Rolling Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic Salary
Rolling Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastics in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA make a median of $49,690 a year, or about $23.89 an hour. The range runs from $40K at the entry level to $66K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 111.89), so that salary is closer to $44,410 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $3,001/month, about 87.5% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $50K get you in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad’s Regional Price Parity (111.89). 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 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 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad
Rolling machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic pay in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad tracks closely to the national median, $50K locally vs. $50K nationwide, a 1% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $3,001/month, which is 88.5% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost-of-living overall is 12% above the national average (BEA RPP 111.89), so groceries and services cost more too. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for rolling machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics in metros near San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | $48K | $42K |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario | $46K | $43K |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro | $56K | $53K |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler | $48K | $47K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA
Entry-level rolling machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics (10th percentile) start around $40K. Mid-career wages sit at $50K. Top earners bring in $66K or more, a $26K spread from bottom to top.
Rolling Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Rolling Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Iowa | $73K | +45% | 660 |
| Pennsylvania | $67K | +34% | 3,070 |
| Vermont | $66K | +32% | 40 |
| Washington | $64K | +27% | 350 |
| Maryland | $61K | +23% | 310 |
| New York | $61K | +21% | 420 |
| Minnesota | $61K | +21% | 50 |
| Connecticut | $61K | +21% | 150 |
| New Hampshire | $61K | +21% | 40 |
| Colorado | $58K | +15% | 110 |
| Illinois | $54K | +8% | 550 |
| Alabama | $53K | +6% | 1,710 |
| Wisconsin | $51K | +2% | 290 |
| Oregon | $50K | +1% | 140 |
| Kentucky | $50K | +1% | 1,120 |
| Ohio | $50K | -0% | 1,310 |
| Louisiana | $50K | -0% | 110 |
| Texas | $50K | -1% | 1,680 |
| Tennessee | $49K | -3% | 1,290 |
| North Carolina | $48K | -3% | 510 |
| Oklahoma | $48K | -4% | 290 |
| South Carolina | $48K | -4% | 820 |
| California | $48K | -4% | 1,150 |
| Massachusetts | $48K | -5% | 480 |
| Arizona | $48K | -5% | 110 |
| Utah | $48K | -5% | 60 |
| Missouri | $47K | -5% | 180 |
| New Jersey | $47K | -6% | 250 |
| Florida | $47K | -7% | 310 |
| Virginia | $46K | -7% | 450 |
| South Dakota | $46K | -8% | 70 |
| Arkansas | $46K | -8% | 420 |
| Nebraska | $46K | -9% | 230 |
| Indiana | $45K | -9% | 2,750 |
| Georgia | $45K | -10% | 1,070 |
| Michigan | $44K | -12% | 1,480 |
| North Dakota | $43K | -13% | 150 |
| Kansas | $40K | -20% | 170 |
| Mississippi | $39K | -22% | 230 |
Showing 1–10 of 39 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track rolling machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad 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 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $50K, rent takes 88.5% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $3,001/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 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new rolling machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics typically earn — is $40K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,396/month. At HUD’s $3,001/month FMR, rent would take 125% 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 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $50K locally vs. $50K nationally, a 1% difference.
How does San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad compare to the national average for rolling machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics?
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad pays $50K median vs. the U.S. average of $50K — that’s -1%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 111.89), the purchasing-power equivalent is $44K — below the national median.
How much do rolling machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics make in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA?
The median is $49,690 a year, that works out to about $24 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $39,930, and experienced rolling machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics can clear $65,520. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $50K enough to live in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,391/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $3,001/month, which eats 88.5% 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 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad?
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad has a Regional Price Parity of 111.89 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median rolling machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic salary is worth about $44,410 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.