Tool and Die Makers Salary
In Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN, tool and die makers earn $80,060 at the median, or about $38.49 an hour. The range runs from $59K at the entry level to $81K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 93.43), which stretches that salary to about $85,690 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,242/month, or 24.1% of estimated take-home pay.
Where the paycheck goes
What $80K actually covers in Lafayette-West Lafayette, month by month
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Lafayette-West Lafayette’s Regional Price Parity (93.43). 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 Lafayette-West Lafayette
Lafayette-West Lafayette sits well above the national pay line for tool and die makers, local pay runs about 25% higher than the U.S. median of $64K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,242/month, 23.9% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Regional Price Parity sits at 93.43 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 7% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Combined with manageable housing costs, Lafayette-West Lafayette offers a genuinely strong financial position for tool and die makerss at the median.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for tool and die makers in metros near Lafayette-West Lafayette, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood | $62K | $65K |
| Fort Wayne | $61K | $66K |
| Columbus | $71K | $77K |
| Elkhart-Goshen | $63K | $69K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN
Entry-level tool and die makers (10th percentile) start around $59K. Mid-career wages sit at $80K. Top earners bring in $81K or more, a $22K 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 Lafayette-West Lafayette numbers change.
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Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a tool and die maker afford a 2BR apartment alone in Lafayette-West Lafayette?
Yes — at the median salary of $80K, rent takes 23.9% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,242/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for tool and die makers in Lafayette-West Lafayette?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new tool and die makers typically earn — is $59K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,987/month. At HUD’s $1,242/month FMR, rent would take 31% 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 Lafayette-West Lafayette?
Local pay is 25% above the national median — $80K here vs. $64K nationally.
How does Lafayette-West Lafayette compare to the national average for tool and die makers?
Lafayette-West Lafayette pays $80K median vs. the U.S. average of $64K — that’s +25%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 93.43), the purchasing-power equivalent is $86K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do tool and die makers make in Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN?
The median is $80,060 a year, that works out to about $38 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $59,260, and experienced tool and die makers can clear $81,360. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $80K enough to live in Lafayette-West Lafayette?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,189/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,242/month, which eats 23.9% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a tool and die makers salary go in Lafayette-West Lafayette?
Lafayette-West Lafayette has a Regional Price Parity of 93.43 (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 tool and die makers salary is worth about $85,690 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.