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 Michigan is $37,600/year ($18.08/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $32K at the entry level to $52K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 93.89), which stretches that salary to about $40,047 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,272/month, about 49.6% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Michigan. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $38K get you in Michigan?
About plating machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics
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What this looks like in Michigan
Pay for plating machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic in Michigan runs about 14% below the U.S. median of $44K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,272/month, which is 49.8% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 93.89 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 6% 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.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Michigan
Entry-level plating machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics (10th percentile) start around $32K. Mid-career wages sit at $38K. Top earners bring in $52K or more, a $19K spread from bottom to top.
Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic salary by metro in Michigan
10 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monroe | $42K | +12% | 110 |
| Jackson | $41K | +10% | 80 |
| Battle Creek | $39K | +4% | 90 |
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn | $38K | +1% | 1,620 |
| Ann Arbor | $37K | -0% | 50 |
| Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood | $37K | -2% | 780 |
| Lansing-East Lansing | $36K | -3% | 100 |
| Muskegon-Norton Shores | $36K | -5% | 80 |
| Niles | $35K | -6% | 40 |
| Kalamazoo-Portage | $35K | -7% | 140 |
Compare to other states
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BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Michigan 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 Michigan?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $38K, rent takes 49.8% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,272/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $800/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 Michigan?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new plating machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics typically earn — is $32K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,944/month. At HUD’s $1,272/month FMR, rent would take 65% 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 Michigan?
Local pay runs 14% below the national median — $38K here vs. $44K nationally. Cost of living is 6% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Michigan compare to the national average for plating machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics?
Michigan pays $38K median vs. the U.S. average of $44K — that’s -14%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 93.89), the purchasing-power equivalent is $40K — below the national median.
How much do plating machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics make in Michigan?
The median is $37,600 a year, that works out to about $18 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $32,400, and experienced plating machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics can clear $51,850. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $38K enough to live in Michigan?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,554/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,272/month, which eats 49.8% 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 plating machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic salary go in Michigan?
Michigan has a Regional Price Parity of 93.89 (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 $40,047 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.