Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic Salary
The median pay for a milling and planing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic in Colorado is $53,780/year ($25.86/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $46K at the entry level to $62K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 103.71), that's roughly $51,856 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,832/month, about 50.9% 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 $54K actually covers in Colorado, month by month
About milling and planing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics
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What this looks like in Colorado
Milling and planing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic pay in Colorado tracks closely to the national median, $54K locally vs. $53K nationwide, a 2% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,832/month, which is 51.3% 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. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Colorado
Entry-level milling and planing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics (10th percentile) start around $46K. Mid-career wages sit at $54K. Top earners bring in $62K or more, a $16K spread from bottom to top.
Compare to other states
Track milling and planing machine 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 milling and planing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic afford a 2BR apartment alone in Colorado?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $54K, rent takes 51.3% 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 $1,100/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for milling and planing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics in Colorado?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new milling and planing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics typically earn — is $46K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,095/month. At HUD’s $1,832/month FMR, rent would take 59% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is milling and planing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic a high-paying job in Colorado?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $54K locally vs. $53K nationally, a 2% difference.
How does Colorado compare to the national average for milling and planing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics?
Colorado pays $54K median vs. the U.S. average of $53K — that’s +2%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 103.71), the purchasing-power equivalent is $52K — below the national median.
How much do milling and planing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics make in Colorado?
The median is $53,780 a year, that works out to about $26 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $46,210, and experienced milling and planing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics can clear $62,140. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $54K enough to live in Colorado?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,574/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,832/month, which eats 51.3% 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 milling and planing machine 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 milling and planing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic salary is worth about $51,856 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do milling and planing machine 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.