Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic Salary
The mean pay for a grinding, lapping, polishing, and buffing machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic in Wichita, KS is $42,370/year ($20.37/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $36K at the entry level to $51K for experienced workers. BLS does not publish the median for this occupation because wages exceed the reportable ceiling. The figure shown is the mean (average). Cost of living is below average (RPP 88.95), which stretches that salary to about $47,634 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,099/month, about 38% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $42K (mean) get you in Wichita?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Wichita’s Regional Price Parity (88.95). 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 Wichita
Grinding, lapping, polishing, and buffing machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic pay in Wichita tracks closely to the national median, $42K locally vs. $47K nationwide, a 9% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,099/month, which is 38.4% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 88.95 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 11% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for grinding, lapping, polishing, and buffing machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics in metros near Wichita, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| St. Louis | $46K | $49K |
| Tulsa | $39K | $43K |
| Kansas City | $45K | $48K |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial | $48K | , |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Wichita, KS
Entry-level grinding, lapping, polishing, and buffing machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics (10th percentile) start around $36K. Mid-career wages sit at $42K. Top earners bring in $51K or more, a $16K 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 Wichita numbers change.
Related careers in Production & Manufacturing
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 Wichita?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $42K, rent takes 38.4% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,099/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 Wichita?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new grinding, lapping, polishing, and buffing machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics typically earn — is $36K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,134/month. At HUD’s $1,099/month FMR, rent would take 51% 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 Wichita?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $42K locally vs. $47K nationally, a 9% difference.
How does Wichita compare to the national average for grinding, lapping, polishing, and buffing machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics?
Wichita pays $42K median vs. the U.S. average of $47K — that’s -9%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 88.95), the purchasing-power equivalent is $48K — 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 Wichita, KS?
BLS reports a mean (average) wage of $42,370 a year for this occupation in Wichita, KS. The median is not published because wages exceed the BLS reportable ceiling. Entry-level workers start around $35,560. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $42K enough to live in Wichita?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,860/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,099/month, which eats 38.4% 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 Wichita?
Wichita has a Regional Price Parity of 88.95 (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 $47,634 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.