SOC 51-9196 · Production Occupations
Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders wages by metro
National median annual wage
$50,270
- 10th percentile
- $37,300
- 25th percentile
- $44,920
- Median
- $50,270
- 75th percentile
- $60,180
- 90th percentile
- $70,320
- Mean
- $52,840
Annual wage from the May 2025 OEWS estimates.
National employment in May 2025: 96,130.
That median is 1.4% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cedar Rapids, IA | 260 | $38,920 | $83,470 | $100,430 |
| Pittsfield, MA | 190 | $53,890 | $65,190 | $76,930 |
| Terre Haute, IN | 40 | $35,320 | $65,110 | $78,890 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | 460 | $48,370 | $64,020 | $65,660 |
| Albany, OR | 80 | $47,590 | $63,800 | $98,580 |
| Glens Falls, NY | 340 | $51,610 | $61,830 | $68,570 |
| Wausau, WI | 430 | $49,560 | $61,070 | $80,870 |
| Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT | 150 | $46,580 | $60,440 | $61,310 |
| Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT | 240 | $40,580 | $59,980 | $75,480 |
| Longview-Kelso, WA | 590 | $47,620 | $59,770 | $93,200 |
| Appleton, WI | 710 | $44,080 | $59,550 | $78,100 |
| Green Bay, WI | 1,740 | $46,610 | $59,230 | $77,740 |
| Modesto, CA | 370 | $40,470 | $59,150 | $59,760 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | 4,320 | $39,800 | $59,020 | $63,330 |
| Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT | 130 | $44,030 | $59,010 | $70,320 |
| Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN | 440 | $47,390 | $59,000 | $60,930 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 470 | $42,030 | $58,820 | $78,320 |
| Oshkosh-Neenah, WI | 1,670 | $46,880 | $58,560 | $70,230 |
| Jacksonville, FL | 320 | $44,810 | $58,480 | $79,420 |
| Racine-Mount Pleasant, WI | 380 | $49,680 | $58,050 | $60,160 |
Where employment is largest
| Occupation | Employment | 10th | Median | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | 4,320 | $39,800 | $59,020 | $63,330 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 2,940 | $35,780 | $46,410 | $65,790 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 2,060 | $37,120 | $48,930 | $62,400 |
| Green Bay, WI | 1,740 | $46,610 | $59,230 | $77,740 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | 1,690 | $31,200 | $48,150 | $57,860 |
| Oshkosh-Neenah, WI | 1,670 | $46,880 | $58,560 | $70,230 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 1,590 | $38,530 | $48,640 | $58,590 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 1,430 | $37,430 | $55,810 | $64,900 |
| Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | 1,410 | $39,350 | $48,900 | $61,910 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | 1,280 | $38,070 | $57,840 | $66,020 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | 1,120 | $37,300 | $49,160 | $58,300 |
| Richmond, VA | 930 | $37,540 | $49,980 | $80,940 |
| Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI | 920 | $41,920 | $54,410 | $65,480 |
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN | 850 | $36,680 | $49,120 | $58,290 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | 780 | $38,020 | $47,420 | $71,890 |
| Columbus, OH | 730 | $40,110 | $48,340 | $78,290 |
| Macon-Bibb County, GA | 730 | $45,740 | $46,910 | $80,020 |
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | 720 | $39,740 | $51,220 | $61,590 |
| Kansas City, MO-KS | 720 | $38,070 | $48,220 | $58,480 |
| Appleton, WI | 710 | $44,080 | $59,550 | $78,100 |
States and territories
| Occupation | Employment | 10th | Median | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oklahoma | 1,390 | $39,480 | $63,640 | $79,410 |
| Maine | 740 | $47,310 | $61,780 | $83,340 |
| Utah | 1,350 | $45,880 | $60,790 | $73,270 |
| Washington | 2,170 | $44,640 | $59,410 | $74,410 |
| Louisiana | 1,150 | $44,480 | $58,230 | $79,730 |
| Minnesota | 1,960 | $40,250 | $58,150 | $74,310 |
| Kentucky | 2,670 | $46,450 | $58,050 | $76,610 |
| Wisconsin | 8,510 | $45,740 | $58,050 | $70,240 |
| Idaho | 480 | $50,930 | $57,950 | $89,760 |
| Oregon | 680 | $46,300 | $56,810 | $83,640 |
| Illinois | 5,360 | $39,830 | $56,400 | $62,810 |
| New Mexico | 100 | $34,080 | $53,930 | $72,340 |
| New York | 3,280 | $35,830 | $52,800 | $68,510 |
| Alabama | 3,800 | $36,670 | $52,290 | $79,660 |
| Pennsylvania | 7,410 | $37,910 | $51,780 | $70,000 |
| Michigan | 3,000 | $38,950 | $50,540 | $66,750 |
| New Hampshire | 230 | $39,630 | $50,200 | $68,890 |
| Georgia | 5,650 | $35,140 | $50,160 | $75,900 |
| South Carolina | 2,460 | $37,560 | $50,040 | $79,320 |
| Virginia | 2,370 | $36,950 | $49,900 | $78,210 |
| Arizona | 1,190 | $37,300 | $49,160 | $58,270 |
| Colorado | 240 | $39,090 | $48,940 | $66,860 |
| Florida | 1,360 | $37,390 | $48,910 | $74,990 |
| Massachusetts | 1,920 | $38,600 | $48,840 | $65,220 |
| Indiana | 2,580 | $36,070 | $48,780 | $60,800 |
| California | 5,570 | $37,450 | $48,730 | $65,210 |
| Rhode Island | 240 | $35,590 | $48,710 | $51,890 |
| Arkansas | 2,060 | $35,870 | $48,630 | $61,770 |
| Connecticut | 650 | $38,500 | $48,530 | $72,900 |
| Delaware | 160 | $35,480 | $48,110 | $62,130 |
| Nebraska | 300 | $37,070 | $47,980 | $55,600 |
| North Carolina | 4,800 | $35,480 | $47,940 | $63,410 |
| Texas | 3,740 | $36,490 | $47,830 | $66,200 |
| Maryland | 480 | $34,980 | $47,780 | $60,090 |
| Nevada | 380 | $39,690 | $47,780 | $63,350 |
| Missouri | 1,540 | $37,370 | $47,560 | $59,400 |
| Ohio | 4,640 | $38,570 | $47,450 | $60,680 |
| Mississippi | 960 | $33,800 | $47,380 | $80,770 |
| Tennessee | 3,490 | $31,550 | $46,920 | $60,170 |
| South Dakota | 130 | $36,270 | $46,910 | $57,310 |
| Iowa | 1,010 | $37,420 | $46,110 | $83,480 |
| New Jersey | 3,210 | $35,330 | $45,950 | $62,920 |
| Kansas | 420 | $35,920 | $45,840 | $55,360 |
| Puerto Rico | 240 | $21,840 | $30,530 | $55,670 |
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 Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders?
In the May 2025 OEWS estimates, the national median annual wage for Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders is $50,270. Employment is 96,130.
How does Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders pay compare with all occupations?
The national median for Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders is 1.4% lower than the all-occupations median of $50,980.
Which metro has the highest published median for Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders?
Among metros with a published annual median in the May 2025 tables, Cedar Rapids, IA is highest on this page's list at $83,470.