Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders Salary
Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders in Portland-South Portland, ME make a median of $38,820 a year, or about $18.66 an hour. The range runs from $34K at the entry level to $59K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 101.86), that's roughly $38,111 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $2,130/month, about 79.5% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $39K get you in Portland-South Portland?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Portland-South Portland’s Regional Price Parity (101.86). 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 Portland-South Portland
Pay for cutting and slicing machine setters, operators, and tenders in Portland-South Portland runs about 17% below the U.S. median of $47K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $2,130/month, which is 80.3% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 101.86) 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 Portland-South Portland, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Lewiston-Auburn | $52K | $55K |
| Manchester-Nashua | $43K | $40K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Portland-South Portland, ME
Entry-level cutting and slicing machine setters, operators, and tenders (10th percentile) start around $34K. Mid-career wages sit at $39K. Top earners bring in $59K or more, a $25K 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 quarterly. We'll email you when Portland-South Portland numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a cutting and slicing machine setters, operators, and tender afford a 2BR apartment alone in Portland-South Portland?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $39K, rent takes 80.3% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,130/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 Portland-South Portland?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new cutting and slicing machine setters, operators, and tenders typically earn — is $34K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,058/month. At HUD’s $2,130/month FMR, rent would take 103% 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 Portland-South Portland?
Local pay runs 17% below the national median — $39K here vs. $47K nationally.
How does Portland-South Portland compare to the national average for cutting and slicing machine setters, operators, and tenders?
Portland-South Portland pays $39K median vs. the U.S. average of $47K — that’s -17%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 101.86), the purchasing-power equivalent is $38K — below the national median.
How much do cutting and slicing machine setters, operators, and tenders make in Portland-South Portland, ME?
The median is $38,820 a year, that works out to about $19 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $34,300, and experienced cutting and slicing machine setters, operators, and tenders can clear $59,380. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $39K enough to live in Portland-South Portland?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,652/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,130/month, which eats 80.3% 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 Portland-South Portland?
Portland-South Portland has a Regional Price Parity of 101.86 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median cutting and slicing machine setters, operators, and tenders salary is worth about $38,111 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.