Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic Salary
Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastics in Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI make a median of $50,870 a year, or about $24.46 an hour. The range runs from $38K at the entry level to $69K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 96.94), that's roughly $52,476 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,338/month, about 40% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $51K 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 lathe and turning machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics
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What this looks like in Milwaukee-Waukesha
Lathe and turning machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic pay in Milwaukee-Waukesha tracks closely to the national median, $51K locally vs. $51K nationwide, a 0% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,338/month, which is 38.9% 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 lathe and turning machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics in metros near Milwaukee-Waukesha, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn | $49K | $49K |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin | $50K | $48K |
| Peoria | $57K | $63K |
| Rockford | $48K | $52K |
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 lathe and turning machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics (10th percentile) start around $38K. Mid-career wages sit at $51K. Top earners bring in $69K or more, a $31K spread from bottom to top.
Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colorado | $72K | +42% | 150 |
| Maine | $65K | +28% | 80 |
| Minnesota | $61K | +21% | 150 |
| Massachusetts | $61K | +20% | 690 |
| California | $60K | +19% | 2,600 |
| Alabama | $58K | +16% | 100 |
| Nevada | $58K | +15% | 60 |
| Pennsylvania | $57K | +13% | 580 |
| Arizona | $56K | +10% | 110 |
| Illinois | $55K | +9% | 1,260 |
| Maryland | $55K | +8% | 60 |
| North Carolina | $54K | +6% | 310 |
| West Virginia | $54K | +6% | 50 |
| Wisconsin | $51K | +1% | 340 |
| New York | $51K | +0% | 530 |
| Louisiana | $51K | -0% | 90 |
| Iowa | $50K | -0% | 180 |
| Georgia | $50K | -1% | 100 |
| Ohio | $50K | -1% | 1,180 |
| South Carolina | $49K | -2% | 370 |
| Indiana | $49K | -2% | 710 |
| Connecticut | $49K | -2% | 690 |
| New Hampshire | $49K | -3% | 150 |
| Missouri | $49K | -3% | 160 |
| Virginia | $49K | -3% | 210 |
| New Jersey | $48K | -5% | 190 |
| Texas | $48K | -5% | 2,150 |
| Nebraska | $47K | -6% | 120 |
| Kansas | $47K | -7% | 90 |
| Kentucky | $47K | -7% | 250 |
| Michigan | $47K | -8% | 1,540 |
| Florida | $45K | -12% | 140 |
| Oklahoma | $44K | -14% | 240 |
| Oregon | $42K | -18% | 40 |
| Tennessee | $41K | -20% | 700 |
| Arkansas | $39K | -23% | 190 |
Showing 1–10 of 36 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track lathe and turning machine tool 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 lathe and turning machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic afford a 2BR apartment alone in Milwaukee-Waukesha?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $51K, rent takes 38.9% 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 lathe and turning machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics in Milwaukee-Waukesha?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new lathe and turning machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics typically earn — is $38K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,299/month. At HUD’s $1,338/month FMR, rent would take 58% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is lathe and turning machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic a high-paying job in Milwaukee-Waukesha?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $51K locally vs. $51K nationally, a 0% difference.
How does Milwaukee-Waukesha compare to the national average for lathe and turning machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics?
Milwaukee-Waukesha pays $51K median vs. the U.S. average of $51K — that’s +0%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 96.94), the purchasing-power equivalent is $52K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do lathe and turning machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics make in Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI?
The median is $50,870 a year, that works out to about $24 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $38,310, and experienced lathe and turning machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics can clear $69,100. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $51K enough to live in Milwaukee-Waukesha?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,439/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,338/month, which eats 38.9% 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 lathe and turning machine tool 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 lathe and turning machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic salary is worth about $52,476 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do lathe and turning machine tool 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.