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 Tucson, AZ is $39,520/year ($19/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $31K at the entry level to $48K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 96.9), that's roughly $40,784 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,402/month, about 51.1% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $40K get you in Tucson?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Tucson’s Regional Price Parity (96.9). 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.
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What this looks like in Tucson
Plating machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic pay in Tucson tracks closely to the national median, $40K locally vs. $44K nationwide, a 10% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,402/month, which is 51.3% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 96.9) 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.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for plating machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics in metros near Tucson, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler | $47K | $46K |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | $46K | $41K |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara | $51K | $46K |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont | $54K | $46K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Tucson, AZ
Entry-level plating machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics (10th percentile) start around $31K. Mid-career wages sit at $40K. Top earners bring in $48K or more, a $17K 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 Tucson 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 Tucson?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $40K, rent takes 51.3% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,402/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 Tucson?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new plating machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics typically earn — is $31K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,872/month. At HUD’s $1,402/month FMR, rent would take 75% 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 Tucson?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $40K locally vs. $44K nationally, a 10% difference.
How does Tucson compare to the national average for plating machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics?
Tucson pays $40K median vs. the U.S. average of $44K — that’s -10%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 96.9), the purchasing-power equivalent is $41K — below the national median.
How much do plating machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics make in Tucson, AZ?
The median is $39,520 a year, that works out to about $19 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $31,200, and experienced plating machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics can clear $47,840. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $40K enough to live in Tucson?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,734/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,402/month, which eats 51.3% 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 Tucson?
Tucson has a Regional Price Parity of 96.9 (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 $40,784 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.