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 Montana is $43,340/year ($20.84/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $29K at the entry level to $63K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 97), that's roughly $44,680 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,129/month, about 38.2% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. This is an aggregate across all of Montana. BLS does not publish metro-level data for this occupation in this state.
So what does $43K get you in Montana?
About molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics
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What this looks like in Montana
Molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic pay in Montana tracks closely to the national median, $43K locally vs. $44K nationwide, a 2% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,129/month, which is 38.3% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 97) 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, Montana
Entry-level molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics (10th percentile) start around $29K. Mid-career wages sit at $43K. Top earners bring in $63K or more, a $34K spread from bottom to top.
Compare to other states
Track molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Montana numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic afford a 2BR apartment alone in Montana?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $43K, rent takes 38.3% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,129/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 molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics in Montana?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics typically earn — is $29K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,731/month. At HUD’s $1,129/month FMR, rent would take 65% 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 Montana?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $43K locally vs. $44K nationally, a 2% difference.
How does Montana compare to the national average for molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics?
Montana pays $43K median vs. the U.S. average of $44K — that’s -2%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 97), the purchasing-power equivalent is $45K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics make in Montana?
The median is $43,340 a year, that works out to about $21 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $28,850, and experienced molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics can clear $63,240. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $43K enough to live in Montana?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,951/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,129/month, which eats 38.3% 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 molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic salary go in Montana?
Montana has a Regional Price Parity of 97 (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 $44,680 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.