Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic Salary
The median pay for a multiple machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic in Trenton-Princeton, NJ is $37,700/year ($18.13/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $32K at the entry level to $57K for experienced workers.
So what does $38K get you in Trenton-Princeton?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Trenton-Princeton’s Regional Price Parity (103.2). 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 multiple machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics
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What this looks like in Trenton-Princeton
Pay for multiple machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic in Trenton-Princeton runs about 20% below the U.S. median of $47K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,950/month, which is 73.8% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 103.2) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for multiple machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for multiple machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics in metros near Trenton-Princeton, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City | $45K | , |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington | $48K | , |
| Pittsburgh | $46K | , |
| Rochester | $56K | , |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Trenton-Princeton, NJ
Entry-level multiple machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics (10th percentile) start around $32K. Mid-career wages sit at $38K. Top earners bring in $57K or more, a $25K spread from bottom to top.
Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| West Virginia | $76K | +61% | 1,920 |
| Kentucky | $55K | +16% | 5,510 |
| Missouri | $53K | +13% | 7,220 |
| Maryland | $52K | +10% | 400 |
| Nebraska | $51K | +8% | 1,250 |
| Virginia | $51K | +7% | 1,030 |
| Washington | $51K | +7% | 830 |
| Vermont | $50K | +7% | 110 |
| Idaho | $50K | +7% | 480 |
| New York | $50K | +6% | 3,660 |
| North Dakota | $49K | +4% | 490 |
| Texas | $49K | +4% | 10,540 |
| Minnesota | $49K | +4% | 2,540 |
| Iowa | $49K | +4% | 4,460 |
| Kansas | $48K | +3% | 290 |
| Massachusetts | $48K | +2% | 1,390 |
| Pennsylvania | $48K | +2% | 7,960 |
| Wisconsin | $48K | +1% | 3,570 |
| Oregon | $47K | +1% | 1,120 |
| North Carolina | $47K | +0% | 3,200 |
| California | $47K | -1% | 3,190 |
| Maine | $47K | -1% | 300 |
| Oklahoma | $46K | -2% | 2,180 |
| Ohio | $46K | -2% | 11,170 |
| Louisiana | $46K | -2% | 900 |
| Colorado | $46K | -2% | 220 |
| Michigan | $46K | -3% | 9,350 |
| South Carolina | $46K | -3% | 4,520 |
| New Hampshire | $46K | -3% | 600 |
| Indiana | $45K | -4% | 7,480 |
| South Dakota | $45K | -5% | 120 |
| Illinois | $44K | -6% | 6,090 |
| Arkansas | $44K | -7% | 1,570 |
| Alabama | $44K | -7% | 1,680 |
| Tennessee | $44K | -8% | 930 |
| Utah | $44K | -8% | 1,340 |
| Arizona | $43K | -9% | 1,760 |
| Connecticut | $43K | -10% | 2,150 |
| New Jersey | $41K | -12% | 3,090 |
| Florida | $41K | -13% | 2,530 |
| Nevada | $40K | -15% | N/A |
| Wyoming | $40K | -15% | 110 |
| Georgia | $39K | -18% | 2,980 |
| Rhode Island | $39K | -18% | 680 |
| Mississippi | $36K | -23% | 1,070 |
Showing 1–10 of 45 states
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track multiple machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Trenton-Princeton numbers change.
Related careers in Production & Manufacturing
Frequently asked questions
Can a multiple machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic afford a 2BR apartment alone in Trenton-Princeton?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $38K, rent takes 73.8% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,950/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 multiple machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics in Trenton-Princeton?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new multiple machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics typically earn — is $32K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,933/month. At HUD’s $1,950/month FMR, rent would take 101% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is multiple machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic a high-paying job in Trenton-Princeton?
Local pay runs 20% below the national median — $38K here vs. $47K nationally.
How does Trenton-Princeton compare to the national average for multiple machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics?
Trenton-Princeton pays $38K median vs. the U.S. average of $47K — that’s -20%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 103.2), the purchasing-power equivalent is $37K — below the national median.
How much do multiple machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics make in Trenton-Princeton, NJ?
The median is $37,700 a year, that works out to about $18 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $32,220, and experienced multiple machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics can clear $57,380. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $38K enough to live in Trenton-Princeton?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,641/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,950/month, which eats 73.8% 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 multiple machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic salary go in Trenton-Princeton?
Trenton-Princeton has a Regional Price Parity of 100 (100 is the national average). That's right at the national average. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median multiple machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic salary is worth about $36,531 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do multiple machine tool 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.