Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic Salary
In Maine, heat treating equipment setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics earn $45,590 at the median, or about $21.92 an hour. The range runs from $39K at the entry level to $61K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 97.7), that's roughly $46,663 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,281/month, about 40.7% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. This is an aggregate across all of Maine. BLS does not publish metro-level data for this occupation in this state.
So what does $46K get you in Maine?
About heat treating equipment setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics
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What this looks like in Maine
Heat treating equipment setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic pay in Maine tracks closely to the national median, $46K locally vs. $49K nationwide, a 6% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,281/month, which is 41.8% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 97.7) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Maine
Entry-level heat treating equipment setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics (10th percentile) start around $39K. Mid-career wages sit at $46K. Top earners bring in $61K or more, a $22K 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 quarterly. We'll email you when Maine 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 Maine?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $46K, rent takes 41.8% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,281/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 heat treating equipment setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics in Maine?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new heat treating equipment setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics typically earn — is $39K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,320/month. At HUD’s $1,281/month FMR, rent would take 55% 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 Maine?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $46K locally vs. $49K nationally, a 6% difference.
How does Maine compare to the national average for heat treating equipment setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics?
Maine pays $46K median vs. the U.S. average of $49K — that’s -6%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 97.7), 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 Maine?
The median is $45,590 a year, that works out to about $22 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $38,670, and experienced heat treating equipment setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics can clear $60,890. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $46K enough to live in Maine?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,068/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,281/month, which eats 41.8% 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 Maine?
Maine has a Regional Price Parity of 97.7 (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 $46,663 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.