Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic Salary
The median pay for a grinding, lapping, polishing, and buffing machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic in Colorado is $46,120/year ($22.17/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $38K at the entry level to $58K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 103.71), that's roughly $44,470 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,832/month, about 57.2% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Colorado. Jump to a metro for precise data:
Where the paycheck goes
What $46K actually covers in Colorado, month by month
About grinding, lapping, polishing, and buffing machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics
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What this looks like in Colorado
Grinding, lapping, polishing, and buffing machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic pay in Colorado tracks closely to the national median, $46K locally vs. $47K nationwide, a 1% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,832/month, which is 59.3% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 103.71) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Colorado
Entry-level grinding, lapping, polishing, and buffing machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics (10th percentile) start around $38K. Mid-career wages sit at $46K. Top earners bring in $58K or more, a $21K spread from bottom to top.
Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic salary by metro in Colorado
4 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pueblo | $49K | +5% | 50 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial | $48K | +3% | 240 |
| Colorado Springs | $42K | -8% | 50 |
| Greeley | $42K | -8% | 60 |
Compare to other states
Track grinding, lapping, polishing, and buffing machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic salary changes
BLS updates this data annually. We'll email you when Colorado numbers change.
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Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a grinding, lapping, polishing, and buffing machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic afford a 2BR apartment alone in Colorado?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $46K, rent takes 59.3% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,832/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $900/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for grinding, lapping, polishing, and buffing machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics in Colorado?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new grinding, lapping, polishing, and buffing machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics typically earn — is $38K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,572/month. At HUD’s $1,832/month FMR, rent would take 71% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is grinding, lapping, polishing, and buffing machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic a high-paying job in Colorado?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $46K locally vs. $47K nationally, a 1% difference.
How does Colorado compare to the national average for grinding, lapping, polishing, and buffing machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics?
Colorado pays $46K median vs. the U.S. average of $47K — that’s -1%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 103.71), the purchasing-power equivalent is $44K — below the national median.
How much do grinding, lapping, polishing, and buffing machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics make in Colorado?
The median is $46,120 a year, that works out to about $22 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $37,960, and experienced grinding, lapping, polishing, and buffing machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics can clear $58,460. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $46K enough to live in Colorado?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,089/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,832/month, which eats 59.3% 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 grinding, lapping, polishing, and buffing machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic salary go in Colorado?
Colorado has a Regional Price Parity of 103.71 (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 grinding, lapping, polishing, and buffing machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic salary is worth about $44,470 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do grinding, lapping, polishing, and buffing machine tool 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.