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 New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ make a median of $47,360 a year, or about $22.77 an hour. The range runs from $37K at the entry level to $65K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 112.56), so that salary is closer to $42,075 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $2,910/month, about 89% of take-home, which is tight.
Where the paycheck goes
What $47K actually covers in New York-Newark-Jersey City, month by month
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by New York-Newark-Jersey City’s Regional Price Parity (112.56). 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 New York-Newark-Jersey City
Cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic pay in New York-Newark-Jersey City tracks closely to the national median, $47K locally vs. $46K nationwide, a 2% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $2,910/month, which is 91.7% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost-of-living overall is 13% above the national average (BEA RPP 112.56), so groceries and services cost more too. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics in metros near New York-Newark-Jersey City, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga | $48K | $50K |
| Rochester | $47K | $48K |
| Albany-Schenectady-Troy | $49K | $50K |
| Syracuse | $44K | $46K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ
Entry-level cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics (10th percentile) start around $37K. Mid-career wages sit at $47K. Top earners bring in $65K or more, a $28K 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 |
| Kentucky | $46K | -1% | 7,290 |
| Massachusetts | $46K | -1% | 2,590 |
| 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 with published data
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
BLS updates this data annually. We'll email you when New York-Newark-Jersey City numbers change.
Related careers in Production & Manufacturing
Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic afford a 2BR apartment alone in New York-Newark-Jersey City?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $47K, rent takes 91.7% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,910/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, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics in New York-Newark-Jersey City?
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 $2,550/month. At HUD’s $2,910/month FMR, rent would take 114% 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 New York-Newark-Jersey City?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $47K locally vs. $46K nationally, a 2% difference.
How does New York-Newark-Jersey City compare to the national average for cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics?
New York-Newark-Jersey City pays $47K median vs. the U.S. average of $46K — that’s +2%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 112.56), the purchasing-power equivalent is $42K — below the national median.
How much do cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics make in New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ?
The median is $47,360 a year, that works out to about $23 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $37,350, and experienced cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics can clear $65,140. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $47K enough to live in New York-Newark-Jersey City?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,174/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,910/month, which eats 91.7% 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, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic salary go in New York-Newark-Jersey City?
New York-Newark-Jersey City has a Regional Price Parity of 112.56 (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, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic salary is worth about $42,075 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.