Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders Salary
Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders in New Orleans-Metairie, LA make a median of $59,320 a year, or about $28.52 an hour. The range runs from $37K at the entry level to $59K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 92.6), which stretches that salary to about $64,060 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,331/month, about 34.1% of take-home, which is tight.
Where the paycheck goes
What $59K actually covers in New Orleans-Metairie, month by month
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by New Orleans-Metairie’s Regional Price Parity (92.6). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About crushing, grinding, and polishing machine setters, operators, and tenders
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What this looks like in New Orleans-Metairie
New Orleans-Metairie sits well above the national pay line for crushing, grinding, and polishing machine setters, operators, and tenders, local pay runs about 22% higher than the U.S. median of $49K. Rent runs $1,331/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 33.4% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Regional Price Parity sits at 92.6 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 7% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for crushing, grinding, and polishing machine setters, operators, and tenders in metros near New Orleans-Metairie, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Baton Rouge | $42K | $46K |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington | $47K | $45K |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands | $46K | $46K |
| Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway | $39K | $44K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, New Orleans-Metairie, LA
Entry-level crushing, grinding, and polishing machine setters, operators, and tenders (10th percentile) start around $37K. Mid-career wages sit at $59K. Top earners bring in $59K or more, a $23K spread from bottom to top.
Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wyoming | $71K | +47% | 170 |
| Alaska | $69K | +42% | 60 |
| Iowa | $63K | +29% | 1,420 |
| Nevada | $60K | +24% | 660 |
| Montana | $60K | +24% | 260 |
| Nebraska | $59K | +21% | 270 |
| Vermont | $59K | +21% | 160 |
| West Virginia | $59K | +21% | 160 |
| New York | $58K | +20% | 950 |
| Minnesota | $57K | +17% | 660 |
| Oregon | $56K | +15% | 490 |
| Wisconsin | $55K | +12% | 530 |
| Maine | $54K | +11% | 150 |
| Connecticut | $53K | +9% | 200 |
| Pennsylvania | $53K | +8% | 980 |
| Alabama | $52K | +7% | 610 |
| Utah | $52K | +7% | 260 |
| Idaho | $52K | +6% | 370 |
| Indiana | $51K | +5% | 920 |
| New Hampshire | $50K | +4% | 130 |
| Arizona | $50K | +4% | N/A |
| Massachusetts | $50K | +3% | 370 |
| North Dakota | $49K | +2% | 310 |
| Missouri | $49K | +1% | 750 |
| Kansas | $49K | +0% | 470 |
| South Dakota | $48K | -0% | 120 |
| Illinois | $48K | -1% | 710 |
| Washington | $48K | -1% | 470 |
| Florida | $47K | -3% | 520 |
| Colorado | $47K | -3% | 520 |
| New Jersey | $47K | -4% | 560 |
| Michigan | $47K | -4% | 670 |
| North Carolina | $46K | -5% | 560 |
| Georgia | $46K | -5% | 800 |
| California | $46K | -6% | 2,370 |
| New Mexico | $46K | -6% | 170 |
| Virginia | $46K | -6% | 530 |
| South Carolina | $45K | -7% | 330 |
| Texas | $45K | -7% | 1,440 |
| Louisiana | $45K | -7% | 200 |
| Ohio | $44K | -10% | 1,590 |
| Tennessee | $43K | -12% | 1,290 |
| Kentucky | $43K | -12% | 200 |
| Maryland | $42K | -13% | 140 |
| Arkansas | $39K | -20% | 520 |
| Oklahoma | $38K | -21% | 390 |
| Mississippi | $37K | -23% | 170 |
Showing 1–10 of 47 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track crushing, grinding, and polishing machine setters, operators, and tenders salary changes
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Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a crushing, grinding, and polishing machine setters, operators, and tender afford a 2BR apartment alone in New Orleans-Metairie?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $59K, rent takes 33.4% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,331/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,200/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for crushing, grinding, and polishing machine setters, operators, and tenders in New Orleans-Metairie?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new crushing, grinding, and polishing machine setters, operators, and tenders typically earn — is $37K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,536/month. At HUD’s $1,331/month FMR, rent would take 52% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is crushing, grinding, and polishing machine setters, operators, and tender a high-paying job in New Orleans-Metairie?
Local pay is 22% above the national median — $59K here vs. $49K nationally.
How does New Orleans-Metairie compare to the national average for crushing, grinding, and polishing machine setters, operators, and tenders?
New Orleans-Metairie pays $59K median vs. the U.S. average of $49K — that’s +22%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 92.6), the purchasing-power equivalent is $64K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do crushing, grinding, and polishing machine setters, operators, and tenders make in New Orleans-Metairie, LA?
The median is $59,320 a year, that works out to about $29 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $36,680, and experienced crushing, grinding, and polishing machine setters, operators, and tenders can clear $59,320. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $59K enough to live in New Orleans-Metairie?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,980/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,331/month, which eats 33.4% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a crushing, grinding, and polishing machine setters, operators, and tenders salary go in New Orleans-Metairie?
New Orleans-Metairie has a Regional Price Parity of 92.6 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median crushing, grinding, and polishing machine setters, operators, and tenders salary is worth about $64,060 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do crushing, grinding, and polishing machine setters, operators, and tenders get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.