Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic Salary
In Chattanooga, TN-GA, heat treating equipment setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics earn $57,800 at the median, or about $27.79 an hour. The range runs from $41K at the entry level to $59K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 91.46), which stretches that salary to about $63,197 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,390/month, about 34.6% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $58K get you in Chattanooga?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Chattanooga’s Regional Price Parity (91.46). 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 heat treating equipment setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics
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What this looks like in Chattanooga
Chattanooga sits well above the national pay line for heat treating equipment setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic, local pay runs about 19% higher than the U.S. median of $49K. Rent runs $1,390/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 34.4% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Regional Price Parity sits at 91.46 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 9% 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 heat treating equipment setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics in metros near Chattanooga, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin | $56K | $58K |
| Knoxville | $41K | $44K |
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia | $49K | $50K |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell | $45K | $45K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Chattanooga, TN-GA
Entry-level heat treating equipment setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics (10th percentile) start around $41K. Mid-career wages sit at $58K. Top earners bring in $59K or more, a $19K spread from bottom to top.
Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | $62K | +27% | 140 |
| Oregon | $60K | +24% | 240 |
| Colorado | $58K | +20% | 100 |
| West Virginia | $57K | +17% | 70 |
| Virginia | $55K | +13% | 190 |
| Tennessee | $55K | +13% | 670 |
| New York | $53K | +9% | 280 |
| Ohio | $53K | +8% | 1,040 |
| New Hampshire | $52K | +7% | 90 |
| Oklahoma | $52K | +6% | 120 |
| Arizona | $51K | +4% | 160 |
| Michigan | $51K | +4% | 1,190 |
| California | $50K | +3% | 770 |
| Iowa | $50K | +2% | 120 |
| New Jersey | $50K | +2% | 440 |
| Massachusetts | $49K | +1% | 250 |
| Wisconsin | $49K | +1% | 470 |
| Pennsylvania | $49K | +0% | 1,520 |
| Nebraska | $48K | -1% | 50 |
| Missouri | $48K | -2% | 140 |
| Utah | $48K | -2% | 90 |
| Kansas | $48K | -3% | 50 |
| Florida | $47K | -3% | 150 |
| Kentucky | $47K | -3% | 340 |
| Alabama | $47K | -4% | 170 |
| Indiana | $47K | -4% | 990 |
| South Carolina | $47K | -4% | 290 |
| North Carolina | $47K | -4% | 320 |
| Mississippi | $47K | -4% | 80 |
| Maine | $46K | -6% | 40 |
| Illinois | $45K | -7% | 850 |
| Connecticut | $44K | -9% | 320 |
| Georgia | $44K | -10% | 250 |
| Texas | $42K | -14% | 1,450 |
| Minnesota | $41K | -16% | 90 |
| Arkansas | $38K | -23% | 200 |
| Louisiana | $35K | -28% | N/A |
Showing 1–10 of 37 states
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track heat treating equipment setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Chattanooga numbers change.
Related careers in Production & Manufacturing
Frequently asked questions
Can a heat treating equipment setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic afford a 2BR apartment alone in Chattanooga?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $58K, rent takes 34.4% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,390/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,200/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 Chattanooga?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new heat treating equipment setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics typically earn — is $41K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,437/month. At HUD’s $1,390/month FMR, rent would take 57% 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 Chattanooga?
Local pay is 19% above the national median — $58K here vs. $49K nationally.
How does Chattanooga compare to the national average for heat treating equipment setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics?
Chattanooga pays $58K median vs. the U.S. average of $49K — that’s +19%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 91.46), the purchasing-power equivalent is $63K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do heat treating equipment setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics make in Chattanooga, TN-GA?
The median is $57,800 a year, that works out to about $28 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $40,610, and experienced heat treating equipment setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics can clear $59,210. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $58K enough to live in Chattanooga?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,040/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,390/month, which eats 34.4% 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 heat treating equipment setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic salary go in Chattanooga?
Chattanooga has a Regional Price Parity of 91.46 (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 heat treating equipment setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic salary is worth about $63,197 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.