Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic Salary in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD

The median is $49,040 a year, that works out to about $24 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $40,570, and experienced milling and planing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics can clear $73,730. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.

On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,328/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,810/month, which eats 54.4% 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.

Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington has a Regional Price Parity of 102.55 (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 $47,821 in national-average purchasing power.

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.