Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders Salary
Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders in Wilmington, NC make a median of $63,550 a year, or about $30.56 an hour. The range runs from $36K at the entry level to $64K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 96.42), that's roughly $65,910 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,426/month, about 33.5% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $64K get you in Wilmington?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Wilmington’s Regional Price Parity (96.42). 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 Wilmington
Wilmington sits well above the national pay line for cutting and slicing machine setters, operators, and tenders, local pay runs about 36% higher than the U.S. median of $47K. Rent runs $1,426/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 34.1% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Cost of living (RPP 96.42) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for cutting and slicing machine setters, operators, and tenders in metros near Wilmington, 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, Wilmington, NC
Entry-level cutting and slicing machine setters, operators, and tenders (10th percentile) start around $36K. Mid-career wages sit at $64K. Top earners bring in $64K or more, a $28K 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 Wilmington 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 Wilmington?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $64K, rent takes 34.1% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,426/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,300/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 Wilmington?
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 $2,150/month. At HUD’s $1,426/month FMR, rent would take 66% 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 Wilmington?
Local pay is 36% above the national median — $64K here vs. $47K nationally.
How does Wilmington compare to the national average for cutting and slicing machine setters, operators, and tenders?
Wilmington pays $64K median vs. the U.S. average of $47K — that’s +36%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 96.42), the purchasing-power equivalent is $66K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do cutting and slicing machine setters, operators, and tenders make in Wilmington, NC?
The median is $63,550 a year, that works out to about $31 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $35,830, and experienced cutting and slicing machine setters, operators, and tenders can clear $63,550. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $64K enough to live in Wilmington?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,186/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,426/month, which eats 34.1% 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 Wilmington?
Wilmington has a Regional Price Parity of 96.42 (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 $65,910 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.