Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders Salary: $51,042 Median Pay (2026 stats)
TL;DR
About 57,310 extruding, forming, pressing, and compacting machine setters, operators, and tenders nationally earn a mean of $51,042. Projections imply about 1.4% annual decline; much hiring sits in manufacturing.
Key Statistics
Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders: what the data shows
Common questions about extruding, forming, pressing, and compacting machine setters, operators, and tenders careers, answered from BLS OEWS and O*NET in this repository.
What is a extruding, forming, pressing, and compacting machine setters, operators, and tenders?
Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders is tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics under SOC 51-9041.
U.S. employment in our OEWS extract is about 57,310 workers.
What does a extruding, forming, pressing, and compacting machine setters, operators, and tenders do?
O*NET work activities rated highest for this occupation include Controlling Machines and Processes, Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings, Getting Information, Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials, Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates, Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events, and related tasks. See Work Activities for the full list.
How much does a extruding, forming, pressing, and compacting machine setters, operators, and tenders make?
BLS national median annual wage: $45,130 (May 2024 in our extract).
Mean annual wage in our occupational extract: $51,042 — higher than the median, which often reflects top earners in the distribution.
Wage percentiles below are from the California OEWS extract (not national unless noted).
| Wage percentile | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $37,345 |
| 25th percentile | $40,577 |
| Median (50th) | $47,800 |
| 75th percentile | $58,604 |
| 90th percentile | $70,218 |
What education do you need?
For Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, O*NET incumbent surveys in our extract most often report: Some college (29%), High School or Equivalent (27%), Bachelors Degree (22%).
These are education levels of current workers, not minimum legal requirements.
What skills do you need?
O*NET ratings for this occupation emphasize skills such as Operation and Control, Operations Monitoring, Monitoring, Speaking, Troubleshooting, Critical Thinking, and knowledge areas including Production and Processing, Mechanical, Computers and Electronics, Mathematics. See Education & Skills for detail.
Is extruding, forming, pressing, and compacting machine setters, operators, and tenders in demand?
Historical employment trend in our series implies about 1.4% annual decline (compound rate in the extract).
Five-year projected employment change: -6.6%.
Ten-year projected employment change: -12.8%.
Current U.S. headcount: 57,310.
We report federal series only—compare wages, growth, and openings against your target market.
Where do extruding, forming, pressing, and compacting machine setters, operators, and tenderss work?
Top industries by employment share in our OEWS industry extract:
| Industry | Employment | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Cross-industry | 57,310 | 20.1% |
| Cross-industry, Private Ownership only | 57,300 | 20.1% |
| Manufacturing | 53,230 | 18.6% |
| Plastics and Rubber Products Manufacturing | 23,820 | 8.3% |
| Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing | 21,940 | 7.7% |
| Rubber Product Manufacturing | 16,810 | 5.9% |
See Industry for charts.
What degrees lead to this career?
Common majors for Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders in O*NET:
See Related degrees.
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders workforce.
Employment Over Time
57,310 Workforce in 2023
The Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders workforce has been growing over time.
Historical employment trends for Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$51,042 Average Wage
In 2023, Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders earned an average of $51,042.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders.
Salary distribution for Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders.
Employment Growth Projections
-1.4% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
15,388 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: -6.6%
14,369 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: -12.8%
This occupation is experiencing a decline. Consider related fields with better growth prospects.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders.
Wage Trends by Industry
16.8% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders.
State employment and wages are from the U.S. BLS OEWS May 2024 state extract. Metropolitan areas use the national MSA file when available.
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- OH: 4,700 employees, $45,960 avg wage
- CA: 4,480 employees, $49,750 avg wage
- TN: 3,720 employees, $43,070 avg wage
- NY: 3,420 employees, $50,270 avg wage
- TX: 3,170 employees, $40,830 avg wage
- IN: 2,880 employees, $46,540 avg wage
- NC: 2,680 employees, $49,540 avg wage
- PA: 2,550 employees, $55,390 avg wage
- MI: 2,360 employees, $44,890 avg wage
- IL: 1,860 employees, $51,770 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ: 2,260 employees, $43,870 avg wage
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA: 1,470 employees, $47,860 avg wage
- Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX: 1,250 employees, $39,450 avg wage
- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN: 1,230 employees, $48,370 avg wage
- Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH: 1,020 employees, $46,210 avg wage
- St. Louis, MO-IL: 870 employees, $56,410 avg wage
- Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI: 800 employees, $45,560 avg wage
- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA: 760 employees, $47,160 avg wage
- Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC: 740 employees, $50,190 avg wage
- Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA: 720 employees, $47,590 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders.
Diversity
Demographic information on Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders in the US.
Gender and Age
The workforce of Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders in 2023 was 57,310 people, with 62.0% women and 38.0% men.
Gender and age distribution for Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders.
Races
Racial and ethnic shares when present in the career dataset. If the chart area shows a notice instead, occupational race/ethnicity fields are not yet populated for this extract.
Race and ethnicity distribution for Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders in 2023 were Business Administration, Engineering, Business.
Common majors for Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders workers.
Education level distribution for Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders.
Skills
Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders need many skills, but most especially Operation and Control, Operations Monitoring, Monitoring, Speaking, Troubleshooting.
Required skills for Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders include Production and Processing, Mechanical, Computers and Electronics, Mathematics, Engineering and Technology.
Knowledge areas required for Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders include Rate Control, Reaction Time, Perceptual Speed, Arm-Hand Steadiness, Near Vision.
Required abilities for Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders.
Daily Activities
Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders spend their time on activities such as Controlling Machines and Processes, Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings, Getting Information, Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials, Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates.
Most important work activities for Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders.
About
Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
The average yearly wage for Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders was $51,042 in 2023.
SOC Code
51-9041 - Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
Insights and Analysis
Compensation snapshot: Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders reports an average salary of $51,042.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 57,310 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual decline is -1.4%, which should inform long-term career planning.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS), and O*NET Online.
All wage figures represent annual averages and may vary by location, industry, and experience level.