Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic Salary
The median pay for a plating machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic in Arkansas is $51,140/year ($24.59/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $30K at the entry level to $73K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 87.64), which stretches that salary to about $58,352 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,021/month, about 30.4% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. This is an aggregate across all of Arkansas. BLS does not publish metro-level data for this occupation in this state.
So what does $51K get you in Arkansas?
About plating machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics
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What this looks like in Arkansas
Arkansas sits well above the national pay line for plating machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic, local pay runs about 16% higher than the U.S. median of $44K. Rent runs $1,021/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 29.7% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Regional Price Parity sits at 87.64 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 12% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Arkansas
Entry-level plating machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics (10th percentile) start around $30K. Mid-career wages sit at $51K. Top earners bring in $73K or more, a $44K spread from bottom to top.
Compare to other states
Track plating machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Arkansas numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a plating machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic afford a 2BR apartment alone in Arkansas?
Yes — at the median salary of $51K, rent takes 29.7% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,021/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for plating machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics in Arkansas?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new plating machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics typically earn — is $30K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,778/month. At HUD’s $1,021/month FMR, rent would take 57% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is plating machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic a high-paying job in Arkansas?
Local pay is 16% above the national median — $51K here vs. $44K nationally.
How does Arkansas compare to the national average for plating machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics?
Arkansas pays $51K median vs. the U.S. average of $44K — that’s +16%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 87.64), the purchasing-power equivalent is $58K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do plating machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics make in Arkansas?
The median is $51,140 a year, that works out to about $25 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $29,640, and experienced plating machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics can clear $73,190. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $51K enough to live in Arkansas?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,442/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,021/month, which eats 29.7% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a plating machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic salary go in Arkansas?
Arkansas has a Regional Price Parity of 87.64 (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 plating machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic salary is worth about $58,352 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do plating 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.