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.
Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders salary by state
Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders is a professional role within the function in the Production job family.
What Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenderss do
Typical education: High School Diploma
Adjust machine components to regulate speeds, pressures, and temperatures, and amounts, dimensions, and flow of materials or ingredients.
Press control buttons to activate machinery and equipment.
Examine, measure, and weigh materials or products to verify conformance to standards, using measuring devices such as templates, micrometers, or scales.
Monitor machine operations and observe lights and gauges to detect malfunctions.
Clear jams, and remove defective or substandard materials or products.
Top skills:Operations MonitoringOperation and ControlMonitoringSpeakingTroubleshootingReading Comprehension
Includes information from O*NET OnLine by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (CC BY 4.0).
Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders pay by experience level
Entry level$36,000
Typical starting pay (about the 10th percentile)
Early career$39,500
A few years in (about the 25th percentile)
Experienced$47,500
Mid-career median pay
Senior$54,500
Seasoned professionals (about the 75th percentile)
Top earners$65,500
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
+2%
projected change in jobs, 2024–2034
5,200
projected openings per year
Growing slower than average
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program (2024–2034). Openings include growth and replacement needs.
Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders salary by industry
Plastics and Rubber Products Manufacturing
24,690 workers
$48,500
Rubber Product Manufacturing
18,360 workers
$49,000
Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing
11,090 workers
$49,500
Plastics Product Manufacturing
6,320 workers
$47,000
Food Manufacturing
3,340 workers
$48,000
Chemical Manufacturing
3,170 workers
$50,000
Paper Manufacturing
2,620 workers
$58,000
Miscellaneous Manufacturing
2,530 workers
$49,500
Converted Paper Product Manufacturing
2,350 workers
$57,000
Administrative and Support Services
2,340 workers
$34,000
National sector-level figures, BLS OEWS May 2025, aged to 2026.
How this role compares
Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders pays 13% 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 Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders make?
The average base salary for a Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders in the United States is $49,000 per year, or about $23.56 per hour.
What is the typical salary range?
Pay typically falls between $39,500 and $54,500 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.
