo, CA
$53,680
$25.81 an hour
5250 jobs
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA
$52,430
$25.21 an hour
630 jobs
Napa, CA
$52,080
$25.04 an hour
73,490 jobs
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
$51,910
$24.96 an hour
8410 jobs
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA
$51,690
$24.85 an hour
9240 jobs
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA
$50,390
$24.23 an hour
10580 jobs
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA
$50,280
$24.17 an hour
11240 jobs
Stockton-Lodi, CA
$48,640
$23.38 an hour
1240 jobs
Merced, CA
$48,410
$23.28 an hour
131,110 jobs
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA
$47,800
$22.98 an hour
14190 jobs
Fresno, CA
$47,610
$22.89 an hour
1560 jobs
Bakersfield-Delano, CA
$46,600
$22.40 an hour
1680 jobs
Visalia, CA
$43,200
$20.77 an hour
Why people trust JobPayFacts
Official government dataEvery number comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage survey of employers, not self-reported salaries.
Every state and city830 jobs across all 50 states, D.C. and 199 large metro areas.
Updated every yearNew figures each spring when BLS releases them. This site uses May 2025 data.
Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic pay in California, charted
Pay over time
California, annual wage, May of each year
AverageMedian
Where California cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic work
Employment by metro area, May 2025
Average pay by state
May 2025 · California highlighted · tap a state
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Under $46k$46k–$48k$48k–$50k$50k+California
California vs. neighbors
Average pay, May 2025
| Area | Avg. pay | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| United States | $48,430 | $23.28 |
| California | $51,620 | $24.82 |
| Oregon | $55,390 | $26.63 |
| Arizona | $47,680 | $22.92 |
| Nevada | $46,710 | $22.46 |
Related jobs in California
- Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers$61,120
- Machinists$61,380
- Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$49,020
- Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$49,660
- Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$48,450
- Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$47,310
Average pay, California, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS
Questions and answers
How much do cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic make in California?
The average is $51,620 a year, and the median is $48,450. That is $3,190 (7%) more than the U.S. average of $48,430.
What is the hourly wage in California?
$24.82 an hour on average; the median is $23.29.
Where in California do they earn the most?
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($68,590), followed by Modesto, CA ($56,370). The lowest average among 16 metro areas with data is Visalia, CA ($43,200).
How does California rank?
California ranks #7 of 49 states (including D.C.) with published data for this job, by average pay.
Sources and notes. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 (trend: May 2020–May 2025), occupation code 51-4031. State rank compares average pay across states with published data. Metro figures cover metropolitan statistical areas; a metro area can cross state lines. See also the national cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic page. Wages are gross pay before taxes and don't include overtime premiums, tips, bonuses or benefits; self-employed workers aren't included. Year-to-year changes can partly reflect survey method changes, so treat the trend as a guide. How we use the data. JobPayFacts isn't affiliated with BLS.