Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic Salary
Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastics in Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV make a median of $40,080 a year, or about $19.27 an hour. The range runs from $37K at the entry level to $52K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 94.17), which stretches that salary to about $42,561 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,233/month, about 44.6% of take-home, which is tight.
Where the paycheck goes
What $40K actually covers in Hagerstown-Martinsburg, month by month
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Hagerstown-Martinsburg’s Regional Price Parity (94.17). 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 forging machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics
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What this looks like in Hagerstown-Martinsburg
Pay for forging machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic in Hagerstown-Martinsburg runs about 18% below the U.S. median of $49K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,233/month, which is 45.5% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 94.17 (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 forging machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for forging machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics in metros near Hagerstown-Martinsburg, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington | $64K | $62K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV
Entry-level forging machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics (10th percentile) start around $37K. Mid-career wages sit at $40K. Top earners bring in $52K or more, a $15K spread from bottom to top.
Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oregon | $69K | +41% | 30 |
| Oklahoma | $62K | +26% | N/A |
| Michigan | $62K | +26% | 620 |
| Nebraska | $60K | +23% | 200 |
| Wisconsin | $60K | +23% | 80 |
| California | $59K | +21% | 750 |
| Colorado | $58K | +18% | 140 |
| Ohio | $57K | +16% | 500 |
| New York | $56K | +15% | 260 |
| Missouri | $55K | +13% | 60 |
| Virginia | $54K | +11% | 560 |
| Indiana | $54K | +9% | 450 |
| Massachusetts | $52K | +6% | 310 |
| Kansas | $51K | +4% | 130 |
| Pennsylvania | $50K | +3% | 550 |
| Maryland | $50K | +2% | 30 |
| Illinois | $50K | +1% | 230 |
| South Carolina | $50K | +1% | 80 |
| Arizona | $49K | -1% | 30 |
| Iowa | $47K | -4% | N/A |
| Alabama | $47K | -4% | 70 |
| Georgia | $46K | -5% | 380 |
| Connecticut | $45K | -8% | 110 |
| Nevada | $45K | -8% | 40 |
| Tennessee | $44K | -11% | 1,140 |
| Florida | $40K | -17% | 80 |
| Mississippi | $40K | -19% | 70 |
| Arkansas | $38K | -22% | 140 |
| Texas | $37K | -24% | 720 |
| West Virginia | $37K | -24% | N/A |
| Kentucky | $36K | -26% | N/A |
| New Jersey | $36K | -27% | N/A |
Showing 1–10 of 32 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track forging machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic salary changes
BLS updates this data annually. We'll email you when Hagerstown-Martinsburg numbers change.
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Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a forging machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic afford a 2BR apartment alone in Hagerstown-Martinsburg?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $40K, rent takes 45.5% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,233/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 forging machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics in Hagerstown-Martinsburg?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new forging machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics typically earn — is $37K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,540/month. At HUD’s $1,233/month FMR, rent would take 49% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is forging machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic a high-paying job in Hagerstown-Martinsburg?
Local pay runs 18% below the national median — $40K here vs. $49K nationally. Cost of living is 6% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Hagerstown-Martinsburg compare to the national average for forging machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics?
Hagerstown-Martinsburg pays $40K median vs. the U.S. average of $49K — that’s -18%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 94.17), the purchasing-power equivalent is $43K — below the national median.
How much do forging machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics make in Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV?
The median is $40,080 a year, that works out to about $19 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $37,390, and experienced forging machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics can clear $52,480. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $40K enough to live in Hagerstown-Martinsburg?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,709/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,233/month, which eats 45.5% 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 forging machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic salary go in Hagerstown-Martinsburg?
Hagerstown-Martinsburg has a Regional Price Parity of 94.17 (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 forging machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic salary is worth about $42,561 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do forging 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.