Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, aged to 2026 using compounded market movement. State selections show BLS state-level figures where published. Actual pay varies with experience, industry, and organization size.
Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic salary by state
Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic is a professional role within the function in the Production job family.
What Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastics do
Typical education: High School Diploma
Measure completed workpieces to verify conformance to specifications, using micrometers, gauges, calipers, templates, or rulers.
Examine completed workpieces for defects, such as chipped edges or marred surfaces and sort defective pieces according to types of flaws.
Read work orders or production schedules to determine specifications, such as materials to be used, locations of cutting lines, or dimensions and tolerances.
Start machines, monitor their operations, and record operational data.
Set up, operate, or tend machines to saw, cut, shear, slit, punch, crimp, notch, bend, or straighten metal or plastic material.
Top skills:Operations MonitoringOperation and ControlTroubleshootingSpeakingQuality Control AnalysisMonitoring
Includes information from O*NET OnLine by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (CC BY 4.0).
Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic pay by experience level
Entry level$37,000
Typical starting pay (about the 10th percentile)
Early career$40,000
A few years in (about the 25th percentile)
Experienced$48,000
Mid-career median pay
Senior$57,500
Seasoned professionals (about the 75th percentile)
Top earners$68,000
Highest earners (about the 90th percentile)
Experience tiers are derived from the BLS wage percentile distribution for this occupation, aged to 2026. Actual pay varies by employer, location, and specialization.
Job outlook
-12.1%
projected change in jobs, 2024–2034
14,400
projected openings per year
Declining
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program (2024–2034). Openings include growth and replacement needs.
Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic salary by industry
Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing
56,060 workers
$50,000
Transportation Equipment Manufacturing
37,460 workers
$54,500
Motor Vehicle Parts Manufacturing
27,220 workers
$52,000
Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3321, 3322, 3325, 3326, and 3329 only)
26,710 workers
$49,000
Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3323 and 3324 only)
22,210 workers
$51,500
Machinery Manufacturing
14,890 workers
$49,500
Plastics and Rubber Products Manufacturing
13,870 workers
$46,500
Plastics Product Manufacturing
12,850 workers
$46,500
Primary Metal Manufacturing
11,880 workers
$50,000
Merchant Wholesalers, Durable Goods
11,040 workers
$49,500
National sector-level figures, BLS OEWS May 2025, aged to 2026.
How this role compares
Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic pays 11% below the average across 112 roles in the Production job family (family average $56,000).
Related occupations from O*NET OnLine, U.S. Department of Labor.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic make?
The average base salary for a Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic in the United States is $50,000 per year, or about $24.04 per hour.
What is the typical salary range?
Pay typically falls between $40,500 and $57,500 per year (25th to 75th percentile) depending on experience, location, industry, and organization size.
How does this compare with other Production roles?
The Production job family averages $56,000 across 112 roles tracked by WePayFairly.
Need a defensible market price for this role? WePayFairly data is compiled from published survey sources and maintained by compensation professionals.
Need Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic pay benchmarked for your organization, or defensible compensation analysis for a dispute or valuation? Grahall builds it from primary sources, backed by an expert who testifies.
