Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders Salary
In St. Louis, MO-IL, extruding, forming, pressing, and compacting machine setters, operators, and tenders earn $56,320 at the median, or about $27.08 an hour. The range runs from $36K at the entry level to $77K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 95.09), that's roughly $59,228 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,218/month, about 32.9% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $56K get you in St. Louis?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by St. Louis’s Regional Price Parity (95.09). 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, forming, pressing, and compacting machine setters, operators, and tenders
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What this looks like in St. Louis
St. Louis sits well above the national pay line for extruding, forming, pressing, and compacting machine setters, operators, and tenders, local pay runs about 23% higher than the U.S. median of $46K. Rent runs $1,218/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 32.2% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Cost of living (RPP 95.09) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for extruding, forming, pressing, and compacting machine setters, operators, and tenders in metros near St. Louis, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Kansas City | $43K | $46K |
| St. Joseph | $42K | $49K |
| Jefferson City | $42K | $47K |
| Omaha | $46K | $50K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, St. Louis, MO-IL
Entry-level extruding, forming, pressing, and compacting machine setters, operators, and tenders (10th percentile) start around $36K. Mid-career wages sit at $56K. Top earners bring in $77K or more, a $41K spread from bottom to top.
Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maine | $58K | +27% | 140 |
| Pennsylvania | $54K | +17% | 2,450 |
| Vermont | $52K | +14% | 160 |
| Minnesota | $52K | +14% | 560 |
| South Carolina | $52K | +13% | 2,460 |
| West Virginia | $51K | +11% | 180 |
| Nevada | $50K | +9% | N/A |
| Virginia | $49K | +8% | 1,810 |
| Iowa | $49K | +8% | 500 |
| Colorado | $49K | +7% | 280 |
| Utah | $49K | +7% | 250 |
| Nebraska | $49K | +7% | 750 |
| Oregon | $48K | +6% | 370 |
| Arkansas | $48K | +6% | 2,190 |
| New Hampshire | $48K | +4% | 410 |
| Missouri | $47K | +4% | 1,040 |
| Illinois | $47K | +4% | 1,690 |
| California | $47K | +3% | 4,210 |
| Massachusetts | $47K | +3% | 950 |
| New Jersey | $47K | +3% | 1,880 |
| Ohio | $47K | +3% | 3,970 |
| Indiana | $47K | +2% | 3,150 |
| Maryland | $47K | +2% | 280 |
| Mississippi | $47K | +2% | 660 |
| Arizona | $46K | +1% | 700 |
| Wisconsin | $46K | +1% | 1,730 |
| North Dakota | $46K | +1% | 270 |
| Connecticut | $46K | +1% | 240 |
| Georgia | $46K | -0% | 1,150 |
| New York | $45K | -2% | 3,260 |
| Washington | $45K | -3% | 750 |
| Kansas | $44K | -3% | 600 |
| Louisiana | $44K | -3% | 200 |
| South Dakota | $43K | -6% | 610 |
| North Carolina | $43K | -6% | 3,420 |
| Oklahoma | $42K | -8% | 1,310 |
| Tennessee | $42K | -8% | 4,210 |
| Florida | $40K | -13% | 780 |
| Michigan | $40K | -13% | 1,970 |
| Rhode Island | $39K | -14% | 80 |
| Alabama | $39K | -16% | 1,510 |
| Idaho | $39K | -16% | 210 |
| Texas | $38K | -18% | 3,420 |
| New Mexico | $37K | -20% | 80 |
| Kentucky | $36K | -21% | 1,690 |
Showing 1–10 of 45 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track extruding, forming, pressing, and compacting machine setters, operators, and tenders salary changes
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Related careers in Production & Manufacturing
Frequently asked questions
Can a extruding, forming, pressing, and compacting machine setters, operators, and tender afford a 2BR apartment alone in St. Louis?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $56K, rent takes 32.2% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,218/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,100/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for extruding, forming, pressing, and compacting machine setters, operators, and tenders in St. Louis?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new extruding, forming, pressing, and compacting machine setters, operators, and tenders typically earn — is $36K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,140/month. At HUD’s $1,218/month FMR, rent would take 57% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is extruding, forming, pressing, and compacting machine setters, operators, and tender a high-paying job in St. Louis?
Local pay is 23% above the national median — $56K here vs. $46K nationally.
How does St. Louis compare to the national average for extruding, forming, pressing, and compacting machine setters, operators, and tenders?
St. Louis pays $56K median vs. the U.S. average of $46K — that’s +23%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 95.09), the purchasing-power equivalent is $59K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do extruding, forming, pressing, and compacting machine setters, operators, and tenders make in St. Louis, MO-IL?
The median is $56,320 a year, that works out to about $27 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $35,660, and experienced extruding, forming, pressing, and compacting machine setters, operators, and tenders can clear $77,050. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $56K enough to live in St. Louis?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,783/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,218/month, which eats 32.2% 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, forming, pressing, and compacting machine setters, operators, and tenders salary go in St. Louis?
St. Louis has a Regional Price Parity of 95.09 (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, forming, pressing, and compacting machine setters, operators, and tenders salary is worth about $59,228 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do extruding, forming, pressing, and compacting machine setters, operators, and tenders 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.