SALARY DATA — SOC 51-4193
Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
51-0000 Production Occupations
The 90/10 ratio for Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic is 1.79× — this is a compressed-comp occupation where the wage band is narrow. Top decile earns $60,370, bottom decile $33,790. In flat-comp professions, title and tenure define the ceiling more than negotiation does. Push title, not pay.
BLS OEWS reference period: May 2025. Employment: 32,410.
Wage distribution — the receipts
National OEWS annual wage percentiles. "vs. median" column shows each percentile relative to the occupation's own national median — this is where your position in the band lives. Source and series IDs: methodology page.
| Percentile | Annual wage | vs. median | Hourly (est.) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th pct — bottom decile | $33,790 | -23% | ~$16 |
| 25th pct — lower quartile | $37,260 | -15% | ~$18 |
| Median — 50th pct | $43,960 | — | $21.14/hr |
| Mean — average | $45,100 | +3% | $21.69/hr |
| 75th pct — upper quartile | $49,600 | +13% | ~$24 |
| 90th pct — top decile | $60,370 | +37% | ~$29 |
Source: BLS OEWS national estimates. Annual wage ÷ 2,080 hrs = hourly estimate. Hourly-median is direct from OEWS when available; others are estimates only.
Pay by metro area
BLS publishes May 2025 wage estimates for Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic in 104 metro areas; the 10 with the most jobs are below, ranked by employment.
| Metro | Jobs | Median | 10th pct | 90th pct |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 3,160 | $46,420 | $36,690 | $58,630 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | 1,870 | $38,830 | $36,280 | $51,280 |
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | 1,620 | $37,820 | $32,160 | $49,310 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | 880 | $38,880 | $26,210 | $51,290 |
| Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI | 780 | $36,960 | $33,330 | $51,440 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | 600 | $50,870 | $40,610 | $64,190 |
| Cleveland, OH | 570 | $47,440 | $39,020 | $70,950 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 560 | $44,880 | $32,220 | $57,740 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | 550 | $47,200 | $38,120 | $51,060 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 540 | $39,420 | $27,090 | $50,170 |
Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 — metropolitan area estimates (oesm25ma/MSA_M2025_dl.xlsx). Jobs are rounded to the nearest ten and exclude the self-employed; a dash means BLS suppressed that percentile.
Pay by industry
Across 28 detailed industries with a publishable estimate, the 5 that employ the most Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic are below, with the median wage each one pays.
| Industry | NAICS | Jobs | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coating, Engraving, Heat Treating, and Allied Activities | 332800 | 20,280 | $40,140 |
| Semiconductor and Other Electronic Component Manufacturing | 334400 | 1,740 | $45,410 |
| Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3321, 3322, 3325, 3326, and 3329 only) | 3320A1 | 1,180 | $40,490 |
| Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3323 and 3324 only) | 3320A2 | 1,040 | $47,340 |
| Motor Vehicle Parts Manufacturing | 336300 | 920 | $38,280 |
Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 — national 4-digit NAICS industry estimates (oesm25in4/nat4d_M2025_dl.xlsx), all ownerships combined. Industries where BLS suppresses the wage are omitted rather than shown as zero.
What it pays vs. what it buys
The wage is only half the number. Below, the metro median for Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic is divided by that metro's BEA Regional Price Parity — the federal measure of what a dollar actually buys there. Nominal is what the job pays. Real is what it buys at local prices. Which reorders the answer: New York ranks #23 of 45 on the paycheck and #39 once you spend it.
| Metro | Nominal | Prices | Real | Rank shift |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oklahoma City | $65,040 | 95.5 | $68,072 | — |
| Jacksonville | $56,350 | 97.1 | $58,049 | +1 |
| Seattle | $58,400 | 111.1 | $52,550 | -1 |
| San Francisco | $53,680 | 106.2 | $50,553 | — |
| Cleveland | $47,440 | 93.9 | $50,509 | +6 |
| Nashville | $47,630 | 95.1 | $50,097 | +4 |
| Columbus | $48,610 | 98.9 | $49,154 | -1 |
| Tampa | $47,740 | 97.6 | $48,923 | +1 |
| Kansas City | $45,540 | 93.4 | $48,755 | +11 |
| Denver | $47,930 | 99.4 | $48,235 | -2 |
Top 10 of 45 metros by real wage. Rank shift = places gained or lost against the nominal ranking. Kansas City gains 11 places. Sources: BLS OEWS May 2025 metropolitan estimates; BEA Regional Price Parities (national = 100). Metros where BLS suppresses the estimate are omitted rather than shown as zero. Full data at /salaries-metro.json.
Is this job growing or dying?
BLS projects employment in Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic to move from 33,300 to 30,100 over 2025–2035 — -9.7% , with about 2,500 openings a year once retirements and career changes are counted . Typical entry requirement: high school diploma or equivalent.
Source: BLS Employment Projections, Table 1.2 (2025–2035). Openings count growth and replacement need together, which is why a shrinking occupation can still hire. Full data at /employment-projections.json.
Salary FAQ
- What is the median salary for Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic?
- The median annual salary for Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic is $43,960, and the mean is $45,100 (BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025).
- What is the salary range for Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic?
- Most Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic earn between $33,790 and $60,370 a year. The wage gap inside the occupation is a 1.79× ratio — workers at the 90th percentile earn 1.79 times those at the 10th (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
- Where does pay for Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic fall the most after adjusting for cost of living?
- Local prices reorder the ranking. New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ranks #23 by nominal pay but #39 of 45 metros once local prices are applied (BEA Regional Price Parities).
- Is employment for Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic growing or shrinking?
- BLS projects Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic employment to shrink 9.7% over the 2025–2035 window, with about 2,500 openings a year once retirements and career changes are counted (BLS Employment Projections, 2025–2035).
- How many Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic jobs are there in the US?
- BLS counts about 32,410 workers in Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic nationally (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Figures from this page's OEWS / Employment Projections / BEA data, above. Methodology at /methodology#oews-salaries.
Related occupations
Other Production Occupations whose national median wage is closest to that of Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic: same SOC major group, nearest median first.
- Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic $44,350
- Cleaning, Washing, and Metal Pickling Equipment Operators and Tenders $43,530
- Woodworkers, All Other $44,530
- Furniture Finishers $44,540
- Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing $43,380
- Etchers and Engravers $43,310
- Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators $44,650
- Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders $43,220
The national wage distribution and the metro and industry tables above are BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates for Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic (SOC 51-4193): percentiles from the OEWS API series, metro and industry rows from the published bulk tables — how they are fetched, what OEWS leaves out (equity, bonuses, benefits) and how the 90/10 ratio is read are documented at /methodology#oews-salaries and #oews-breakdown. The other sections keep their own sources and periods: the cost-adjusted metro table divides OEWS metro medians by BEA Regional Price Parities (/methodology#burnout-index); the outlook and its FAQ entry are BLS Employment Projections for 2025–2035.
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