Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders Salary
Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC make a median of $41,210 a year, or about $19.81 an hour. The range runs from $36K at the entry level to $60K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 97.57), that's roughly $42,236 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,711/month, about 59.8% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $41K get you in Durham-Chapel Hill?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Durham-Chapel Hill’s Regional Price Parity (97.57). 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 Durham-Chapel Hill
Pay for cutting and slicing machine setters, operators, and tenders in Durham-Chapel Hill runs about 12% below the U.S. median of $47K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,711/month, which is 61.7% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 97.57) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. 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 Durham-Chapel Hill, 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, Durham-Chapel Hill, NC
Entry-level cutting and slicing machine setters, operators, and tenders (10th percentile) start around $36K. Mid-career wages sit at $41K. Top earners bring in $60K or more, a $24K 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
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Frequently asked questions
Can a cutting and slicing machine setters, operators, and tender afford a 2BR apartment alone in Durham-Chapel Hill?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $41K, rent takes 61.7% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,711/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 Durham-Chapel Hill?
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 $2,172/month. At HUD’s $1,711/month FMR, rent would take 79% 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 Durham-Chapel Hill?
Local pay runs 12% below the national median — $41K here vs. $47K nationally.
How does Durham-Chapel Hill compare to the national average for cutting and slicing machine setters, operators, and tenders?
Durham-Chapel Hill pays $41K median vs. the U.S. average of $47K — that’s -12%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 97.57), the purchasing-power equivalent is $42K — below the national median.
How much do cutting and slicing machine setters, operators, and tenders make in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC?
The median is $41,210 a year, that works out to about $20 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $36,200, and experienced cutting and slicing machine setters, operators, and tenders can clear $59,800. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $41K enough to live in Durham-Chapel Hill?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,775/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,711/month, which eats 61.7% 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 Durham-Chapel Hill?
Durham-Chapel Hill has a Regional Price Parity of 97.57 (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 $42,236 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.