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 Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN is $56,700/year ($27.26/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $45K at the entry level to $67K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 95.7), that's roughly $59,248 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,473/month, about 38.8% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $57K get you in Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood’s Regional Price Parity (95.7). 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 milling and planing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics
Sponsored links, AffordMap may earn a commission at no cost to you. Learn more
What this looks like in Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood
Milling and planing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic pay in Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood tracks closely to the national median, $57K locally vs. $53K nationwide, a 7% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,473/month, which is 38.5% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 95.7) 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.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for milling and planing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics in metros near Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Elkhart-Goshen | $59K | $65K |
| Fort Wayne | $56K | $60K |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin | $63K | $61K |
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn | $57K | $57K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN
Entry-level milling and planing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics (10th percentile) start around $45K. Mid-career wages sit at $57K. Top earners bring in $67K or more, a $22K spread from bottom to top.
Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | $86K | +64% | 240 |
| Connecticut | $79K | +50% | 150 |
| Kentucky | $66K | +26% | 540 |
| Illinois | $63K | +20% | 570 |
| Massachusetts | $62K | +18% | N/A |
| Nebraska | $60K | +13% | 70 |
| California | $59K | +12% | 1,960 |
| Wisconsin | $59K | +11% | 280 |
| Indiana | $58K | +9% | 590 |
| New York | $57K | +7% | 550 |
| Virginia | $56K | +7% | 90 |
| Maryland | $56K | +6% | 50 |
| Minnesota | $55K | +5% | 220 |
| Texas | $54K | +2% | 510 |
| Colorado | $54K | +2% | N/A |
| Nevada | $53K | +0% | 120 |
| Iowa | $52K | -2% | 140 |
| Ohio | $51K | -3% | 610 |
| New Jersey | $51K | -4% | 190 |
| New Hampshire | $49K | -7% | 50 |
| North Carolina | $49K | -7% | 280 |
| Arizona | $49K | -8% | 100 |
| Michigan | $48K | -8% | 670 |
| South Carolina | $48K | -8% | 120 |
| Pennsylvania | $48K | -10% | 410 |
| Missouri | $48K | -10% | 350 |
| Florida | $47K | -11% | 140 |
| Utah | $47K | -12% | 100 |
| West Virginia | $45K | -14% | 120 |
| Maine | $45K | -14% | 120 |
| Arkansas | $44K | -16% | 160 |
| Tennessee | $44K | -17% | 1,170 |
| Oklahoma | $40K | -24% | 160 |
| Mississippi | $39K | -26% | 100 |
| Georgia | $38K | -27% | 120 |
| Alabama | $36K | -32% | 210 |
Showing 1–10 of 36 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track milling and planing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood numbers change.
Related careers in Production & Manufacturing
Frequently asked questions
Can a milling and planing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic afford a 2BR apartment alone in Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $57K, rent takes 38.5% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,473/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 Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new milling and planing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics typically earn — is $45K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,705/month. At HUD’s $1,473/month FMR, rent would take 54% 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 Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $57K locally vs. $53K nationally, a 7% difference.
How does Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood compare to the national average for milling and planing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics?
Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood pays $57K median vs. the U.S. average of $53K — that’s +7%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 95.7), the purchasing-power equivalent is $59K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do milling and planing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics make in Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN?
The median is $56,700 a year, that works out to about $27 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $45,080, and experienced milling and planing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics can clear $66,860. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $57K enough to live in Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,822/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,473/month, which eats 38.5% 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 Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood?
Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood has a Regional Price Parity of 95.7 (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 milling and planing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic salary is worth about $59,248 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.
