Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic pay in the U.S.
$51,680avg. a year
$24.85 an hour · 8,930 employed
Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic in the U.S. earn an average of $51,680 a year and a median of $49,030. Pay is highest in Oregon ($71,820) and lowest in Texas ($39,210).
$49,030Median pay
$24.85Average hourly
+19%Avg. pay since 2020
8,930Jobs in the U.S.
Top-paying states for forging machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic
Average pay by state. Swipe to see the top 10.
130 jobs
Oregon
$71,820
$34.53 an hour
2750 jobs
California
$61,470
$29.55 an hour
3200 jobs
Nebraska
$61,420
$29.53 an hour
4310 jobs
Massachusetts
$59,820
$28.76 an hour
5620 jobs
Michigan
$57,080
$27.44 an hour
6
Oklahoma
$56,820
$27.32 an hour
780 jobs
Wisconsin
$56,810
$27.31 an hour
8140 jobs
Colorado
$56,220
$27.03 an hour
9500 jobs
Ohio
$55,940
$26.90 an hour
10260 jobs
New York
$55,410
$26.64 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.
Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic pay, charted
Pay over time
United States, annual wage, May of each year
AverageMedian
Where the jobs are
Employment by state, May 2025
Average pay by state
May 2025 · tap a state
AKMEWIVTNHWAIDMTNDMNILMINYMAORNVWYSDIAINOHPANJCTRICAUTCONEMOKYWVVAMDDEAZNMKSARTNNCSCDCOKLAMSALGAHITXFL
Under $45k$45k–$52k$52k–$56k$56k+
Top-paying metro areas
Average pay, May 2025 (areas with 100+ jobs)
| Metro area | Avg. pay | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $61,970 | $29.79 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $59,440 | $28.58 |
| Cleveland, OH | $56,740 | $27.28 |
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | $56,550 | $27.19 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $53,610 | $25.77 |
| Columbus, IN | $52,110 | $25.05 |
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN | $52,060 | $25.03 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $46,840 | $22.52 |
Related jobs
- Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers$56,760
- Machinists$59,320
- Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$48,430
- Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$45,960
- Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$50,030
- Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$48,170
Average U.S. pay, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS
Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic pay in every state
States without a figure had too few jobs or too little survey data for BLS to publish.
| State | Avg. pay | Median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $52,460 | $46,970 | 70 |
| Arizona | $52,630 | $48,730 | 30 |
| Arkansas | $42,850 | $38,120 | 140 |
| California | $61,470 | $59,250 | 750 |
| Colorado | $56,220 | $57,970 | 140 |
| Connecticut | $44,650 | $45,120 | 110 |
| Florida | $44,180 | $40,480 | 80 |
| Georgia | $50,660 | $46,490 | 380 |
| Illinois | $51,970 | $49,750 | 230 |
| Indiana | $52,600 | $53,550 | 450 |
| Iowa | $48,280 | $47,010 | – |
| Kansas | $51,620 | $51,120 | 130 |
| Kentucky | $40,810 | $36,110 | – |
| Maryland | $51,710 | $49,920 | 30 |
| Massachusetts | $59,820 | $51,770 | 310 |
| Michigan | $57,080 | $61,620 | 620 |
| Mississippi | $39,810 | $39,550 | 70 |
| Missouri | $51,610 | $55,210 | 60 |
| Nebraska | $61,420 | $60,460 | 200 |
| Nevada | $49,320 | $45,040 | 40 |
| New Jersey | $43,450 | $35,630 | – |
| New York | $55,410 | $56,350 | 260 |
| Ohio | $55,940 | $56,870 | 500 |
| Oklahoma | $56,820 | $61,720 | – |
| Oregon | $71,820 | $69,210 | 30 |
| Pennsylvania | $54,500 | $50,280 | 550 |
| South Carolina | $51,540 | $49,610 | 80 |
| Tennessee | $44,810 | $43,810 | 1,140 |
| Texas | $39,210 | $37,390 | 720 |
| Virginia | $53,590 | $54,230 | 560 |
| West Virginia | $42,910 | $37,390 | – |
| Wisconsin | $56,810 | $60,310 | 80 |
Metro areas with the most jobs
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
$61,970
510 jobsDetroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI
$56,550
380 jobsNashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN
$45,000
240 jobsHouston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX
$39,350
230 jobsNew York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ
$46,840
200 jobsPhiladelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD
$59,440
190 jobsDallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX
$44,690
180 jobsColumbus, IN
$52,110
140 jobsQuestions and answers
How much do forging machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic make?
The average is $51,680 a year across the U.S. Half earn more than $49,030 and half earn less (the median).
What is the hourly pay?
The average hourly wage is $24.85, and the median is $23.57 an hour.
Which state pays forging machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic the most?
Oregon, with an average of $71,820 a year. The best-paying metro area is Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA at $61,970.
What is the pay range?
The lowest-paid 10% earn under $36,800 a year, and the top 10% earn over $68,720.
Sources and notes. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 (trend: May 2020–May 2025), occupation code 51-4022. 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.