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 Waterbury-Shelton, CT is $37,160/year ($17.86/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $35K at the entry level to $57K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 99.78), that's roughly $37,242 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,788/month, about 69.7% of take-home, which is tight.
Where the paycheck goes
What $37K actually covers in Waterbury-Shelton, month by month
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Waterbury-Shelton’s Regional Price Parity (99.78). 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
Sponsored links, AffordMap may earn a commission at no cost to you. Learn more
What this looks like in Waterbury-Shelton
Pay for plating machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic in Waterbury-Shelton runs about 15% below the U.S. median of $44K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,788/month, which is 71% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 99.78) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for plating machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for plating machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics in metros near Waterbury-Shelton, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford | $36K | $35K |
| Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury | $37K | $35K |
| New Haven | $49K | $47K |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City | $45K | $40K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Waterbury-Shelton, CT
Entry-level plating machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics (10th percentile) start around $35K. Mid-career wages sit at $37K. Top earners bring in $57K or more, a $22K 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 annually. We'll email you when Waterbury-Shelton numbers change.
Related careers in Production & Manufacturing
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 Waterbury-Shelton?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $37K, rent takes 71% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,788/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 Waterbury-Shelton?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new plating machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics typically earn — is $35K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,384/month. At HUD’s $1,788/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 Waterbury-Shelton?
Local pay runs 15% below the national median — $37K here vs. $44K nationally.
How does Waterbury-Shelton compare to the national average for plating machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics?
Waterbury-Shelton pays $37K median vs. the U.S. average of $44K — that’s -15%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 99.78), the purchasing-power equivalent is $37K — below the national median.
How much do plating machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics make in Waterbury-Shelton, CT?
The median is $37,160 a year, that works out to about $18 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $35,000, and experienced plating machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics can clear $57,390. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $37K enough to live in Waterbury-Shelton?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,520/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,788/month, which eats 71% 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 Waterbury-Shelton?
Waterbury-Shelton has a Regional Price Parity of 99.78 (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 $37,242 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.