Rolling Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic Salary
Rolling Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastics in Louisiana make a median of $49,920 a year, or about $24 an hour. The range runs from $38K at the entry level to $81K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 87.28), which stretches that salary to about $57,195 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,191/month, about 35% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. This is an aggregate across all of Louisiana. BLS does not publish metro-level data for this occupation in this state.
So what does $50K get you in Louisiana?
About rolling 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 Louisiana
Rolling machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic pay in Louisiana tracks closely to the national median, $50K locally vs. $50K nationwide, a 0% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,191/month, which is 35.2% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 87.28 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 13% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Louisiana
Entry-level rolling machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics (10th percentile) start around $38K. Mid-career wages sit at $50K. Top earners bring in $81K or more, a $43K spread from bottom to top.
Compare to other states
Track rolling machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Louisiana numbers change.
Related careers in Production & Manufacturing
Frequently asked questions
Can a rolling machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic afford a 2BR apartment alone in Louisiana?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $50K, rent takes 35.2% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,191/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 rolling machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics in Louisiana?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new rolling machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics typically earn — is $38K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,279/month. At HUD’s $1,191/month FMR, rent would take 52% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is rolling machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic a high-paying job in Louisiana?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $50K locally vs. $50K nationally, a 0% difference.
How does Louisiana compare to the national average for rolling machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics?
Louisiana pays $50K median vs. the U.S. average of $50K — that’s +0%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 87.28), the purchasing-power equivalent is $57K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do rolling machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics make in Louisiana?
The median is $49,920 a year, that works out to about $24 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $37,980, and experienced rolling machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics can clear $80,520. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $50K enough to live in Louisiana?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,384/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,191/month, which eats 35.2% 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 rolling machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic salary go in Louisiana?
Louisiana has a Regional Price Parity of 87.28 (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 rolling machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic salary is worth about $57,195 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do rolling 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.