Drilling and Boring Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic Salary
The median pay for a drilling and boring machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic in North Carolina is $46,970/year ($22.58/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $35K at the entry level to $74K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 92.66), which stretches that salary to about $50,691 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,284/month, about 39.4% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. This is an aggregate across all of North Carolina. BLS does not publish metro-level data for this occupation in this state.
Where the paycheck goes
What $47K actually covers in North Carolina, month by month
About drilling and boring machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics
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What this looks like in North Carolina
Drilling and boring machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic pay in North Carolina tracks closely to the national median, $47K locally vs. $49K nationwide, a 4% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,284/month, which is 40.9% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 92.66 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 7% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, North Carolina
Entry-level drilling and boring machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics (10th percentile) start around $35K. Mid-career wages sit at $47K. Top earners bring in $74K or more, a $40K spread from bottom to top.
Compare to other states
Track drilling and boring machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic salary changes
BLS updates this data annually. We'll email you when North Carolina numbers change.
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Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a drilling and boring machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic afford a 2BR apartment alone in North Carolina?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $47K, rent takes 40.9% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,284/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 drilling and boring machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics in North Carolina?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new drilling and boring machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics typically earn — is $35K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,359/month. At HUD’s $1,284/month FMR, rent would take 54% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is drilling and boring machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic a high-paying job in North Carolina?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $47K locally vs. $49K nationally, a 4% difference.
How does North Carolina compare to the national average for drilling and boring machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics?
North Carolina pays $47K median vs. the U.S. average of $49K — that’s -4%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 92.66), the purchasing-power equivalent is $51K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do drilling and boring machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics make in North Carolina?
The median is $46,970 a year, that works out to about $23 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $34,630, and experienced drilling and boring machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics can clear $74,310. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $47K enough to live in North Carolina?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,139/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,284/month, which eats 40.9% 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 drilling and boring machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic salary go in North Carolina?
North Carolina has a Regional Price Parity of 92.66 (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 drilling and boring machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic salary is worth about $50,691 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do drilling and boring machine tool 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.