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 Wilmington, NC is $38,720/year ($18.62/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $37K at the entry level to $63K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 96.42), that's roughly $40,158 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,426/month, about 53% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $39K get you in Wilmington?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Wilmington’s Regional Price Parity (96.42). 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.
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What this looks like in Wilmington
Pay for grinding, lapping, polishing, and buffing machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic in Wilmington runs about 17% below the U.S. median of $47K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,426/month, which is 54.5% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 96.42) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for grinding, lapping, polishing, and buffing machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for grinding, lapping, polishing, and buffing machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics in metros near Wilmington, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia | $51K | $52K |
| Greensboro-High Point | $49K | $52K |
| Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton | $39K | $44K |
| Asheville | $50K | $52K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Wilmington, NC
Entry-level grinding, lapping, polishing, and buffing machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics (10th percentile) start around $37K. Mid-career wages sit at $39K. Top earners bring in $63K or more, a $26K 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 Wilmington 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 Wilmington?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $39K, rent takes 54.5% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,426/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $800/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 Wilmington?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new grinding, lapping, polishing, and buffing machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics typically earn — is $37K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,239/month. At HUD’s $1,426/month FMR, rent would take 64% 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 Wilmington?
Local pay runs 17% below the national median — $39K here vs. $47K nationally.
How does Wilmington compare to the national average for grinding, lapping, polishing, and buffing machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics?
Wilmington pays $39K median vs. the U.S. average of $47K — that’s -17%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 96.42), the purchasing-power equivalent is $40K — below the national median.
How much do grinding, lapping, polishing, and buffing machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics make in Wilmington, NC?
The median is $38,720 a year, that works out to about $19 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $37,310, and experienced grinding, lapping, polishing, and buffing machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics can clear $62,940. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $39K enough to live in Wilmington?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,617/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,426/month, which eats 54.5% 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 Wilmington?
Wilmington has a Regional Price Parity of 96.42 (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 $40,158 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.