Tool and Die Makers Salary
In Ponce, PR, tool and die makers earn $36,400 at the median, or about $17.5 an hour. The range runs from $33K at the entry level to $51K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 100), that's roughly $36,400 in purchasing power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $538/month, or 21.5% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $36K get you in Ponce?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Ponce’s Regional Price Parity (100). 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 Ponce
Pay for tool and die makers in Ponce runs about 43% below the U.S. median of $64K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $538/month, 20.6% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Cost of living (RPP 100) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Lower pay, lower costs, Ponce can be a reasonable trade-off for tool and die makerss who value affordability over top-dollar markets.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for tool and die makers in metros near Ponce, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas | $38K | $38K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Ponce, PR
Entry-level tool and die makers (10th percentile) start around $33K. Mid-career wages sit at $36K. Top earners bring in $51K or more, a $18K 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
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 Ponce numbers change.
Related careers in Production & Manufacturing
Frequently asked questions
Can a tool and die maker afford a 2BR apartment alone in Ponce?
Yes — at the median salary of $36K, rent takes 20.6% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $538/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for tool and die makers in Ponce?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new tool and die makers typically earn — is $33K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,961/month. At HUD’s $538/month FMR, rent would take 27% of that take-home — manageable on an entry-level income.
Is tool and die maker a high-paying job in Ponce?
Local pay runs 43% below the national median — $36K here vs. $64K nationally.
How does Ponce compare to the national average for tool and die makers?
Ponce pays $36K median vs. the U.S. average of $64K — that’s -43%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 100), the purchasing-power equivalent is $36K — below the national median.
How much do tool and die makers make in Ponce, PR?
The median is $36,400 a year, that works out to about $18 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $32,680, and experienced tool and die makers can clear $50,980. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $36K enough to live in Ponce?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,607/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $538/month, which eats 20.6% 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 Ponce?
Ponce has a Regional Price Parity of 100 (100 is the national average). That's right at the national average. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median tool and die makers salary is worth about $36,400 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.