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 Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA is $55,550/year ($26.71/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $47K at the entry level to $56K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 87.06), which stretches that salary to about $63,807 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,051/month, or 28.8% of estimated take-home pay.
Where the paycheck goes
What $56K actually covers in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, month by month
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Waterloo-Cedar Falls’s Regional Price Parity (87.06). 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
Sponsored links, AffordMap may earn a commission at no cost to you. Learn more
What this looks like in Waterloo-Cedar Falls
Waterloo-Cedar Falls sits well above the national pay line for molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic, local pay runs about 25% higher than the U.S. median of $44K. Rent runs $1,051/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 28.7% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Regional Price Parity sits at 87.06 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 13% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics in metros near Waterloo-Cedar Falls, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Davenport-Moline-Rock Island | $60K | $68K |
| Des Moines-West Des Moines | $42K | $46K |
| Cedar Rapids | $37K | $42K |
| Dubuque | $47K | $53K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA
Entry-level molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics (10th percentile) start around $47K. Mid-career wages sit at $56K. Top earners bring in $56K or more, a $8K 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 Waterloo-Cedar Falls 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 Waterloo-Cedar Falls?
Yes — at the median salary of $56K, rent takes 28.7% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,051/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 Waterloo-Cedar Falls?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics typically earn — is $47K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,153/month. At HUD’s $1,051/month FMR, rent would take 33% 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 Waterloo-Cedar Falls?
Local pay is 25% above the national median — $56K here vs. $44K nationally.
How does Waterloo-Cedar Falls compare to the national average for molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics?
Waterloo-Cedar Falls pays $56K median vs. the U.S. average of $44K — that’s +25%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 87.06), the purchasing-power equivalent is $64K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics make in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA?
The median is $55,550 a year, that works out to about $27 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $47,380, and experienced molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics can clear $55,590. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $56K enough to live in Waterloo-Cedar Falls?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,661/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,051/month, which eats 28.7% 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 Waterloo-Cedar Falls?
Waterloo-Cedar Falls has a Regional Price Parity of 87.06 (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 $63,807 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.