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.
Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders salary in Oklahoma
The average Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders salary in Oklahoma is $60,500 per year on WePayFairly's 2026 basis. The 25th-to-75th-percentile range is $50,500 to $71,000. Based on BLS state wage data, aged to 2026.
The following occupation, experience, industry and career information describes the role nationally. For Oklahoma pay, use the state figures above and the state salary questions below.
Total cash compensation
Base salary plus target annual bonus. Target bonus opportunity scales with role level, so a higher base carries a higher target percentage.
Base salary
$54,500
National baseline
Target bonus
$5,000
8.9% of base
Total target cash
$59,500
Base plus target bonus
Bonus percentiles:25th$3,00050th$5,00075th$8,000
Long-term incentive is not shown for this role. Equity awards are only disclosed publicly for the named executive officers of public companies, so no market figure exists for most jobs. See executive pay disclosures.
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About this role
Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders is a professional role within the function in the Production job family.
Typical entry preparation: High School Diploma and up to 1 year of related work experience, per O*NET occupational data. Advancement typically requires additional years in role.
What Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenderss do
Typical education: High School Diploma
Examine completed work to detect defects and verify conformance to work orders, and adjust machinery as necessary to correct production problems.
Observe operation of various machines to detect and correct machine malfunctions such as improper forming, glue flow, or pasteboard tension.
Start machines and move controls to regulate tension on pressure rolls, to synchronize speed of machine components, and to adjust temperatures of glue or paraffin.
Disassemble machines to maintain, repair, or replace broken or worn parts, using hand or power tools.
Install attachments to machines for gluing, folding, printing, or cutting.
Top skills:Operations MonitoringOperation and ControlQuality Control AnalysisTime ManagementSpeakingMonitoring
Includes information from O*NET OnLine by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (CC BY 4.0).
Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders pay by experience level
Entry level$38,500
Typical starting pay (about the 10th percentile)
Early career$46,500
A few years in (about the 25th percentile)
Experienced$52,000
Mid-career median pay
Senior$62,500
Seasoned professionals (about the 75th percentile)
Top earners$73,000
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
-6.3%
projected change in jobs, 2024–2034
8,100
projected openings per year
Declining
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program (2024–2034). Openings include growth and replacement needs.
Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders salary by industry
Paper Manufacturing
87,050 workers
$55,500
Converted Paper Product Manufacturing
65,660 workers
$52,500
Pulp, Paper, and Paperboard Mills
21,380 workers
$65,500
Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods
2,580 workers
$44,500
Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods (4241, 4247, and 4249 only)
2,570 workers
$44,500
Printing and Related Support Activities
2,060 workers
$48,500
Printing and Related Support Activities
2,060 workers
$48,500
Administrative and Support Services
1,660 workers
$39,000
Employment Services
1,650 workers
$39,000
Food Manufacturing
870 workers
$44,500
National sector-level figures, BLS OEWS May 2025, aged to 2026.
Pay trend
National median annual wage, 2020 to 2025: $39,820 to $50,270.
+26.2% over this period
Medians as published each May in the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics national estimates. Nominal dollars, not adjusted for inflation. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS.
Pay by experience level
How annual pay for this occupation spreads from newcomers to the highest paid, aged to 2026.
Entry10th percentile
$38,500
Early career25th percentile
$46,500
Median50th percentile
$52,000
Experienced75th percentile
$62,500
Top earners90th percentile
$73,000
Bands are the 10th, 25th, 50th, 75th, and 90th percentile annual wages for this occupation nationally. Percentiles reflect the full mix of tenure, employer, and location, so they approximate but do not equal years of experience. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS national estimates.
Where this job pays most
Top-paying states for this occupation, average annual wage aged to 2026.
State averages for this occupation from the BLS OEWS state estimates. Cost of living differs by state; a higher wage does not always mean more buying power.
The abilities employers and analysts most associate with this occupation.
Operations MonitoringOperation and ControlQuality Control AnalysisTime ManagementSpeakingMonitoring
Source: U.S. Department of Labor, O*NET occupational database.
Typical duties and FLSA status
Core duties
Examine completed work to detect defects and verify conformance to work orders, and adjust machinery as necessary to correct production problems.
Observe operation of various machines to detect and correct machine malfunctions such as improper forming, glue flow, or pasteboard tension.
Start machines and move controls to regulate tension on pressure rolls, to synchronize speed of machine components, and to adjust temperatures of glue or paraffin.
Disassemble machines to maintain, repair, or replace broken or worn parts, using hand or power tools.
Install attachments to machines for gluing, folding, printing, or cutting.
FLSA classification (typical)
Typically Non-exempt · Service, trades, or production work
Occupations in this SOC group are typically classified as Non-exempt and eligible for overtime pay under FLSA rules. Actual classification depends on the specific job duties, salary basis, and any applicable state or local rules. The current federal salary threshold for exemption is $684 per week ($35,568 per year), per the 2020 Department of Labor rule; the 2024 rule that would have raised the threshold was struck down by federal court in November 2024.
Pay outlook
Five-year pay outlook for this title
2026$54,500
2027$56,500
2028$58,500
2029$60,500
2030$62,500
2031$64,500
Projection assumes market wages keep rising about 3.5% a year, consistent with recent wage growth measured by the BLS Employment Cost Index. It reflects market movement for the title, not individual raises or promotions, which vary.
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Sources and assumptions
Modeled market estimate, aged to 2026. Underlying source families are BLS OEWS May 2025 for BLS-mapped occupations and the 2018–19 collection for corporate titles. Annual aging is compounded at approximately 3–4%; geographic, industry and company-size repricing are modeled. See the role details and methodology for the applicable source and assumptions.
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Related occupations from O*NET OnLine, U.S. Department of Labor.
Oklahoma salary questions
How much does a Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders make in Oklahoma?
The average base salary for a Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders in Oklahoma is $60,500 per year, or about $29.09 per hour, on WePayFairly's 2026 basis.
What is the median Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders salary in Oklahoma?
The median is $66,000 per year on the same 2026 basis. The median is the middle wage in the state distribution; the average is $60,500.
What is the typical Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders salary range in Oklahoma?
The 25th-to-75th-percentile range in Oklahoma is $50,500 to $71,000 per year on the 2026 basis. These percentiles describe the state wage distribution; individual pay varies by employer and experience.
How does Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders pay in Oklahoma compare with the national average?
The Oklahoma average of $60,500 is $6,000 (11.0%) above the national average of $54,500. Both figures use WePayFairly's 2026 basis.
Where do these Oklahoma salary figures come from?
The state figures come from BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics state data. WePayFairly applies the same compounded market movement factor used elsewhere on this page to express the published figures on a 2026 basis. They are estimates, not a guarantee of a particular offer.
Need a defensible market price for this role? WePayFairly data is compiled from published survey sources and maintained by compensation professionals.
Need Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders 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.
