Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders Salary
The median pay for a paper goods machine setters, operators, and tenders in Longview-Kelso, WA is $59,770/year ($28.74/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $48K at the entry level to $93K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 97.55), that's roughly $61,271 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,451/month, about 35% of take-home, which is tight.
Where the paycheck goes
What $60K actually covers in Longview-Kelso, month by month
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Longview-Kelso’s Regional Price Parity (97.55). 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 Longview-Kelso
Longview-Kelso sits well above the national pay line for paper goods machine setters, operators, and tenders, local pay runs about 19% higher than the U.S. median of $50K. Rent runs $1,451/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 34.8% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Cost of living (RPP 97.55) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for paper goods machine setters, operators, and tenders in metros near Longview-Kelso, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue | $64K | $58K |
| Yakima | $54K | $57K |
| Spokane-Spokane Valley | $58K | $57K |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro | $51K | $49K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Longview-Kelso, WA
Entry-level paper goods machine setters, operators, and tenders (10th percentile) start around $48K. Mid-career wages sit at $60K. Top earners bring in $93K or more, a $46K 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 Longview-Kelso numbers change.
Related careers in Production & Manufacturing
Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a paper goods machine setters, operators, and tender afford a 2BR apartment alone in Longview-Kelso?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $60K, rent takes 34.8% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,451/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,300/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 Longview-Kelso?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new paper goods machine setters, operators, and tenders typically earn — is $48K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,359/month. At HUD’s $1,451/month FMR, rent would take 43% 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 Longview-Kelso?
Local pay is 19% above the national median — $60K here vs. $50K nationally.
How does Longview-Kelso compare to the national average for paper goods machine setters, operators, and tenders?
Longview-Kelso pays $60K median vs. the U.S. average of $50K — that’s +19%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 97.55), the purchasing-power equivalent is $61K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do paper goods machine setters, operators, and tenders make in Longview-Kelso, WA?
The median is $59,770 a year, that works out to about $29 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $47,620, and experienced paper goods machine setters, operators, and tenders can clear $93,200. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $60K enough to live in Longview-Kelso?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,172/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,451/month, which eats 34.8% 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 paper goods machine setters, operators, and tenders salary go in Longview-Kelso?
Longview-Kelso has a Regional Price Parity of 97.55 (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 $61,271 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.