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 Colorado is $47,930/year ($23.04/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $38K at the entry level to $62K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 103.71), that's roughly $46,215 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,832/month, about 55% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Colorado. Jump to a metro for precise data:
Where the paycheck goes
What $48K actually covers in Colorado, month by month
About plating machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics
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What this looks like in Colorado
Plating machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic pay in Colorado tracks closely to the national median, $48K locally vs. $44K nationwide, a 9% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,832/month, which is 57.2% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 103.71) 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.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Colorado
Entry-level plating machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics (10th percentile) start around $38K. Mid-career wages sit at $48K. Top earners bring in $62K or more, a $24K spread from bottom to top.
Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic salary by metro in Colorado
1 metro area with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial | $48K | +0% | 130 |
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Track plating machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic salary changes
BLS updates this data annually. We'll email you when Colorado numbers change.
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Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a plating machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic afford a 2BR apartment alone in Colorado?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $48K, rent takes 57.2% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,832/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 plating machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics in Colorado?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new plating machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics typically earn — is $38K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,557/month. At HUD’s $1,832/month FMR, rent would take 72% 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 Colorado?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $48K locally vs. $44K nationally, a 9% difference.
How does Colorado compare to the national average for plating machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics?
Colorado pays $48K median vs. the U.S. average of $44K — that’s +9%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 103.71), the purchasing-power equivalent is $46K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do plating machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics make in Colorado?
The median is $47,930 a year, that works out to about $23 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $37,710, and experienced plating machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics can clear $61,620. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $48K enough to live in Colorado?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,203/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,832/month, which eats 57.2% 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 plating machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic salary go in Colorado?
Colorado has a Regional Price Parity of 103.71 (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 plating machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic salary is worth about $46,215 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.