Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic Salary
Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastics in Illinois make a median of $49,750 a year, or about $23.92 an hour. The range runs from $41K at the entry level to $62K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 93.85), which stretches that salary to about $53,010 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,407/month, about 41.5% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Illinois. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $50K get you in Illinois?
About forging machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics
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What this looks like in Illinois
Forging machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic pay in Illinois tracks closely to the national median, $50K locally vs. $49K nationwide, a 1% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,407/month, which is 42.7% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 93.85 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 6% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Illinois
Entry-level forging machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics (10th percentile) start around $41K. Mid-career wages sit at $50K. Top earners bring in $62K or more, a $21K spread from bottom to top.
Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic salary by metro in Illinois
1 metro area with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin | $50K | -0% | 100 |
Compare to other states
Track forging machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Illinois numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a forging machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic afford a 2BR apartment alone in Illinois?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $50K, rent takes 42.7% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,407/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,000/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 Illinois?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new forging machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics typically earn — is $41K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,435/month. At HUD’s $1,407/month FMR, rent would take 58% 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 Illinois?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $50K locally vs. $49K nationally, a 1% difference.
How does Illinois compare to the national average for forging machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics?
Illinois pays $50K median vs. the U.S. average of $49K — that’s +1%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 93.85), the purchasing-power equivalent is $53K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do forging machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics make in Illinois?
The median is $49,750 a year, that works out to about $24 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $40,580, and experienced forging machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics can clear $61,690. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $50K enough to live in Illinois?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,296/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,407/month, which eats 42.7% 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 Illinois?
Illinois has a Regional Price Parity of 93.85 (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 $53,010 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.