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Salary comparison

Drilling and Boring Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic vs. Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators: Who Earns More?

Drilling and Boring Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastics out-earn Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricatorss by $4K a year at the national median, per BLS OEWS May 2025. Drilling and Boring Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastics land at $49,080 and Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricatorss at $44,650. The education gap is real: drilling and boring machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic programs typically require high school diploma or equivalent, while miscellaneous assemblers and fabricator programs require high school diploma or equivalent. Top-paying state for Drilling and Boring Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastics is Virginia ($90,390); for Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricatorss it's District of Columbia ($50,330).

Drilling and Boring Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators
Median salary
$49,080
$44,650
Hourly rate
$23.6/hr
$21.47/hr
Entry level (10th %)
$36,300
$33,280
Senior level (90th %)
$68,410
$64,880
Education required
High school diploma or equivalent
High school diploma or equivalent
U.S. employment
4,680
1,405,030
Job growth (10-year)
N/A
N/A
Category
Production & Manufacturing
Production & Manufacturing
Top-paying state
Virginia
District of Columbia

Pay by state

States where both occupations have BLS data, sorted by Drilling and Boring Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic median pay.

State
Drilling and Boring Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators
Virginia
$90,390
$44,900
Massachusetts
$77,780
$46,720
New Hampshire
$59,800
$46,940
South Carolina
$52,040
$45,500
Kentucky
$51,740
$47,950
Ohio
$51,670
$45,720
Colorado
$51,280
$46,150
Wisconsin
$49,640
$45,670
California
$49,080
$47,720
Arizona
$48,140
$45,080
Minnesota
$47,010
$46,920
Missouri
$44,990
$46,480
Iowa
$43,860
$48,920
Connecticut
$41,080
$45,170
Indiana
$39,110
$45,550

Source: BLS OEWS May 2025. Highlighted value is higher in each row.

Common questions

Who earns more, Drilling and Boring Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastics or Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricatorss?

Drilling and Boring Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastics earn more nationally. The median is $49,080 for Drilling and Boring Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastics versus $44,650 for Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricatorss, a difference of $4K. Per BLS OEWS May 2025.

Which has better job growth, Drilling and Boring Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic or Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators?

BLS Employment Projections data is not available for one or both occupations. Check the individual career pages for current outlook figures.

Which requires more education, Drilling and Boring Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic or Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators?

Drilling and Boring Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic typically requires high school diploma or equivalent. Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators requires high school diploma or equivalent. Education requirements vary by employer and state licensing board.

Where do Drilling and Boring Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastics get paid the most?

Virginia is the top-paying state for Drilling and Boring Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastics at $90,390/year, per BLS OEWS May 2025. Major metro areas within that state typically pay even more than the state average.

How does Drilling and Boring Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic vs. Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators pay differ by state?

The gap varies significantly by state. In Virginia, Drilling and Boring Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastics earn $90,390 vs. $44,900 for Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricatorss. See the state comparison table on this page for the full picture.

Full Drilling and Boring Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic salary breakdownView →Full Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators salary breakdownView →Best cities for Drilling and Boring Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastics by take-home payExplore →Best cities for Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricatorss by take-home payExplore →How to become a drilling and boring machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plasticGuide →How to become a miscellaneous assemblers and fabricatorsGuide →