Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic Salary
Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastics in Virginia make a median of $54,230 a year, or about $26.07 an hour. The range runs from $48K at the entry level to $60K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 94.79), which stretches that salary to about $57,211 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,646/month, about 46.2% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Virginia. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $54K get you in Virginia?
About forging machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics
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What this looks like in Virginia
Virginia 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 $1,646/month, which is 45.9% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 94.79 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 5% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. The pay premium is real, but so are the offsets.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Virginia
Entry-level forging machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics (10th percentile) start around $48K. Mid-career wages sit at $54K. Top earners bring in $60K or more, a $12K spread from bottom to top.
Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic salary by metro in Virginia
2 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Richmond | $54K | +0% | 70 |
| Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk | $48K | -11% | N/A |
Compare to other states
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Frequently asked questions
Can a forging machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic afford a 2BR apartment alone in Virginia?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $54K, rent takes 45.9% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,646/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 Virginia?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new forging machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics typically earn — is $48K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,864/month. At HUD’s $1,646/month FMR, rent would take 57% 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 Virginia?
Local pay is 11% above the national median — $54K here vs. $49K nationally.
How does Virginia compare to the national average for forging machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics?
Virginia pays $54K median vs. the U.S. average of $49K — that’s +11%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 94.79), 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 Virginia?
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 $47,740, and experienced forging machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics can clear $59,930. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $54K enough to live in Virginia?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,584/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,646/month, which eats 45.9% 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 Virginia?
Virginia has a Regional Price Parity of 94.79 (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 $57,211 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.