Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic Salary
In Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI, heat treating equipment setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics earn $49,280 at the median, or about $23.69 an hour. The range runs from $48K at the entry level to $67K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 96.94), that's roughly $50,836 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,338/month, about 39.8% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $49K get you in Milwaukee-Waukesha?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Milwaukee-Waukesha’s Regional Price Parity (96.94). 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 Milwaukee-Waukesha
Heat treating equipment setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic pay in Milwaukee-Waukesha tracks closely to the national median, $49K locally vs. $49K nationwide, a 1% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,338/month, which is 40.1% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 96.94) 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.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for heat treating equipment setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics in metros near Milwaukee-Waukesha, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Waterloo-Cedar Falls | $40K | $46K |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin | $45K | $44K |
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn | $51K | $51K |
| Rockford | $39K | $43K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI
Entry-level heat treating equipment setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics (10th percentile) start around $48K. Mid-career wages sit at $49K. Top earners bring in $67K or more, a $20K 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 with published data
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 Milwaukee-Waukesha 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 Milwaukee-Waukesha?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $49K, rent takes 40.1% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,338/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 Milwaukee-Waukesha?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new heat treating equipment setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics typically earn — is $48K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,854/month. At HUD’s $1,338/month FMR, rent would take 47% 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 Milwaukee-Waukesha?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $49K locally vs. $49K nationally, a 1% difference.
How does Milwaukee-Waukesha compare to the national average for heat treating equipment setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics?
Milwaukee-Waukesha pays $49K median vs. the U.S. average of $49K — that’s +1%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 96.94), the purchasing-power equivalent is $51K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do heat treating equipment setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics make in Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI?
The median is $49,280 a year, that works out to about $24 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $47,560, and experienced heat treating equipment setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics can clear $67,480. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $49K enough to live in Milwaukee-Waukesha?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,339/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,338/month, which eats 40.1% 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 Milwaukee-Waukesha?
Milwaukee-Waukesha has a Regional Price Parity of 96.94 (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 $50,836 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.