Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic Salary
Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastics in Kansas make a median of $51,120 a year, or about $24.58 an hour. The range runs from $44K at the entry level to $59K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 89.54), which stretches that salary to about $57,092 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,066/month, about 31.7% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Kansas. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $51K get you in Kansas?
About forging machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics
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What this looks like in Kansas
Forging machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic pay in Kansas tracks closely to the national median, $51K locally vs. $49K nationwide, a 4% difference. Rent runs $1,066/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 31.3% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Regional Price Parity sits at 89.54 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 10% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Pay and costs are both near average, leaving limited margin for savings at the median wage.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Kansas
Entry-level forging machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics (10th percentile) start around $44K. Mid-career wages sit at $51K. Top earners bring in $59K or more, a $15K spread from bottom to top.
Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic salary by metro in Kansas
1 metro area with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wichita | $52K | +1% | N/A |
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BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Kansas 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 Kansas?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $51K, rent takes 31.3% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,066/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 Kansas?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new forging machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics typically earn — is $44K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,615/month. At HUD’s $1,066/month FMR, rent would take 41% 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 Kansas?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $51K locally vs. $49K nationally, a 4% difference.
How does Kansas compare to the national average for forging machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics?
Kansas pays $51K median vs. the U.S. average of $49K — that’s +4%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 89.54), the purchasing-power equivalent is $57K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do forging machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics make in Kansas?
The median is $51,120 a year, that works out to about $25 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $43,590, and experienced forging machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics can clear $58,810. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $51K enough to live in Kansas?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,405/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,066/month, which eats 31.3% 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 Kansas?
Kansas has a Regional Price Parity of 89.54 (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 $57,092 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.