Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic Salary
Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastics in Memphis, TN-MS-AR make a median of $44,860 a year, or about $21.57 an hour. The range runs from $35K at the entry level to $63K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 92.18), which stretches that salary to about $48,666 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,274/month, about 39.5% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $45K get you in Memphis?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Memphis’s Regional Price Parity (92.18). 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.
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What this looks like in Memphis
Forging machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic pay in Memphis tracks closely to the national median, $45K locally vs. $49K nationwide, a 9% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,274/month, which is 40.1% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 92.18 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 8% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for forging machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics in metros near Memphis, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin | $44K | $46K |
| Kingsport-Bristol | $41K | $47K |
| Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk | $48K | $49K |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell | $46K | $46K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Memphis, TN-MS-AR
Entry-level forging machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics (10th percentile) start around $35K. Mid-career wages sit at $45K. Top earners bring in $63K or more, a $28K 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 |
| West Virginia | $37K | -24% | N/A |
| Texas | $37K | -24% | 720 |
| Kentucky | $36K | -26% | N/A |
| New Jersey | $36K | -27% | N/A |
Showing 1–10 of 32 states
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 quarterly. We'll email you when Memphis 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 Memphis?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $45K, rent takes 40.1% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,274/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 Memphis?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new forging machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics typically earn — is $35K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,127/month. At HUD’s $1,274/month FMR, rent would take 60% 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 Memphis?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $45K locally vs. $49K nationally, a 9% difference.
How does Memphis compare to the national average for forging machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics?
Memphis pays $45K median vs. the U.S. average of $49K — that’s -9%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 92.18), the purchasing-power equivalent is $49K — below the national median.
How much do forging machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics make in Memphis, TN-MS-AR?
The median is $44,860 a year, that works out to about $22 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $35,450, and experienced forging machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics can clear $63,140. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $45K enough to live in Memphis?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,174/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,274/month, which eats 40.1% 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 Memphis?
Memphis has a Regional Price Parity of 92.18 (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 $48,666 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.