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 South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI is $48,810/year ($23.47/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $34K at the entry level to $60K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 92.86), which stretches that salary to about $52,563 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $993/month, or 29.3% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $49K get you in South Bend-Mishawaka?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by South Bend-Mishawaka’s Regional Price Parity (92.86). 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 South Bend-Mishawaka
South Bend-Mishawaka sits well above the national pay line for plating machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic, local pay runs about 11% higher than the U.S. median of $44K. Rent runs $993/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 30% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Regional Price Parity sits at 92.86 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 7% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for plating machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics in metros near South Bend-Mishawaka, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Columbus | $38K | $41K |
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood | $40K | $42K |
| Fort Wayne | $39K | $42K |
| Elkhart-Goshen | $39K | $43K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI
Entry-level plating machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics (10th percentile) start around $34K. Mid-career wages sit at $49K. Top earners bring in $60K or more, a $27K 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 with published data
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 South Bend-Mishawaka 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 South Bend-Mishawaka?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $49K, rent takes 30% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $993/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 South Bend-Mishawaka?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new plating machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics typically earn — is $34K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,029/month. At HUD’s $993/month FMR, rent would take 49% 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 South Bend-Mishawaka?
Local pay is 11% above the national median — $49K here vs. $44K nationally.
How does South Bend-Mishawaka compare to the national average for plating machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics?
South Bend-Mishawaka pays $49K median vs. the U.S. average of $44K — that’s +11%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 92.86), the purchasing-power equivalent is $53K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do plating machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics make in South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI?
The median is $48,810 a year, that works out to about $23 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $33,810, and experienced plating machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics can clear $60,460. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $49K enough to live in South Bend-Mishawaka?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,314/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $993/month, which eats 30% 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 South Bend-Mishawaka?
South Bend-Mishawaka has a Regional Price Parity of 92.86 (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 $52,563 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.