Metal Workers and Plastic Workers, All Other Salary: $49,370 Median Pay (2026 stats)
TL;DR
About 20,270 metal workers and plastic workers, all other nationally earn a mean of $49,370. Employment in the series shown fell about 25% from the first to the last year; projections imply about 2.9% annual decline.
Key Statistics
Metal Workers and Plastic Workers, All Other: what the data shows
Common questions about metal workers and plastic workers, all other careers, answered from BLS OEWS and O*NET in this repository.
What is a metal workers and plastic workers, all other?
Metal Workers and Plastic Workers, All Other is tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics under SOC 51-4199.
U.S. employment in our OEWS extract is about 20,270 workers.
How much does a metal workers and plastic workers, all other make?
BLS national median annual wage: $42,750 (May 2024 in our extract).
Mean annual wage in our occupational extract: $49,370 — higher than the median, which often reflects top earners in the distribution.
| Wage percentile | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $37,664 |
| 25th percentile | $40,208 |
| Median (50th) | $46,025 |
| 75th percentile | $52,807 |
| 90th percentile | $67,560 |
What education do you need?
For Metal Workers and Plastic Workers, All Other, 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.
Is metal workers and plastic workers, all other in demand?
Historical employment trend in our series implies about 2.9% annual decline (compound rate in the extract).
Five-year projected employment change: -13.7%.
Ten-year projected employment change: -25.5%.
Current U.S. headcount: 20,270.
We report federal series only—compare wages, growth, and openings against your target market.
Where do metal workers and plastic workers, all others work?
Top industries by employment share in our OEWS industry extract:
| Industry | Employment | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Cross-industry | 20,270 | 19.5% |
| Cross-industry, Private Ownership only | 19,690 | 18.9% |
| Manufacturing | 13,480 | 13.0% |
| Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing | 4,780 | 4.6% |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 4,330 | 4.2% |
| Employment Services | 4,250 | 4.1% |
See Industry for charts.
What degrees lead to this career?
Common majors for Metal Workers and Plastic Workers, All Other in O*NET:
See Related degrees.
What careers are related?
Other occupations linked through shared degree pathways in our mapping:
| Occupation | U.S. employment | Median wage |
|---|---|---|
| Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | 31,510 | $41,600 |
| Model Makers, Metal and Plastic | 3,230 | $62,700 |
| Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters | 53,380 | $49,900 |
| Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | 14,590 | $47,450 |
| Jewelers and Precious Stone and Metal Workers | 23,420 | $49,140 |
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Metal Workers and Plastic Workers, All Other workforce.
Employment Over Time
20,270 Workforce in 2023
The Metal Workers and Plastic Workers, All Other workforce has been growing over time.
Historical employment trends for Metal Workers and Plastic Workers, All Other.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$49,370 Average Wage
In 2023, Metal Workers and Plastic Workers, All Other earned an average of $49,370.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Metal Workers and Plastic Workers, All Other.
Salary distribution for Metal Workers and Plastic Workers, All Other.
Employment Growth Projections
-2.9% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
8,336 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: -13.7%
7,194 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: -25.5%
This occupation is experiencing a decline. Consider related fields with better growth prospects.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Metal Workers and Plastic Workers, All Other.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Metal Workers and Plastic Workers, All Other and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Metal Workers and Plastic Workers, All Other employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Metal Workers and Plastic Workers, All Other.
Wage Trends by Industry
11.2% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Metal Workers and Plastic Workers, All Other.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Metal Workers and Plastic Workers, All Other.
Metropolitan employment on this page is from the California OEWS extract. Area names omit state codes; all listed metros are in California, so the state chart shows California totals (not a multi-state ranking).
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- CA: 2,340 employees, $49,626 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Metal Workers and Plastic Workers, All Other.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD: 690 employees, $47,758 avg wage
- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario MSA: 430 employees, $46,087 avg wage
- Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine MD: 310 employees, $48,190 avg wage
- Oakland-Fremont-Berkeley MD: 240 employees, $62,632 avg wage
- San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad MSA: 190 employees, $50,919 avg wage
- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara MSA: 100 employees, $51,791 avg wage
- Fresno MSA: 80 employees, $40,721 avg wage
- Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom MSA: 60 employees, $46,035 avg wage
- San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City MD: 60 employees, $72,941 avg wage
- Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura MSA: 50 employees, $48,672 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Metal Workers and Plastic Workers, All Other.
Diversity
Demographic information on Metal Workers and Plastic Workers, All Other in the US.
Gender and Age
The workforce of Metal Workers and Plastic Workers, All Other in 2023 was 20,270 people, with 62.0% women and 38.0% men.
Gender and age distribution for Metal Workers and Plastic Workers, All Other.
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 Metal Workers and Plastic Workers, All Other.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Metal Workers and Plastic Workers, All Other.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Metal Workers and Plastic Workers, All Other in 2023 were Business, Social Sciences, General Studies.
Common majors for Metal Workers and Plastic Workers, All Other.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Metal Workers and Plastic Workers, All Other workers.
Education level distribution for Metal Workers and Plastic Workers, All Other.
Skills
Metal Workers and Plastic Workers, All Other need many skills, but most especially .
Required skills for Metal Workers and Plastic Workers, All Other.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Metal Workers and Plastic Workers, All Other.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Metal Workers and Plastic Workers, All Other include .
Knowledge areas required for Metal Workers and Plastic Workers, All Other.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Metal Workers and Plastic Workers, All Other include .
Required abilities for Metal Workers and Plastic Workers, All Other.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Metal Workers and Plastic Workers, All Other.
Daily Activities
Metal Workers and Plastic Workers, All Other spend their time on activities such as .
Most important work activities for Metal Workers and Plastic Workers, All Other.
About
Metal Workers and Plastic Workers, All Other
The average yearly wage for Metal Workers and Plastic Workers, All Other was $49,370 in 2023.
SOC Code
51-4199 - Metal Workers and Plastic Workers, All Other
Insights and Analysis
Compensation snapshot: Metal Workers and Plastic Workers, All Other reports an average salary of $49,370.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 20,270 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual decline is -2.9%, 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.