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 Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA make a median of $49,600 a year, or about $23.85 an hour. The range runs from $38K at the entry level to $60K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 87.06), which stretches that salary to about $56,972 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,051/month, about 31.1% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $50K get you in Waterloo-Cedar Falls?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Waterloo-Cedar Falls’s Regional Price Parity (87.06). 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 Waterloo-Cedar Falls
Cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic pay in Waterloo-Cedar Falls tracks closely to the national median, $50K locally vs. $46K nationwide, a 7% difference. Rent runs $1,051/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 31.9% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Regional Price Parity sits at 87.06 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 13% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Pay and costs are both near average, leaving limited margin for savings at the median wage.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics in metros near Waterloo-Cedar Falls, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Davenport-Moline-Rock Island | $49K | $55K |
| Des Moines-West Des Moines | $49K | $53K |
| Dubuque | $50K | $57K |
| Cedar Rapids | $46K | $52K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA
Entry-level cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics (10th percentile) start around $38K. Mid-career wages sit at $50K. Top earners bring in $60K or more, a $22K 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 Waterloo-Cedar Falls numbers change.
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 Waterloo-Cedar Falls?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $50K, rent takes 31.9% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,051/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 Waterloo-Cedar Falls?
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 $2,276/month. At HUD’s $1,051/month FMR, rent would take 46% 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 Waterloo-Cedar Falls?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $50K locally vs. $46K nationally, a 7% difference.
How does Waterloo-Cedar Falls compare to the national average for cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics?
Waterloo-Cedar Falls pays $50K median vs. the U.S. average of $46K — that’s +7%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 87.06), the purchasing-power equivalent is $57K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics make in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA?
The median is $49,600 a year, that works out to about $24 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $37,940, and experienced cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics can clear $59,750. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $50K enough to live in Waterloo-Cedar Falls?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,291/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,051/month, which eats 31.9% 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 Waterloo-Cedar Falls?
Waterloo-Cedar Falls has a Regional Price Parity of 87.06 (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 $56,972 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.