Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders Salary
The median pay for a paper goods machine setters, operators, and tenders in Salt Lake City-Murray, UT is $51,190/year ($24.61/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $38K at the entry level to $63K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 100.87), that's roughly $50,748 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,241/month, about 36.9% of take-home, which is tight.
Where the paycheck goes
What $51K actually covers in Salt Lake City-Murray, month by month
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Salt Lake City-Murray’s Regional Price Parity (100.87). 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 Salt Lake City-Murray
Paper goods machine setters, operators, and tenders pay in Salt Lake City-Murray tracks closely to the national median, $51K locally vs. $50K nationwide, a 2% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,241/month, which is 36.5% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 100.87) 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 Salt Lake City-Murray, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Provo-Orem-Lehi | $60K | $62K |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler | $49K | $48K |
| Reno | $50K | $49K |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial | $49K | , |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Salt Lake City-Murray, UT
Entry-level paper goods machine setters, operators, and tenders (10th percentile) start around $38K. Mid-career wages sit at $51K. Top earners bring in $63K or more, a $25K 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 annually. We'll email you when Salt Lake City-Murray 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 Salt Lake City-Murray?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $51K, rent takes 36.5% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,241/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,000/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 Salt Lake City-Murray?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new paper goods machine setters, operators, and tenders typically earn — is $38K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,574/month. At HUD’s $1,241/month FMR, rent would take 48% 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 Salt Lake City-Murray?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $51K locally vs. $50K nationally, a 2% difference.
How does Salt Lake City-Murray compare to the national average for paper goods machine setters, operators, and tenders?
Salt Lake City-Murray pays $51K median vs. the U.S. average of $50K — that’s +2%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 100.87), the purchasing-power equivalent is $51K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do paper goods machine setters, operators, and tenders make in Salt Lake City-Murray, UT?
The median is $51,190 a year, that works out to about $25 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $38,110, and experienced paper goods machine setters, operators, and tenders can clear $62,690. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $51K enough to live in Salt Lake City-Murray?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,399/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,241/month, which eats 36.5% 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 Salt Lake City-Murray?
Salt Lake City-Murray has a Regional Price Parity of 100.87 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median paper goods machine setters, operators, and tenders salary is worth about $50,748 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.