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 Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA is $49,430/year ($23.77/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $39K at the entry level to $74K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 87.06), which stretches that salary to about $56,777 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,051/month, about 31.2% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $49K get you in Waterloo-Cedar Falls?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Waterloo-Cedar Falls’s Regional Price Parity (87.06). 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 grinding, lapping, polishing, and buffing machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics
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What this looks like in Waterloo-Cedar Falls
Grinding, lapping, polishing, and buffing machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic pay in Waterloo-Cedar Falls tracks closely to the national median, $49K locally vs. $47K nationwide, a 6% difference. Rent runs $1,051/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 32% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Regional Price Parity sits at 87.06 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 13% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Pay and costs are both near average, leaving limited margin for savings at the median wage.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for grinding, lapping, polishing, and buffing machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics in metros near Waterloo-Cedar Falls, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Davenport-Moline-Rock Island | $47K | $53K |
| Des Moines-West Des Moines | $45K | $49K |
| Dubuque | $49K | $56K |
| Cedar Rapids | $46K | $52K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA
Entry-level grinding, lapping, polishing, and buffing machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics (10th percentile) start around $39K. Mid-career wages sit at $49K. Top earners bring in $74K or more, a $35K spread from bottom to top.
Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oregon | $57K | +23% | 1,180 |
| Minnesota | $52K | +11% | 1,400 |
| Massachusetts | $51K | +9% | 2,420 |
| Vermont | $51K | +9% | 300 |
| West Virginia | $50K | +7% | 200 |
| Washington | $49K | +6% | 1,870 |
| New York | $49K | +6% | 2,410 |
| Kentucky | $49K | +6% | 850 |
| Connecticut | $49K | +4% | 1,530 |
| Nebraska | $49K | +4% | 300 |
| South Carolina | $48K | +3% | 1,730 |
| North Carolina | $48K | +3% | 1,610 |
| North Dakota | $48K | +2% | N/A |
| Pennsylvania | $48K | +2% | 3,830 |
| Wisconsin | $47K | +2% | 3,570 |
| Indiana | $47K | +2% | 4,170 |
| Maine | $47K | +1% | 170 |
| Wyoming | $47K | +1% | 30 |
| New Hampshire | $47K | +0% | 600 |
| Iowa | $46K | -0% | 890 |
| Missouri | $46K | -1% | 1,210 |
| Illinois | $46K | -1% | 4,100 |
| Nevada | $46K | -1% | 170 |
| Colorado | $46K | -1% | 500 |
| Idaho | $46K | -1% | 170 |
| California | $46K | -1% | 7,800 |
| Georgia | $46K | -2% | 940 |
| Michigan | $45K | -2% | 4,180 |
| Ohio | $45K | -3% | 5,960 |
| Arizona | $45K | -3% | 670 |
| Tennessee | $45K | -4% | 1,340 |
| New Jersey | $44K | -5% | 860 |
| Delaware | $44K | -5% | 50 |
| Utah | $44K | -5% | 400 |
| Rhode Island | $44K | -6% | 140 |
| Maryland | $44K | -6% | 160 |
| Virginia | $43K | -7% | 620 |
| Kansas | $43K | -8% | 1,010 |
| Mississippi | $43K | -8% | 430 |
| Texas | $42K | -9% | 2,960 |
| Montana | $42K | -10% | 160 |
| Florida | $40K | -13% | 1,020 |
| Arkansas | $40K | -15% | 340 |
| South Dakota | $39K | -16% | 130 |
| Louisiana | $39K | -17% | 160 |
| Oklahoma | $39K | -17% | 870 |
| Alabama | $38K | -18% | 1,500 |
| New Mexico | $38K | -18% | 30 |
Showing 1–10 of 48 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
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 Waterloo-Cedar Falls 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 Waterloo-Cedar Falls?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $49K, rent takes 32% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,051/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,000/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 Waterloo-Cedar Falls?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new grinding, lapping, polishing, and buffing machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics typically earn — is $39K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,361/month. At HUD’s $1,051/month FMR, rent would take 45% 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 Waterloo-Cedar Falls?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $49K locally vs. $47K nationally, a 6% difference.
How does Waterloo-Cedar Falls compare to the national average for grinding, lapping, polishing, and buffing machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics?
Waterloo-Cedar Falls pays $49K median vs. the U.S. average of $47K — that’s +6%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 87.06), the purchasing-power equivalent is $57K — 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 Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA?
The median is $49,430 a year, that works out to about $24 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $39,350, and experienced grinding, lapping, polishing, and buffing machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics can clear $73,930. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $49K enough to live in Waterloo-Cedar Falls?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,280/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,051/month, which eats 32% 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 Waterloo-Cedar Falls?
Waterloo-Cedar Falls has a Regional Price Parity of 87.06 (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 grinding, lapping, polishing, and buffing machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic salary is worth about $56,777 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.