Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic Salary
In Roanoke, VA, extruding and drawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics earn $40,530 at the median, or about $19.49 an hour. The range runs from $37K at the entry level to $55K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 93.62), which stretches that salary to about $43,292 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,254/month, about 45.4% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $41K get you in Roanoke?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Roanoke’s Regional Price Parity (93.62). 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 Roanoke
Pay for extruding and drawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic in Roanoke runs about 15% below the U.S. median of $48K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,254/month, which is 45.9% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 93.62 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 6% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for extruding and drawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for extruding and drawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics in metros near Roanoke, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Richmond | $47K | $48K |
| Staunton-Stuarts Draft | $56K | $61K |
| Lynchburg | $45K | $50K |
| Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk | $46K | $47K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Roanoke, VA
Entry-level extruding and drawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics (10th percentile) start around $37K. Mid-career wages sit at $41K. Top earners bring in $55K or more, a $18K 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
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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 Roanoke?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $41K, rent takes 45.9% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,254/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 extruding and drawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics in Roanoke?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new extruding and drawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics typically earn — is $37K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,245/month. At HUD’s $1,254/month FMR, rent would take 56% 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 Roanoke?
Local pay runs 15% below the national median — $41K here vs. $48K nationally. Cost of living is 6% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Roanoke compare to the national average for extruding and drawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics?
Roanoke pays $41K median vs. the U.S. average of $48K — that’s -15%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 93.62), the purchasing-power equivalent is $43K — below the national median.
How much do extruding and drawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics make in Roanoke, VA?
The median is $40,530 a year, that works out to about $19 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $37,420, and experienced extruding and drawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics can clear $55,260. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $41K enough to live in Roanoke?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,733/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,254/month, which eats 45.9% 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 extruding and drawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic salary go in Roanoke?
Roanoke has a Regional Price Parity of 93.62 (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 $43,292 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.