Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic Salary
In California, heat treating equipment setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics earn $50,150 at the median, or about $24.11 an hour. The range runs from $43K at the entry level to $70K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 106.14), so that salary is closer to $47,249 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $2,471/month, about 75.5% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across California. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $50K get you in California?
About heat treating equipment setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics
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What this looks like in California
Heat treating equipment setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic pay in California tracks closely to the national median, $50K locally vs. $49K nationwide, a 3% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $2,471/month, which is 72.3% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost-of-living overall is 6% above the national average (BEA RPP 106.14), so groceries and services cost more too. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, California
Entry-level heat treating equipment setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics (10th percentile) start around $43K. Mid-career wages sit at $50K. Top earners bring in $70K or more, a $27K spread from bottom to top.
Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic salary by metro in California
4 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | $60K | +19% | 60 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont | $58K | +16% | 50 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | $50K | -1% | 420 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario | $50K | -1% | 100 |
Compare to other states
Track heat treating equipment setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when California numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a heat treating equipment setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic afford a 2BR apartment alone in California?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $50K, rent takes 72.3% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,471/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 heat treating equipment setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics in California?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new heat treating equipment setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics typically earn — is $43K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,577/month. At HUD’s $2,471/month FMR, rent would take 96% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is heat treating equipment setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic a high-paying job in California?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $50K locally vs. $49K nationally, a 3% difference.
How does California compare to the national average for heat treating equipment setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics?
California pays $50K median vs. the U.S. average of $49K — that’s +3%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 106.14), the purchasing-power equivalent is $47K — below the national median.
How much do heat treating equipment setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics make in California?
The median is $50,150 a year, that works out to about $24 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $42,950, and experienced heat treating equipment setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics can clear $69,670. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $50K enough to live in California?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,420/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,471/month, which eats 72.3% 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 heat treating equipment setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic salary go in California?
California has a Regional Price Parity of 106.14 (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 heat treating equipment setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic salary is worth about $47,249 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do heat treating equipment 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.