Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic Salary
Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastics in Abilene, TX make a median of $40,000 a year, or about $19.23 an hour. The range runs from $37K at the entry level to $46K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 90.36), which stretches that salary to about $44,267 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,276/month, about 44.3% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $40K get you in Abilene?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Abilene’s Regional Price Parity (90.36). 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, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics
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What this looks like in Abilene
Pay for cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic in Abilene runs about 14% below the U.S. median of $46K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,276/month, which is 44.8% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 90.36 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 10% 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, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics in metros near Abilene, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington | $44K | $43K |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands | $43K | $44K |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels | $42K | $44K |
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos | $45K | $46K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Abilene, TX
Entry-level cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics (10th percentile) start around $37K. Mid-career wages sit at $40K. Top earners bring in $46K or more, a $8K spread from bottom to top.
Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oregon | $54K | +16% | 1,180 |
| Maine | $52K | +12% | 180 |
| Washington | $51K | +10% | 1,750 |
| Colorado | $51K | +10% | 1,400 |
| Minnesota | $50K | +7% | 6,130 |
| Wisconsin | $49K | +6% | 7,960 |
| Alaska | $49K | +6% | 80 |
| Illinois | $49K | +6% | 8,060 |
| Nebraska | $49K | +5% | 1,320 |
| Montana | $48K | +5% | 130 |
| California | $48K | +5% | 7,710 |
| North Dakota | $48K | +4% | 230 |
| Missouri | $48K | +4% | 3,240 |
| Iowa | $48K | +4% | 2,030 |
| Rhode Island | $48K | +4% | 470 |
| New Hampshire | $48K | +4% | 600 |
| Pennsylvania | $48K | +3% | 8,890 |
| Nevada | $48K | +3% | 580 |
| Maryland | $47K | +2% | 270 |
| Virginia | $47K | +2% | 1,790 |
| Indiana | $47K | +1% | 9,680 |
| New York | $47K | +1% | 3,340 |
| Wyoming | $47K | +1% | 60 |
| Kansas | $47K | +1% | 1,900 |
| Utah | $47K | +1% | 1,050 |
| Arizona | $47K | +1% | 1,100 |
| Connecticut | $46K | -0% | 2,030 |
| Michigan | $46K | -0% | 22,060 |
| South Dakota | $46K | -1% | 490 |
| Massachusetts | $46K | -1% | 2,590 |
| Kentucky | $46K | -1% | 7,290 |
| New Jersey | $46K | -1% | 1,950 |
| Arkansas | $46K | -2% | 3,020 |
| Ohio | $45K | -2% | 13,350 |
| Georgia | $45K | -3% | 5,260 |
| Tennessee | $45K | -3% | 5,380 |
| South Carolina | $44K | -4% | 4,100 |
| Alabama | $44K | -5% | 6,000 |
| Vermont | $44K | -6% | 70 |
| North Carolina | $43K | -6% | 3,940 |
| West Virginia | $43K | -7% | 290 |
| Texas | $43K | -8% | 13,290 |
| Delaware | $42K | -10% | 240 |
| Oklahoma | $41K | -12% | 2,480 |
| Louisiana | $41K | -12% | 760 |
| Mississippi | $41K | -12% | 1,700 |
| Idaho | $40K | -15% | 720 |
| Florida | $39K | -15% | 2,740 |
| New Mexico | $39K | -15% | 220 |
Showing 1–10 of 49 states
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic salary changes
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Related careers in Production & Manufacturing
Frequently asked questions
Can a cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic afford a 2BR apartment alone in Abilene?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $40K, rent takes 44.8% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,276/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $900/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics in Abilene?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics typically earn — is $37K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,240/month. At HUD’s $1,276/month FMR, rent would take 57% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic a high-paying job in Abilene?
Local pay runs 14% below the national median — $40K here vs. $46K nationally. Cost of living is 10% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Abilene compare to the national average for cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics?
Abilene pays $40K median vs. the U.S. average of $46K — that’s -14%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 90.36), the purchasing-power equivalent is $44K — below the national median.
How much do cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics make in Abilene, TX?
The median is $40,000 a year, that works out to about $19 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $37,330, and experienced cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics can clear $45,580. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $40K enough to live in Abilene?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,848/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,276/month, which eats 44.8% 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, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic salary go in Abilene?
Abilene has a Regional Price Parity of 90.36 (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, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic salary is worth about $44,267 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics 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.