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.
Rolling Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic salary in Illinois
The average Rolling Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic salary in Illinois is $55,500 per year on WePayFairly's 2026 basis. The 25th-to-75th-percentile range is $49,500 to $65,000. Based on BLS state wage data, aged to 2026.
The following occupation, experience, industry and career information describes the role nationally. For Illinois 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
$55,000
National baseline
Target bonus
$5,000
9% of base
Total target cash
$60,000
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
Rolling Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic 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 Rolling Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastics do
Typical education: High School Diploma
Monitor machine cycles and mill operation to detect jamming and to ensure that products conform to specifications.
Adjust and correct machine set-ups to reduce thicknesses, reshape products, and eliminate product defects.
Start operation of rolling and milling machines to flatten, temper, form, and reduce sheet metal sections and to produce steel strips.
Examine, inspect, and measure raw materials and finished products to verify conformance to specifications.
Read rolling orders, blueprints, and mill schedules to determine setup specifications, work sequences, product dimensions, and installation procedures.
Top skills:Operations MonitoringOperation and ControlQuality Control AnalysisMonitoringSpeakingCritical Thinking
Includes information from O*NET OnLine by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (CC BY 4.0).
Rolling Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic pay by experience level
Entry level$39,000
Typical starting pay (about the 10th percentile)
Early career$45,500
A few years in (about the 25th percentile)
Experienced$52,000
Mid-career median pay
Senior$64,000
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
-8.3%
projected change in jobs, 2024–2034
1,900
projected openings per year
Declining
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program (2024–2034). Openings include growth and replacement needs.
Rolling Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic salary by industry
Primary Metal Manufacturing
14,660 workers
$58,000
Iron and Steel Mills and Ferroalloy Manufacturing
8,050 workers
$58,500
Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing
4,470 workers
$51,000
Steel Product Manufacturing from Purchased Steel
2,840 workers
$55,000
Alumina and Aluminum Production and Processing
2,250 workers
$60,500
Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3321, 3322, 3325, 3326, and 3329 only)
2,140 workers
$51,000
Merchant Wholesalers, Durable Goods
1,570 workers
$55,000
Nonferrous Metal (except Aluminum) Production and Processing
1,490 workers
$58,500
Plastics and Rubber Products Manufacturing
1,480 workers
$44,000
Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3323 and 3324 only)
1,460 workers
$47,500
National sector-level figures, BLS OEWS May 2025, aged to 2026.
Pay trend
National median annual wage, 2020 to 2025: $43,600 to $50,140.
+15.0% 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
$39,000
Early career25th percentile
$45,500
Median50th percentile
$52,000
Experienced75th percentile
$64,000
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 AnalysisMonitoringSpeakingCritical Thinking
Source: U.S. Department of Labor, O*NET occupational database.
Typical duties and FLSA status
Core duties
Monitor machine cycles and mill operation to detect jamming and to ensure that products conform to specifications.
Adjust and correct machine set-ups to reduce thicknesses, reshape products, and eliminate product defects.
Start operation of rolling and milling machines to flatten, temper, form, and reduce sheet metal sections and to produce steel strips.
Examine, inspect, and measure raw materials and finished products to verify conformance to specifications.
Read rolling orders, blueprints, and mill schedules to determine setup specifications, work sequences, product dimensions, and installation procedures.
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$55,000
2027$57,000
2028$59,000
2029$61,000
2030$63,000
2031$65,500
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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Rolling Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic pays 2% 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.
Illinois salary questions
How much does a Rolling Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic make in Illinois?
The average base salary for a Rolling Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic in Illinois is $55,500 per year, or about $26.68 per hour, on WePayFairly's 2026 basis.
What is the median Rolling Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic salary in Illinois?
The median is $56,000 per year on the same 2026 basis. The median is the middle wage in the state distribution; the average is $55,500.
What is the typical Rolling Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic salary range in Illinois?
The 25th-to-75th-percentile range in Illinois is $49,500 to $65,000 per year on the 2026 basis. These percentiles describe the state wage distribution; individual pay varies by employer and experience.
How does Rolling Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic pay in Illinois compare with the national average?
The Illinois average of $55,500 is $500 (0.9%) above the national average of $55,000. Both figures use WePayFairly's 2026 basis.
Where do these Illinois 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 Rolling 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.
