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 Tennessee is $38,820/year ($18.66/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $31K at the entry level to $57K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 89.78), which stretches that salary to about $43,239 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,215/month, about 43.5% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Tennessee. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $39K get you in Tennessee?
About molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics
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What this looks like in Tennessee
Pay for molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic in Tennessee runs about 12% below the U.S. median of $44K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,215/month, which is 43.9% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 89.78 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 10% 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 plastics.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Tennessee
Entry-level molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics (10th percentile) start around $31K. Mid-career wages sit at $39K. Top earners bring in $57K or more, a $27K spread from bottom to top.
Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic salary by metro in Tennessee
9 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chattanooga | $47K | +22% | 120 |
| Cleveland | $45K | +15% | 60 |
| Morristown | $40K | +3% | 120 |
| Knoxville | $39K | +1% | 590 |
| Memphis | $39K | +1% | 180 |
| Johnson City | $39K | +0% | 240 |
| Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin | $38K | -2% | 500 |
| Jackson | $37K | -4% | 100 |
| Kingsport-Bristol | $37K | -6% | 180 |
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 Tennessee 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 Tennessee?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $39K, rent takes 43.9% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,215/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 Tennessee?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics typically earn — is $31K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,845/month. At HUD’s $1,215/month FMR, rent would take 66% 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 Tennessee?
Local pay runs 12% below the national median — $39K here vs. $44K nationally. Cost of living is 10% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Tennessee compare to the national average for molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics?
Tennessee pays $39K median vs. the U.S. average of $44K — that’s -12%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 89.78), 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 Tennessee?
The median is $38,820 a year, that works out to about $19 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $30,750, and experienced molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics can clear $57,450. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $39K enough to live in Tennessee?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,769/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,215/month, which eats 43.9% 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 Tennessee?
Tennessee has a Regional Price Parity of 89.78 (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 $43,239 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.