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 Maine is $45,210/year ($21.74/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $45K at the entry level to $75K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 97.7), that's roughly $46,274 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,281/month, about 41% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. This is an aggregate across all of Maine. BLS does not publish metro-level data for this occupation in this state.
So what does $45K get you in Maine?
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 Maine
Pay for milling and planing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic in Maine runs about 14% below the U.S. median of $53K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,281/month, which is 42.1% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 97.7) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for milling and planing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Maine
Entry-level milling and planing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics (10th percentile) start around $45K. Mid-career wages sit at $45K. Top earners bring in $75K or more, a $29K 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 quarterly. We'll email you when Maine 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 Maine?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $45K, rent takes 42.1% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,281/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $900/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 Maine?
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 $2,713/month. At HUD’s $1,281/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 milling and planing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic a high-paying job in Maine?
Local pay runs 14% below the national median — $45K here vs. $53K nationally.
How does Maine compare to the national average for milling and planing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics?
Maine pays $45K median vs. the U.S. average of $53K — that’s -14%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 97.7), the purchasing-power equivalent is $46K — below the national median.
How much do milling and planing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics make in Maine?
The median is $45,210 a year, that works out to about $22 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $45,210, and experienced milling and planing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics can clear $74,630. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $45K enough to live in Maine?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,044/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,281/month, which eats 42.1% 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 milling and planing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic salary go in Maine?
Maine has a Regional Price Parity of 97.7 (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 $46,274 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.