Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic Salary
Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastics in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD make a median of $63,880 a year, or about $30.71 an hour. The range runs from $47K at the entry level to $74K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 102.55), that's roughly $62,292 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,810/month, about 42.3% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $64K get you in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington’s Regional Price Parity (102.55). 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 Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington sits well above the national pay line for forging machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic, local pay runs about 30% higher than the U.S. median of $49K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,810/month, which is 42.3% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 102.55) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. The pay premium is real, but so are the offsets.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for forging machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics in metros near Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Pittsburgh | $61K | $65K |
| Erie | $55K | $61K |
| Hagerstown-Martinsburg | $40K | $43K |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City | $39K | $34K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD
Entry-level forging machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics (10th percentile) start around $47K. Mid-career wages sit at $64K. Top earners bring in $74K or more, a $27K 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 quarterly. We'll email you when Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington 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 Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $64K, rent takes 42.3% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,810/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,300/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 Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new forging machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics typically earn — is $47K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,804/month. At HUD’s $1,810/month FMR, rent would take 65% 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 Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington?
Local pay is 30% above the national median — $64K here vs. $49K nationally.
How does Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington compare to the national average for forging machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics?
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington pays $64K median vs. the U.S. average of $49K — that’s +30%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 102.55), the purchasing-power equivalent is $62K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do forging machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics make in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD?
The median is $63,880 a year, that works out to about $31 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $46,730, and experienced forging machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics can clear $73,880. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $64K enough to live in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,280/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,810/month, which eats 42.3% 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 Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington?
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington has a Regional Price Parity of 102.55 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median forging machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic salary is worth about $62,292 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.