Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic Salary
In Cedar Rapids, IA, extruding and drawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics earn $64,520 at the median, or about $31.02 an hour. The range runs from $43K at the entry level to $76K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 88.96), which stretches that salary to about $72,527 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $956/month, or 22.5% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $65K get you in Cedar Rapids?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Cedar Rapids’s Regional Price Parity (88.96). 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 extruding and drawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics
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What this looks like in Cedar Rapids
Cedar Rapids sits well above the national pay line for extruding and drawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic, local pay runs about 35% higher than the U.S. median of $48K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $956/month, 22.7% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Regional Price Parity sits at 88.96 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 11% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Combined with manageable housing costs, Cedar Rapids offers a genuinely strong financial position for extruding and drawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics at the median.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for extruding and drawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics in metros near Cedar Rapids, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin | $49K | $47K |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington | $52K | $49K |
| St. Louis | $55K | $57K |
| Kansas City | $49K | $53K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Cedar Rapids, IA
Entry-level extruding and drawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics (10th percentile) start around $43K. Mid-career wages sit at $65K. Top earners bring in $76K or more, a $33K spread from bottom to top.
Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rhode Island | $61K | +29% | 430 |
| Vermont | $59K | +24% | 60 |
| North Carolina | $53K | +12% | 2,950 |
| Nebraska | $52K | +10% | 510 |
| Minnesota | $52K | +9% | 900 |
| New Jersey | $51K | +7% | 750 |
| Pennsylvania | $51K | +7% | 2,960 |
| Colorado | $51K | +7% | 240 |
| Massachusetts | $50K | +6% | 1,490 |
| Connecticut | $50K | +5% | 1,000 |
| Wisconsin | $50K | +5% | 3,190 |
| New Hampshire | $50K | +5% | 580 |
| Arkansas | $50K | +5% | 1,270 |
| Kentucky | $50K | +5% | 1,400 |
| Oregon | $50K | +4% | 440 |
| South Dakota | $50K | +4% | 50 |
| Indiana | $49K | +4% | 3,740 |
| South Carolina | $49K | +3% | 2,000 |
| Utah | $49K | +3% | 410 |
| New York | $49K | +3% | 1,400 |
| Illinois | $49K | +2% | 2,750 |
| Georgia | $48K | +1% | 2,560 |
| Louisiana | $48K | +0% | 580 |
| Alabama | $48K | -0% | 1,200 |
| Tennessee | $48K | -0% | 2,980 |
| Iowa | $47K | -1% | 450 |
| Washington | $47K | -1% | 1,080 |
| Maryland | $47K | -2% | 270 |
| Maine | $47K | -2% | 90 |
| Ohio | $46K | -3% | 5,020 |
| Kansas | $46K | -3% | 1,140 |
| Delaware | $46K | -3% | 470 |
| Missouri | $46K | -3% | 1,040 |
| Wyoming | $46K | -4% | 80 |
| Texas | $46K | -4% | 4,070 |
| California | $46K | -4% | 3,870 |
| New Mexico | $46K | -4% | 50 |
| Virginia | $45K | -5% | 1,490 |
| Michigan | $45K | -5% | 1,800 |
| Arizona | $45K | -6% | 910 |
| West Virginia | $45K | -7% | 540 |
| Mississippi | $44K | -7% | 550 |
| Nevada | $44K | -7% | 260 |
| Florida | $40K | -17% | 1,190 |
| Oklahoma | $39K | -19% | 490 |
| Idaho | $35K | -27% | N/A |
Showing 1–10 of 46 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track extruding and drawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Cedar Rapids numbers change.
Related careers in Production & Manufacturing
Frequently asked questions
Can a extruding and drawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic afford a 2BR apartment alone in Cedar Rapids?
Yes — at the median salary of $65K, rent takes 22.7% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $956/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for extruding and drawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics in Cedar Rapids?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new extruding and drawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics typically earn — is $43K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,592/month. At HUD’s $956/month FMR, rent would take 37% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is extruding and drawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic a high-paying job in Cedar Rapids?
Local pay is 35% above the national median — $65K here vs. $48K nationally.
How does Cedar Rapids compare to the national average for extruding and drawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics?
Cedar Rapids pays $65K median vs. the U.S. average of $48K — that’s +35%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 88.96), the purchasing-power equivalent is $73K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do extruding and drawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics make in Cedar Rapids, IA?
The median is $64,520 a year, that works out to about $31 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $43,200, and experienced extruding and drawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics can clear $75,720. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $65K enough to live in Cedar Rapids?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,210/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $956/month, which eats 22.7% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a extruding and drawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic salary go in Cedar Rapids?
Cedar Rapids has a Regional Price Parity of 88.96 (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 extruding and drawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic salary is worth about $72,527 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do extruding and drawing 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.