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 Trenton-Princeton, NJ make a median of $39,000 a year, or about $18.75 an hour. The range runs from $38K at the entry level to $55K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 103.18), that's roughly $37,798 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,950/month, about 72.4% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $39K get you in Trenton-Princeton?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Trenton-Princeton’s Regional Price Parity (103.18). 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 Trenton-Princeton
Pay for cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic in Trenton-Princeton runs about 16% below the U.S. median of $46K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,950/month, which is 71.6% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 103.18) 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, 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 Trenton-Princeton, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Dover | $42K | $43K |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City | $47K | $42K |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington | $49K | $48K |
| Pittsburgh | $47K | $50K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Trenton-Princeton, NJ
Entry-level cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics (10th percentile) start around $38K. Mid-career wages sit at $39K. Top earners bring in $55K or more, a $18K 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 quarterly. We'll email you when Trenton-Princeton numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic afford a 2BR apartment alone in Trenton-Princeton?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $39K, rent takes 71.6% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,950/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, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics in Trenton-Princeton?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics typically earn — is $38K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,265/month. At HUD’s $1,950/month FMR, rent would take 86% 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 Trenton-Princeton?
Local pay runs 16% below the national median — $39K here vs. $46K nationally.
How does Trenton-Princeton compare to the national average for cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics?
Trenton-Princeton pays $39K median vs. the U.S. average of $46K — that’s -16%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 103.18), the purchasing-power equivalent is $38K — below the national median.
How much do cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics make in Trenton-Princeton, NJ?
The median is $39,000 a year, that works out to about $19 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $37,750, and experienced cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics can clear $55,360. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $39K enough to live in Trenton-Princeton?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,724/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,950/month, which eats 71.6% 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 Trenton-Princeton?
Trenton-Princeton has a Regional Price Parity of 103.18 (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 $37,798 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.