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 Saginaw, MI is $74,130/year ($35.64/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $36K at the entry level to $79K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 90.89), which stretches that salary to about $81,560 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,117/month, or 22.9% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $74K get you in Saginaw?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Saginaw’s Regional Price Parity (90.89). 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 Saginaw
Saginaw sits well above the national pay line for molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic, local pay runs about 67% higher than the U.S. median of $44K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,117/month, 23.4% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Regional Price Parity sits at 90.89 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 9% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Combined with manageable housing costs, Saginaw offers a genuinely strong financial position for molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics at the median.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics in metros near Saginaw, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn | $40K | $40K |
| Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood | $38K | $40K |
| Kalamazoo-Portage | $39K | $41K |
| Ann Arbor | $39K | $39K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Saginaw, MI
Entry-level molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics (10th percentile) start around $36K. Mid-career wages sit at $74K. Top earners bring in $79K or more, a $43K 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 quarterly. We'll email you when Saginaw numbers change.
Related careers in Production & Manufacturing
Frequently asked questions
Can a molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic afford a 2BR apartment alone in Saginaw?
Yes — at the median salary of $74K, rent takes 23.4% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,117/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics in Saginaw?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics typically earn — is $36K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,152/month. At HUD’s $1,117/month FMR, rent would take 52% 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 Saginaw?
Local pay is 67% above the national median — $74K here vs. $44K nationally.
How does Saginaw compare to the national average for molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics?
Saginaw pays $74K median vs. the U.S. average of $44K — that’s +67%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 90.89), the purchasing-power equivalent is $82K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics make in Saginaw, MI?
The median is $74,130 a year, that works out to about $36 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $35,860, and experienced molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics can clear $78,640. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $74K enough to live in Saginaw?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,782/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,117/month, which eats 23.4% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic salary go in Saginaw?
Saginaw has a Regional Price Parity of 90.89 (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 $81,560 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.