How much do Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic make in Dubuque, IA?

Percentile spread

For Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic, the published 10th percentile is $46,890 and the 90th percentile is $56,950. The difference is $10,060, which is 20.5% of the median. Ten percent of measured wages fall below the 10th percentile and ten percent fall above the 90th. How to read a percentile.

The middle half of the distribution, from the 25th percentile at $49,180 to the 75th at $53,930, covers $4,750.

The mean annual wage is $51,340, which sits above the median of $49,180. Median and mean measure different points in the same distribution.

National and state comparison

The Dubuque, IA median is 4.2% higher than the national median of $47,180 for Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic. In 2024 national prices the local median is $56,316, which is 19.4% higher than that same national median. The national figure is already in national prices because the United States parity is 100.

It is 0.6% higher than the Iowa median of $48,910.

Price-adjusted pay

The 2024 all-items regional price parity for Dubuque, IA is 87.328, with the United States at 100. The Bureau of Economic Analysis released those parities on February 19, 2026. Dividing the May 2025 median of $49,180 by that parity and multiplying by 100 puts Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic at $56,316 in national prices. The wage year and the price year are different. Compare this wage after prices.

Nearby metros

19 other metropolitan areas within 200 miles publish a annual median for Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic. Dubuque, IA ranks 8th of 20 on that median, counting itself. Distance is the great-circle mileage between Census Bureau internal points (U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer Files, Core Based Statistical Areas, internal points (INTPTLAT, INTPTLONG).).

• Cedar Rapids, IA is 46 miles away, with a median of $53,940 and employment of 530. That median is 9.7% higher than the median here. In 2024 national prices it is $60,632, against $56,316 here.
• Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL is 77 miles away, with a median of $46,970 and employment of 210. That median is 4.5% lower than the median here. In 2024 national prices it is $52,728, against $56,316 here.
• Madison, WI is 78 miles away, with a median of $48,170 and employment of 190. That median is 2.1% lower than the median here. In 2024 national prices it is $49,513, against $56,316 here.

Employment share

Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic accounts for 0.50% of wage-and-salary employment in Dubuque, IA (290 of 58,470). Nationally the occupation is 0.08% of employment (124,590 of 155,495,730). The local share is 6.19 times the national share. That ratio is the location quotient computed from these May 2025 employment counts. It is not copied from the location-quotient column in the BLS bulk file.