Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic Salary
In Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC, heat treating equipment setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics earn $50,920 at the median, or about $24.48 an hour. The range runs from $42K at the entry level to $66K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 97.94), that's roughly $51,991 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,713/month, about 51.2% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $51K get you in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk’s Regional Price Parity (97.94). 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 Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk
Heat treating equipment setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic pay in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk tracks closely to the national median, $51K locally vs. $49K nationwide, a 4% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,713/month, which is 50.7% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 97.94) 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 Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Richmond | $52K | $53K |
| Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin | $56K | $58K |
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia | $49K | $50K |
| Louisville/Jefferson County | $47K | $51K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC
Entry-level heat treating equipment setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics (10th percentile) start around $42K. Mid-career wages sit at $51K. Top earners bring in $66K or more, a $25K 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 Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk 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 Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $51K, rent takes 50.7% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,713/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 Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new heat treating equipment setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics typically earn — is $42K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,510/month. At HUD’s $1,713/month FMR, rent would take 68% 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 Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $51K locally vs. $49K nationally, a 4% difference.
How does Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk compare to the national average for heat treating equipment setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics?
Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk pays $51K median vs. the U.S. average of $49K — that’s +4%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 97.94), the purchasing-power equivalent is $52K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do heat treating equipment setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics make in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC?
The median is $50,920 a year, that works out to about $24 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $41,830, and experienced heat treating equipment setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics can clear $66,370. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $51K enough to live in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,378/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,713/month, which eats 50.7% 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 Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk?
Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk has a Regional Price Parity of 97.94 (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 $51,991 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.