Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic Salary
Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastics in Richmond, VA make a median of $54,230 a year, or about $26.07 an hour. The range runs from $45K at the entry level to $59K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 97.86), that's roughly $55,416 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,655/month, about 46.4% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $54K get you in Richmond?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Richmond’s Regional Price Parity (97.86). 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
Sponsored links, AffordMap may earn a commission at no cost to you. Learn more
What this looks like in Richmond
Richmond sits well above the national pay line for forging machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic, local pay runs about 11% 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 $1,655/month, which is 46.2% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 97.86) 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 Richmond, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk | $48K | $49K |
| Hagerstown-Martinsburg | $40K | $43K |
| Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin | $44K | $46K |
| Kingsport-Bristol | $41K | $47K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Richmond, VA
Entry-level forging machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics (10th percentile) start around $45K. Mid-career wages sit at $54K. Top earners bring in $59K or more, a $14K 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 Richmond numbers change.
Related careers in Production & Manufacturing
Frequently asked questions
Can a forging machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic afford a 2BR apartment alone in Richmond?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $54K, rent takes 46.2% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,655/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,100/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 Richmond?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new forging machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics typically earn — is $45K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,689/month. At HUD’s $1,655/month FMR, rent would take 62% 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 Richmond?
Local pay is 11% above the national median — $54K here vs. $49K nationally.
How does Richmond compare to the national average for forging machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics?
Richmond pays $54K median vs. the U.S. average of $49K — that’s +11%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 97.86), the purchasing-power equivalent is $55K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do forging machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics make in Richmond, VA?
The median is $54,230 a year, that works out to about $26 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $44,820, and experienced forging machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics can clear $58,560. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $54K enough to live in Richmond?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,584/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,655/month, which eats 46.2% 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 Richmond?
Richmond has a Regional Price Parity of 97.86 (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 $55,416 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.