Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic Salary
The median pay for a molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic in Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC is $38,370/year ($18.45/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $30K at the entry level to $60K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 88.49), which stretches that salary to about $43,361 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,095/month, about 41.1% of take-home, which is tight.
Where the paycheck goes
What $38K actually covers in Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, month by month
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton’s Regional Price Parity (88.49). 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 molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics
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What this looks like in Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton
Pay for molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic in Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton runs about 13% below the U.S. median of $44K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,095/month, which is 42.2% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 88.49 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 12% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics in metros near Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia | $45K | $46K |
| Greensboro-High Point | $39K | $42K |
| Winston-Salem | $39K | $43K |
| Asheville | $40K | $42K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC
Entry-level molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics (10th percentile) start around $30K. Mid-career wages sit at $38K. Top earners bring in $60K or more, a $30K spread from bottom to top.
Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | $78K | +75% | 140 |
| Maryland | $63K | +43% | 230 |
| Maine | $59K | +34% | 470 |
| Minnesota | $50K | +12% | 2,230 |
| Nevada | $50K | +12% | 350 |
| Nebraska | $49K | +9% | 1,000 |
| Washington | $48K | +9% | 1,800 |
| Colorado | $48K | +9% | 2,160 |
| North Dakota | $48K | +8% | 160 |
| New Hampshire | $48K | +7% | 1,080 |
| California | $47K | +7% | 9,250 |
| Kentucky | $47K | +6% | 4,340 |
| Arizona | $47K | +6% | 1,430 |
| Pennsylvania | $47K | +5% | 7,000 |
| Utah | $47K | +5% | 2,400 |
| Connecticut | $46K | +4% | 1,100 |
| Oregon | $46K | +4% | 1,780 |
| Oklahoma | $46K | +3% | 2,030 |
| Illinois | $46K | +3% | 10,680 |
| Virginia | $45K | +2% | 1,680 |
| South Carolina | $45K | +2% | 3,240 |
| Iowa | $45K | +2% | 3,670 |
| Delaware | $45K | +2% | 120 |
| Ohio | $45K | +1% | 11,050 |
| Arkansas | $45K | +1% | 2,520 |
| Vermont | $45K | +0% | 110 |
| New York | $45K | +0% | 3,320 |
| Indiana | $44K | -0% | 8,810 |
| Wisconsin | $44K | -0% | 8,590 |
| Missouri | $44K | -1% | 3,340 |
| Montana | $43K | -2% | 110 |
| Georgia | $43K | -2% | 2,060 |
| Kansas | $43K | -3% | 1,240 |
| Idaho | $43K | -4% | 520 |
| Massachusetts | $43K | -4% | 3,810 |
| West Virginia | $43K | -4% | 420 |
| Rhode Island | $42K | -5% | 430 |
| New Mexico | $42K | -5% | 250 |
| North Carolina | $42K | -6% | 7,570 |
| Texas | $41K | -7% | 7,460 |
| South Dakota | $41K | -8% | 840 |
| New Jersey | $40K | -10% | 2,450 |
| Mississippi | $40K | -10% | 550 |
| Michigan | $39K | -11% | 13,550 |
| Alabama | $39K | -12% | 5,900 |
| Tennessee | $39K | -12% | 3,730 |
| Louisiana | $39K | -13% | 90 |
| Florida | $38K | -13% | 3,290 |
| Wyoming | $38K | -14% | 60 |
Showing 1–10 of 49 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic salary changes
BLS updates this data annually. We'll email you when Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton numbers change.
Related careers in Production & Manufacturing
Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic afford a 2BR apartment alone in Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $38K, rent takes 42.2% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,095/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $800/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics in Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics typically earn — is $30K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,081/month. At HUD’s $1,095/month FMR, rent would take 53% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic a high-paying job in Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton?
Local pay runs 13% below the national median — $38K here vs. $44K nationally. Cost of living is 12% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton compare to the national average for molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics?
Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton pays $38K median vs. the U.S. average of $44K — that’s -13%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 88.49), the purchasing-power equivalent is $43K — below the national median.
How much do molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics make in Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC?
The median is $38,370 a year, that works out to about $18 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $30,230, and experienced molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics can clear $60,310. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $38K enough to live in Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,595/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,095/month, which eats 42.2% 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 molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic salary go in Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton?
Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton has a Regional Price Parity of 88.49 (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 molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic salary is worth about $43,361 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do molding, coremaking, and casting 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.