Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders Salary
Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders in Burlington, NC make a median of $39,930 a year, or about $19.2 an hour. The range runs from $36K at the entry level to $48K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 93.2), which stretches that salary to about $42,843 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,348/month, about 48.6% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $40K get you in Burlington?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Burlington’s Regional Price Parity (93.2). 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 cutting and slicing machine setters, operators, and tenders
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What this looks like in Burlington
Pay for cutting and slicing machine setters, operators, and tenders in Burlington runs about 14% below the U.S. median of $47K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,348/month, which is 50% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 93.2 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 7% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for cutting and slicing machine setters, operators, and tenderss.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for cutting and slicing machine setters, operators, and tenders in metros near Burlington, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia | $45K | $46K |
| Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton | $45K | $51K |
| Greensboro-High Point | $41K | $44K |
| Winston-Salem | $40K | $43K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Burlington, NC
Entry-level cutting and slicing machine setters, operators, and tenders (10th percentile) start around $36K. Mid-career wages sit at $40K. Top earners bring in $48K or more, a $12K spread from bottom to top.
Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minnesota | $58K | +25% | 1,130 |
| Vermont | $52K | +12% | 100 |
| Colorado | $52K | +11% | 700 |
| Montana | $52K | +11% | 100 |
| Oregon | $51K | +10% | 990 |
| Missouri | $51K | +9% | 1,120 |
| Washington | $50K | +8% | 760 |
| New Hampshire | $50K | +8% | 90 |
| Illinois | $50K | +7% | 1,770 |
| New York | $50K | +7% | 1,870 |
| Iowa | $50K | +7% | 920 |
| Maine | $49K | +6% | 160 |
| New Jersey | $49K | +4% | 1,040 |
| Ohio | $48K | +4% | 3,000 |
| Nebraska | $48K | +4% | 530 |
| Kentucky | $48K | +3% | 900 |
| Wisconsin | $48K | +3% | 1,300 |
| North Dakota | $47K | +2% | 70 |
| South Carolina | $47K | +2% | 730 |
| Arkansas | $47K | +2% | 800 |
| Pennsylvania | $47K | +1% | 1,630 |
| Idaho | $47K | +1% | 160 |
| Arizona | $47K | +0% | 760 |
| Alaska | $46K | -1% | 30 |
| Indiana | $46K | -1% | 2,110 |
| California | $46K | -1% | 3,080 |
| Rhode Island | $46K | -1% | 210 |
| Utah | $46K | -2% | 740 |
| South Dakota | $45K | -3% | 460 |
| Maryland | $45K | -4% | 280 |
| Virginia | $45K | -4% | 840 |
| Kansas | $45K | -4% | 760 |
| Michigan | $45K | -4% | 730 |
| Connecticut | $45K | -4% | 450 |
| Georgia | $44K | -5% | 1,230 |
| Tennessee | $44K | -5% | 1,260 |
| Massachusetts | $44K | -6% | 1,280 |
| North Carolina | $44K | -6% | 3,100 |
| Nevada | $43K | -7% | 340 |
| Texas | $42K | -9% | 3,650 |
| Mississippi | $42K | -11% | 710 |
| Louisiana | $41K | -12% | 110 |
| Florida | $41K | -13% | 1,370 |
| Alabama | $40K | -15% | 590 |
| West Virginia | $38K | -19% | 160 |
| Oklahoma | $38K | -19% | 620 |
| New Mexico | $33K | -30% | 200 |
Showing 1–10 of 47 states
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track cutting and slicing machine setters, operators, and tenders salary changes
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Frequently asked questions
Can a cutting and slicing machine setters, operators, and tender afford a 2BR apartment alone in Burlington?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $40K, rent takes 50% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,348/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $800/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for cutting and slicing machine setters, operators, and tenders in Burlington?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new cutting and slicing machine setters, operators, and tenders typically earn — is $36K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,166/month. At HUD’s $1,348/month FMR, rent would take 62% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is cutting and slicing machine setters, operators, and tender a high-paying job in Burlington?
Local pay runs 14% below the national median — $40K here vs. $47K nationally. Cost of living is 7% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Burlington compare to the national average for cutting and slicing machine setters, operators, and tenders?
Burlington pays $40K median vs. the U.S. average of $47K — that’s -14%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 93.2), the purchasing-power equivalent is $43K — below the national median.
How much do cutting and slicing machine setters, operators, and tenders make in Burlington, NC?
The median is $39,930 a year, that works out to about $19 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $36,100, and experienced cutting and slicing machine setters, operators, and tenders can clear $48,150. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $40K enough to live in Burlington?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,694/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,348/month, which eats 50% 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 cutting and slicing machine setters, operators, and tenders salary go in Burlington?
Burlington has a Regional Price Parity of 93.2 (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 cutting and slicing machine setters, operators, and tenders salary is worth about $42,843 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do cutting and slicing 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.