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 Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH is $25,990/year ($12.5/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $26K at the entry level to $65K for experienced workers. Note: the mean (average) wage is $40K, significantly higher than the median. This typically reflects a mix of employment settings including academic and private practice positions.
So what does $26K get you in Huntington-Ashland?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Huntington-Ashland’s Regional Price Parity (88.4). 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 plating machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics
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What this looks like in Huntington-Ashland
Pay for plating machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic in Huntington-Ashland runs about 41% below the U.S. median of $44K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $973/month, which is 52.7% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 88.4 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 12% 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 plating machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for plating machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics in metros near Huntington-Ashland, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Cleveland | $47K | , |
| Pittsburgh | $45K | , |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington | $49K | , |
| Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek | $47K | , |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH
Entry-level plating machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics (10th percentile) start around $26K. Mid-career wages sit at $26K. Top earners bring in $65K or more, a $39K spread from bottom to top.
Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Iowa | $71K | +61% | 440 |
| Washington | $58K | +32% | 410 |
| Mississippi | $52K | +18% | 60 |
| Arkansas | $51K | +16% | 230 |
| Oklahoma | $49K | +12% | 180 |
| Oregon | $48K | +9% | 310 |
| Nebraska | $48K | +9% | 400 |
| Colorado | $48K | +9% | 190 |
| Arizona | $47K | +7% | 640 |
| Utah | $47K | +7% | 180 |
| Ohio | $47K | +6% | 1,810 |
| California | $47K | +6% | 5,600 |
| Minnesota | $47K | +6% | 560 |
| Florida | $46K | +6% | 530 |
| New Hampshire | $46K | +5% | 60 |
| Massachusetts | $46K | +5% | 860 |
| Maine | $46K | +4% | 170 |
| Pennsylvania | $46K | +4% | 1,740 |
| New York | $46K | +4% | 830 |
| South Carolina | $45K | +1% | 470 |
| Idaho | $44K | +1% | 60 |
| Wisconsin | $44K | +1% | 940 |
| Missouri | $44K | +0% | 150 |
| North Carolina | $44K | -1% | 710 |
| Virginia | $43K | -1% | 270 |
| Maryland | $42K | -4% | 60 |
| New Jersey | $41K | -7% | 380 |
| Tennessee | $40K | -10% | 1,660 |
| Georgia | $39K | -11% | 660 |
| Texas | $39K | -11% | 2,090 |
| Kansas | $39K | -12% | 360 |
| Indiana | $39K | -12% | 1,250 |
| Illinois | $39K | -12% | 2,380 |
| Rhode Island | $39K | -12% | 450 |
| Michigan | $38K | -14% | 3,330 |
| Nevada | $37K | -15% | 60 |
| Connecticut | $37K | -15% | 620 |
| Kentucky | $35K | -21% | 630 |
| Louisiana | $34K | -23% | 100 |
| Alabama | $34K | -23% | 400 |
Showing 1–10 of 40 states
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track plating machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Huntington-Ashland numbers change.
Related careers in Production & Manufacturing
Frequently asked questions
Can a plating machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic afford a 2BR apartment alone in Huntington-Ashland?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $26K, rent takes 52.7% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $973/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $600/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 Huntington-Ashland?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new plating machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics typically earn — is $26K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,559/month. At HUD’s $973/month FMR, rent would take 62% 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 Huntington-Ashland?
Local pay runs 41% below the national median — $26K here vs. $44K nationally. Cost of living is 12% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Huntington-Ashland compare to the national average for plating machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics?
Huntington-Ashland pays $26K median vs. the U.S. average of $44K — that’s -41%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 88.4), the purchasing-power equivalent is $29K — below the national median.
How much do plating machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics make in Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH?
The median is $25,990 a year, that works out to about $13 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $25,990, and experienced plating machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics can clear $65,470. The mean (average) is $39,520, reflecting that some workers earn substantially more. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $26K enough to live in Huntington-Ashland?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $1,847/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $973/month, which eats 52.7% 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 Huntington-Ashland?
Huntington-Ashland has a Regional Price Parity of 100 (100 is the national average). That's right at the national average. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median plating machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic salary is worth about $29,400 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.