Tool and Die Makers Salary
In Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT, tool and die makers earn $78,060 at the median, or about $37.53 an hour. The range runs from $49K at the entry level to $100K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 102.75), that's roughly $75,971 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,865/month, about 36.6% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $78K get you in Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford’s Regional Price Parity (102.75). 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 tool and die makers
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What this looks like in Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford
Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford sits well above the national pay line for tool and die makers, local pay runs about 22% higher than the U.S. median of $64K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,865/month, which is 37.6% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 102.75) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. The pay premium is real, but so are the offsets.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for tool and die makers in metros near Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Waterbury-Shelton | $76K | $77K |
| New Haven | $77K | $74K |
| Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury | $79K | $74K |
| Norwich-New London-Willimantic | $79K | $79K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT
Entry-level tool and die makers (10th percentile) start around $49K. Mid-career wages sit at $78K. Top earners bring in $100K or more, a $51K spread from bottom to top.
Tool and Die Makers pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Tool and Die Makers salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | $109K | +71% | 1,510 |
| Kansas | $84K | +31% | 660 |
| Maine | $80K | +25% | 80 |
| Connecticut | $78K | +21% | 1,880 |
| California | $77K | +20% | 1,790 |
| New Jersey | $74K | +16% | 540 |
| Oregon | $74K | +15% | 300 |
| North Dakota | $73K | +14% | 70 |
| Minnesota | $71K | +11% | 1,150 |
| New Hampshire | $70K | +9% | 250 |
| Vermont | $69K | +8% | 140 |
| Nebraska | $69K | +8% | 360 |
| Wisconsin | $68K | +6% | 2,450 |
| New York | $68K | +6% | 1,270 |
| Indiana | $68K | +6% | 4,090 |
| Massachusetts | $67K | +5% | 850 |
| Kentucky | $67K | +4% | 1,900 |
| Oklahoma | $66K | +3% | 330 |
| Michigan | $66K | +2% | 9,420 |
| South Carolina | $65K | +2% | 870 |
| Iowa | $65K | +1% | 760 |
| Alabama | $65K | +1% | 690 |
| Virginia | $64K | +0% | 390 |
| Florida | $64K | -0% | 440 |
| Colorado | $64K | -0% | 160 |
| Rhode Island | $63K | -1% | 260 |
| Ohio | $62K | -3% | 5,520 |
| Nevada | $61K | -4% | 220 |
| Illinois | $61K | -4% | 5,220 |
| Pennsylvania | $61K | -5% | 3,380 |
| North Carolina | $61K | -5% | 1,580 |
| Missouri | $61K | -5% | 1,280 |
| Tennessee | $61K | -5% | 2,930 |
| Georgia | $60K | -6% | 850 |
| South Dakota | $60K | -7% | 60 |
| Arizona | $59K | -8% | 310 |
| Maryland | $58K | -9% | 70 |
| Mississippi | $58K | -9% | 300 |
| Idaho | $58K | -10% | 50 |
| Arkansas | $57K | -11% | 290 |
| Utah | $57K | -11% | 270 |
| Texas | $55K | -13% | 1,710 |
| New Mexico | $48K | -25% | 40 |
| Louisiana | $47K | -27% | 170 |
| West Virginia | $46K | -28% | 40 |
Showing 1–10 of 45 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track tool and die makers salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford numbers change.
Related careers in Production & Manufacturing
Frequently asked questions
Can a tool and die maker afford a 2BR apartment alone in Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $78K, rent takes 37.6% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,865/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,500/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for tool and die makers in Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new tool and die makers typically earn — is $49K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,915/month. At HUD’s $1,865/month FMR, rent would take 64% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is tool and die maker a high-paying job in Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford?
Local pay is 22% above the national median — $78K here vs. $64K nationally.
How does Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford compare to the national average for tool and die makers?
Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford pays $78K median vs. the U.S. average of $64K — that’s +22%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 102.75), the purchasing-power equivalent is $76K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do tool and die makers make in Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT?
The median is $78,060 a year, that works out to about $38 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $48,580, and experienced tool and die makers can clear $99,800. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $78K enough to live in Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,955/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,865/month, which eats 37.6% 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 tool and die makers salary go in Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford?
Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford has a Regional Price Parity of 102.75 (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 tool and die makers salary is worth about $75,971 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do tool and die makers 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.