Drilling and Boring Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic Salary in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA
The median pay for a drilling and boring machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA is $58,890/year ($28.31/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $49K at the entry level to $59K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 87.06), which stretches that salary to about $67,643 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,051/month, or 27.2% of estimated take-home pay.
AffordMap analysis of BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (latest release, May 2024)
So what does $59K get you in Waterloo-Cedar Falls?
About drilling and boring machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA
Entry-level drilling and boring machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics (10th percentile) start around $49K. Mid-career wages sit at $59K.Top earners bring in $59K or more - a $10K spread from bottom to top.
Drilling and Boring Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | $100K | +114% | N/A |
| Missouri | $100K | +114% | N/A |
| Massachusetts | $75K | +60% | 80 |
| Florida | $62K | +34% | 160 |
| Pennsylvania | $58K | +25% | 160 |
| New Hampshire | $58K | +24% | 50 |
| New York | $57K | +23% | 40 |
| Georgia | $57K | +22% | 50 |
| Illinois | $56K | +21% | 250 |
| New Jersey | $54K | +15% | N/A |
| South Carolina | $50K | +8% | 60 |
| Ohio | $50K | +7% | 420 |
| Oklahoma | $49K | +6% | N/A |
| Virginia | $49K | +5% | 40 |
| Mississippi | $48K | +4% | 60 |
Track drilling and boring machine tool 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
How much do drilling and boring machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics make in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA?
The median is $58,890 a year - that works out to about $28.31 an hour. The range is wide: entry-level workers start around $48,580, and experienced drilling and boring machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics can clear $58,910. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $59K enough to live in Waterloo-Cedar Falls?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,869/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,051/month (HUD Fair Market Rent), which eats 27.2% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a drilling and boring machine tool 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 drilling and boring machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic salary is worth about $67,643 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.