Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders Salary
Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA make a median of $52,920 a year, or about $25.44 an hour. The range runs from $46K at the entry level to $59K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 91.7), which stretches that salary to about $57,710 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,318/month, about 37.9% of take-home, which is tight.
Where the paycheck goes
What $53K actually covers in Des Moines-West Des Moines, month by month
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Des Moines-West Des Moines’s Regional Price Parity (91.7). 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 Des Moines-West Des Moines
Des Moines-West Des Moines sits well above the national pay line for cutting and slicing machine setters, operators, and tenders, local pay runs about 14% higher than the U.S. median of $47K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,318/month, which is 37.7% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 91.7 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 8% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. The pay premium is real, but so are the offsets.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for cutting and slicing machine setters, operators, and tenders in metros near Des Moines-West Des Moines, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Sioux City | $48K | $56K |
| Davenport-Moline-Rock Island | $49K | $55K |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin | $50K | $48K |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington | $63K | $60K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA
Entry-level cutting and slicing machine setters, operators, and tenders (10th percentile) start around $46K. Mid-career wages sit at $53K. Top earners bring in $59K or more, a $14K 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 with published data
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
BLS updates this data annually. We'll email you when Des Moines-West Des Moines numbers change.
Related careers in Production & Manufacturing
Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a cutting and slicing machine setters, operators, and tender afford a 2BR apartment alone in Des Moines-West Des Moines?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $53K, rent takes 37.7% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,318/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,000/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 Des Moines-West Des Moines?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new cutting and slicing machine setters, operators, and tenders typically earn — is $46K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,041/month. At HUD’s $1,318/month FMR, rent would take 43% 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 Des Moines-West Des Moines?
Local pay is 14% above the national median — $53K here vs. $47K nationally.
How does Des Moines-West Des Moines compare to the national average for cutting and slicing machine setters, operators, and tenders?
Des Moines-West Des Moines pays $53K median vs. the U.S. average of $47K — that’s +14%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 91.7), the purchasing-power equivalent is $58K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do cutting and slicing machine setters, operators, and tenders make in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA?
The median is $52,920 a year, that works out to about $25 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $45,590, and experienced cutting and slicing machine setters, operators, and tenders can clear $59,450. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $53K enough to live in Des Moines-West Des Moines?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,497/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,318/month, which eats 37.7% 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 Des Moines-West Des Moines?
Des Moines-West Des Moines has a Regional Price Parity of 91.7 (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 $57,710 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.