Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic Salary
In Colorado, heat treating equipment setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics earn $58,300 at the median, or about $28.03 an hour. The range runs from $46K at the entry level to $80K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 103.71), that's roughly $56,214 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,832/month, about 46.9% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. This is an aggregate across all of Colorado. BLS does not publish metro-level data for this occupation in this state.
Where the paycheck goes
What $58K actually covers in Colorado, month by month
About heat treating equipment setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics
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What this looks like in Colorado
Colorado sits well above the national pay line for heat treating equipment setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic, local pay runs about 20% higher than the U.S. median of $49K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,832/month, which is 47.5% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 103.71) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. The pay premium is real, but so are the offsets.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Colorado
Entry-level heat treating equipment setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics (10th percentile) start around $46K. Mid-career wages sit at $58K. Top earners bring in $80K or more, a $35K spread from bottom to top.
Compare to other states
Track heat treating equipment setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic salary changes
BLS updates this data annually. We'll email you when Colorado numbers change.
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Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a heat treating equipment setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic afford a 2BR apartment alone in Colorado?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $58K, rent takes 47.5% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,832/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 Colorado?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new heat treating equipment setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics typically earn — is $46K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,067/month. At HUD’s $1,832/month FMR, rent would take 60% 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 Colorado?
Local pay is 20% above the national median — $58K here vs. $49K nationally.
How does Colorado compare to the national average for heat treating equipment setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics?
Colorado pays $58K median vs. the U.S. average of $49K — that’s +20%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 103.71), the purchasing-power equivalent is $56K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do heat treating equipment setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics make in Colorado?
The median is $58,300 a year, that works out to about $28 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $45,780, and experienced heat treating equipment setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics can clear $80,280. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $58K enough to live in Colorado?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,860/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,832/month, which eats 47.5% 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 heat treating equipment setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic salary go in Colorado?
Colorado has a Regional Price Parity of 103.71 (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 $56,214 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.