Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders Salary
The median pay for a paper goods machine setters, operators, and tenders in Dalton, GA is $35,560/year ($17.09/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $28K at the entry level to $46K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 89.84), which stretches that salary to about $39,581 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,009/month, about 41.6% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $36K get you in Dalton?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Dalton’s Regional Price Parity (89.84). 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 paper goods machine setters, operators, and tenders
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What this looks like in Dalton
Pay for paper goods machine setters, operators, and tenders in Dalton runs about 29% below the U.S. median of $50K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,009/month, which is 41.6% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 89.84 (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 paper goods machine setters, operators, and tenderss.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for paper goods machine setters, operators, and tenders in metros near Dalton, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell | $48K | $48K |
| Macon-Bibb County | $47K | $53K |
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia | $50K | $51K |
| Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton | $49K | $55K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Dalton, GA
Entry-level paper goods machine setters, operators, and tenders (10th percentile) start around $28K. Mid-career wages sit at $36K. Top earners bring in $46K or more, a $18K spread from bottom to top.
Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oklahoma | $64K | +27% | 1,390 |
| Maine | $62K | +23% | 740 |
| Utah | $61K | +21% | 1,350 |
| Washington | $59K | +18% | 2,170 |
| Louisiana | $58K | +16% | 1,150 |
| Minnesota | $58K | +16% | 1,960 |
| Wisconsin | $58K | +15% | 8,510 |
| Kentucky | $58K | +15% | 2,670 |
| Idaho | $58K | +15% | 480 |
| Oregon | $57K | +13% | 680 |
| Illinois | $56K | +12% | 5,360 |
| New Mexico | $54K | +7% | 100 |
| New York | $53K | +5% | 3,280 |
| Alabama | $52K | +4% | 3,800 |
| Pennsylvania | $52K | +3% | 7,410 |
| Michigan | $51K | +1% | 3,000 |
| New Hampshire | $50K | -0% | 230 |
| Georgia | $50K | -0% | 5,650 |
| South Carolina | $50K | -0% | 2,460 |
| Virginia | $50K | -1% | 2,370 |
| Arizona | $49K | -2% | 1,190 |
| Colorado | $49K | -3% | 240 |
| Florida | $49K | -3% | 1,360 |
| Massachusetts | $49K | -3% | 1,920 |
| Indiana | $49K | -3% | 2,580 |
| California | $49K | -3% | 5,570 |
| Rhode Island | $49K | -3% | 240 |
| Arkansas | $49K | -3% | 2,060 |
| Connecticut | $49K | -3% | 650 |
| Delaware | $48K | -4% | 160 |
| Nebraska | $48K | -5% | 300 |
| North Carolina | $48K | -5% | 4,800 |
| Texas | $48K | -5% | 3,740 |
| Maryland | $48K | -5% | 480 |
| Nevada | $48K | -5% | 380 |
| Missouri | $48K | -5% | 1,540 |
| Ohio | $47K | -6% | 4,640 |
| Mississippi | $47K | -6% | 960 |
| Tennessee | $47K | -7% | 3,490 |
| South Dakota | $47K | -7% | 130 |
| Iowa | $46K | -8% | 1,010 |
| New Jersey | $46K | -9% | 3,210 |
| Kansas | $46K | -9% | 420 |
Showing 1–10 of 43 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track paper goods machine setters, operators, and tenders salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Dalton numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a paper goods machine setters, operators, and tender afford a 2BR apartment alone in Dalton?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $36K, rent takes 41.6% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,009/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $700/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for paper goods machine setters, operators, and tenders in Dalton?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new paper goods machine setters, operators, and tenders typically earn — is $28K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,691/month. At HUD’s $1,009/month FMR, rent would take 60% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is paper goods machine setters, operators, and tender a high-paying job in Dalton?
Local pay runs 29% below the national median — $36K here vs. $50K nationally. Cost of living is 10% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Dalton compare to the national average for paper goods machine setters, operators, and tenders?
Dalton pays $36K median vs. the U.S. average of $50K — that’s -29%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 89.84), the purchasing-power equivalent is $40K — below the national median.
How much do paper goods machine setters, operators, and tenders make in Dalton, GA?
The median is $35,560 a year, that works out to about $17 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $28,180, and experienced paper goods machine setters, operators, and tenders can clear $46,060. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $36K enough to live in Dalton?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,426/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,009/month, which eats 41.6% 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 paper goods machine setters, operators, and tenders salary go in Dalton?
Dalton has a Regional Price Parity of 89.84 (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 paper goods machine setters, operators, and tenders salary is worth about $39,581 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do paper goods machine setters, operators, and tenders 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.