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 Oregon is $57,290/year ($27.54/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $41K at the entry level to $75K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 102.44), that's roughly $55,925 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,555/month, about 41.6% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Oregon. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $57K get you in Oregon?
About grinding, lapping, polishing, and buffing machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics
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What this looks like in Oregon
Oregon sits well above the national pay line for grinding, lapping, polishing, and buffing machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic, local pay runs about 23% higher than the U.S. median of $47K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,555/month, which is 42.8% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 102.44) 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.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Oregon
Entry-level grinding, lapping, polishing, and buffing machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics (10th percentile) start around $41K. Mid-career wages sit at $57K. Top earners bring in $75K or more, a $34K spread from bottom to top.
Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic salary by metro in Oregon
3 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bend | $60K | +5% | 40 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro | $59K | +2% | 930 |
| Albany | $51K | -11% | 180 |
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 quarterly. We'll email you when Oregon numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a grinding, lapping, polishing, and buffing machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic afford a 2BR apartment alone in Oregon?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $57K, rent takes 42.8% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,555/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 grinding, lapping, polishing, and buffing machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics in Oregon?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new grinding, lapping, polishing, and buffing machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics typically earn — is $41K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,480/month. At HUD’s $1,555/month FMR, rent would take 63% 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 Oregon?
Local pay is 23% above the national median — $57K here vs. $47K nationally.
How does Oregon compare to the national average for grinding, lapping, polishing, and buffing machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics?
Oregon pays $57K median vs. the U.S. average of $47K — that’s +23%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 102.44), the purchasing-power equivalent is $56K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do grinding, lapping, polishing, and buffing machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics make in Oregon?
The median is $57,290 a year, that works out to about $28 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $41,330, and experienced grinding, lapping, polishing, and buffing machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics can clear $75,290. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $57K enough to live in Oregon?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,632/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,555/month, which eats 42.8% 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 Oregon?
Oregon has a Regional Price Parity of 102.44 (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 $55,925 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.