SOC 51-4031 · Production Occupations
Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic wages by metro
National median annual wage
$46,330
- 10th percentile
- $35,760
- 25th percentile
- $38,870
- Median
- $46,330
- 75th percentile
- $55,410
- 90th percentile
- $65,510
- Mean
- $48,430
Annual wage from the May 2025 OEWS estimates.
National employment in May 2025: 171,200.
That median is 9.1% lower than the all-occupations national median of $50,980.
The metro and state figures below are the same May 2025 release. A blank wage means BLS did not publish it. See when a wage is not published.
Highest published medians
| Occupation | Employment | 10th | Median | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flint, MI | 380 | $35,220 | $78,600 | $78,600 |
| Rome, GA | 200 | $38,030 | $63,740 | $81,950 |
| Oshkosh-Neenah, WI | 560 | $40,770 | $62,250 | $67,180 |
| Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN | 3,100 | $38,980 | $60,230 | $66,280 |
| Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ | 730 | $35,380 | $60,080 | $60,580 |
| Bellingham, WA | 30 | $41,510 | $59,380 | $67,650 |
| Lewiston-Auburn, ME | 60 | $45,760 | $59,300 | $64,800 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | 410 | $45,550 | $58,580 | $102,760 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | 640 | $44,350 | $58,240 | $90,090 |
| Mankato, MN | 60 | $45,390 | $57,850 | $70,240 |
| Lincoln, NE | 270 | $38,780 | $57,780 | $64,890 |
| Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA | 30 | $42,990 | $57,290 | $63,390 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | 800 | $46,420 | $57,110 | $70,960 |
| Albany, OR | 70 | $45,430 | $56,410 | $84,290 |
| Saginaw, MI | 390 | $36,620 | $55,630 | $69,300 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | 1,000 | $44,440 | $54,920 | $73,360 |
| Sandusky, OH | 200 | $39,600 | $54,770 | $80,580 |
| Reading, PA | 610 | $36,830 | $54,760 | $60,890 |
| Bend, OR | 50 | $47,910 | $53,680 | $58,210 |
| Modesto, CA | 140 | $38,000 | $53,600 | $73,910 |
Where employment is largest
| Occupation | Employment | 10th | Median | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | 11,650 | $36,720 | $50,460 | $79,970 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | 6,320 | $38,420 | $50,770 | $77,370 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | 4,490 | $34,670 | $48,710 | $64,300 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 4,440 | $35,890 | $43,950 | $59,840 |
| Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI | 4,270 | $36,320 | $42,050 | $74,500 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | 3,810 | $34,900 | $43,420 | $57,340 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 3,490 | $38,060 | $48,640 | $69,190 |
| Cleveland, OH | 3,220 | $33,530 | $46,300 | $61,210 |
| Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN | 3,100 | $38,980 | $60,230 | $66,280 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | 2,840 | $38,060 | $46,310 | $63,010 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 2,400 | $37,350 | $47,360 | $65,140 |
| Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI | 2,010 | $38,710 | $48,650 | $61,830 |
| Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | 1,880 | $37,160 | $47,170 | $62,400 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 1,840 | $37,250 | $49,000 | $64,250 |
| Pittsburgh, PA | 1,600 | $34,400 | $46,940 | $61,610 |
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN | 1,550 | $37,700 | $46,740 | $59,620 |
| Birmingham, AL | 1,490 | $37,460 | $45,270 | $54,480 |
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | 1,440 | $37,160 | $45,760 | $65,000 |
| Kansas City, MO-KS | 1,330 | $38,890 | $52,840 | $78,860 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 1,290 | $39,380 | $48,080 | $65,520 |
States and territories
| Occupation | Employment | 10th | Median | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oregon | 1,180 | $44,490 | $53,680 | $66,210 |
| Maine | 180 | $38,290 | $51,820 | $64,800 |
| Washington | 1,750 | $41,440 | $51,160 | $71,550 |
| Colorado | 1,400 | $41,690 | $50,790 | $71,800 |
| Minnesota | 6,130 | $34,670 | $49,770 | $64,700 |
| Wisconsin | 7,960 | $38,290 | $49,270 | $62,580 |
| Alaska | 80 | $43,770 | $49,010 | $62,470 |
| Illinois | 8,060 | $36,960 | $48,990 | $73,270 |
| Nebraska | 1,320 | $36,160 | $48,690 | $60,850 |
| Montana | 130 | $37,270 | $48,490 | $59,860 |
| California | 7,710 | $37,090 | $48,450 | $68,500 |
| North Dakota | 230 | $43,680 | $48,400 | $65,980 |
| Missouri | 3,240 | $36,310 | $48,310 | $69,500 |
| Iowa | 2,030 | $36,550 | $48,240 | $57,490 |
| Rhode Island | 470 | $37,850 | $48,170 | $62,280 |
| New Hampshire | 600 | $37,580 | $48,110 | $61,450 |
| Pennsylvania | 8,890 | $35,380 | $47,860 | $62,590 |
| Nevada | 580 | $33,790 | $47,690 | $55,430 |
| Maryland | 270 | $35,470 | $47,320 | $57,360 |
| Virginia | 1,790 | $36,550 | $47,300 | $60,680 |
| Indiana | 9,680 | $36,960 | $46,980 | $73,840 |
| New York | 3,340 | $36,510 | $46,930 | $71,770 |
| Wyoming | 60 | $40,160 | $46,890 | $57,370 |
| Kansas | 1,900 | $36,360 | $46,840 | $63,150 |
| Utah | 1,050 | $37,420 | $46,670 | $62,430 |
| Arizona | 1,100 | $37,540 | $46,610 | $62,680 |
| Connecticut | 2,030 | $37,110 | $46,280 | $64,770 |
| Michigan | 22,060 | $36,130 | $46,120 | $76,720 |
| South Dakota | 490 | $36,840 | $46,060 | $59,950 |
| Kentucky | 7,290 | $34,920 | $45,760 | $66,280 |
| Massachusetts | 2,590 | $37,460 | $45,760 | $64,160 |
| New Jersey | 1,950 | $36,700 | $45,680 | $60,950 |
| Arkansas | 3,020 | $32,800 | $45,580 | $56,860 |
| Ohio | 13,350 | $35,560 | $45,230 | $60,770 |
| Georgia | 5,260 | $35,400 | $45,080 | $63,740 |
| Tennessee | 5,380 | $35,620 | $44,780 | $53,300 |
| South Carolina | 4,100 | $34,000 | $44,420 | $62,410 |
| Alabama | 6,000 | $34,660 | $43,830 | $54,760 |
| Vermont | 70 | $38,110 | $43,560 | $56,160 |
| North Carolina | 3,940 | $35,180 | $43,400 | $62,120 |
| West Virginia | 290 | $30,700 | $43,070 | $57,570 |
| Texas | 13,290 | $34,340 | $42,720 | $57,370 |
| Delaware | 240 | $38,260 | $41,640 | $57,860 |
| Oklahoma | 2,480 | $31,230 | $40,930 | $64,750 |
| Louisiana | 760 | $35,730 | $40,870 | $60,960 |
| Mississippi | 1,700 | $32,000 | $40,650 | $63,180 |
| Idaho | 720 | $36,240 | $39,580 | $50,540 |
| Florida | 2,740 | $33,180 | $39,440 | $50,630 |
| New Mexico | 220 | $33,430 | $39,430 | $46,720 |
| Puerto Rico | 240 | $21,840 | $24,090 | $31,180 |
Other production occupations
- Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators
- First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers
- Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers
- Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers
- Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders
- Machinists
- Production Workers, All Other
- Electrical, Electronic, and Electromechanical Assemblers, Except Coil Winders, Tapers, and Finishers
Questions this page answers
What is the national median wage for Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic?
In the May 2025 OEWS estimates, the national median annual wage for Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic is $46,330. Employment is 171,200.
How does Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic pay compare with all occupations?
The national median for Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic is 9.1% lower than the all-occupations median of $50,980.
Which metro has the highest published median for Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic?
Among metros with a published annual median in the May 2025 tables, Flint, MI is highest on this page's list at $78,600.