Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic Salary: $58,675 Median Pay (2026 stats)
TL;DR
About 13,810 milling and planing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic nationally earn a mean of $58,675. Employment in the series shown rose about 35% from the first to the last year; projections imply about 2.6% annual decline.
Key Statistics
Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic: what the data shows
Common questions about milling and planing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic careers, answered from BLS OEWS and O*NET in this repository.
What is a milling and planing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic?
Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic is tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics under SOC 51-4035.
U.S. employment in our OEWS extract is about 13,810 workers.
What does a milling and planing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic do?
O*NET work activities rated highest for this occupation include Controlling Machines and Processes, Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings, Making Decisions and Solving Problems, Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials, Handling and Moving Objects, Processing Information, and related tasks. See Work Activities for the full list.
How much does a milling and planing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic make?
BLS national median annual wage: $48,310 (May 2024 in our extract).
Mean annual wage in our occupational extract: $58,675 — 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 | $40,926 |
| 25th percentile | $46,548 |
| Median (50th) | $56,388 |
| 75th percentile | $65,816 |
| 90th percentile | $80,662 |
What education do you need?
For Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic, 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 Operations Monitoring, Operation and Control, Critical Thinking, Monitoring, Active Listening, Speaking, and knowledge areas including Mechanical, Production and Processing, Mathematics, English Language. See Education & Skills for detail.
Is milling and planing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic in demand?
Historical employment trend in our series implies about 2.6% annual decline (compound rate in the extract).
Five-year projected employment change: -12.2%.
Ten-year projected employment change: -22.9%.
Current U.S. headcount: 13,810.
We report federal series only—compare wages, growth, and openings against your target market.
Where do milling and planing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics work?
Top industries by employment share in our OEWS industry extract:
| Industry | Employment | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Cross-industry | 13,810 | 19.7% |
| Cross-industry, Private Ownership only | 13,800 | 19.7% |
| Manufacturing | 11,730 | 16.7% |
| Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing | 4,020 | 5.7% |
| Machine Shops; Turned Product; and Screw, Nut, and Bolt Manufacturing | 2,510 | 3.6% |
| Primary Metal Manufacturing | 2,080 | 3.0% |
See Industry for charts.
What degrees lead to this career?
Common majors for Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic in O*NET:
See Related degrees.
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic workforce.
Employment Over Time
13,810 Workforce in 2023
The Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic workforce has been growing over time.
Historical employment trends for Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$58,675 Average Wage
In 2023, Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic earned an average of $58,675.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic.
Salary distribution for Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic.
Employment Growth Projections
-2.6% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
6,270 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: -12.2%
5,506 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: -22.9%
This occupation is experiencing a decline. Consider related fields with better growth prospects.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic.
Wage Trends by Industry
1.5% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Total, All Industry: 6.3% growth (Current: $68,607)
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic.
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:
- CA: 1,890 employees, $57,190 avg wage
- MI: 1,370 employees, $47,980 avg wage
- TN: 1,280 employees, $44,760 avg wage
- OH: 1,170 employees, $50,380 avg wage
- IN: 790 employees, $52,600 avg wage
- TX: 680 employees, $47,130 avg wage
- IL: 570 employees, $62,080 avg wage
- NY: 560 employees, $58,850 avg wage
- NC: 440 employees, $52,470 avg wage
- MO: 440 employees, $45,070 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA: 820 employees, $54,350 avg wage
- Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI: 450 employees, $50,320 avg wage
- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN: 440 employees, $62,620 avg wage
- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA: 320 employees, $66,870 avg wage
- Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH: 210 employees, $61,710 avg wage
- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ: 200 employees, $52,920 avg wage
- Cleveland, OH: 200 employees, $49,520 avg wage
- San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA: 190 employees, $57,760 avg wage
- Elkhart-Goshen, IN: 160 employees, $56,520 avg wage
- Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI: 160 employees, $45,390 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic.
Diversity
Demographic information on Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic in the US.
Gender and Age
The workforce of Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic in 2023 was 13,810 people, with 62.0% women and 38.0% men.
Gender and age distribution for Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic.
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 Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic in 2023 were Business Administration, Engineering, Business.
Common majors for Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic workers.
Education level distribution for Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic.
Skills
Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic need many skills, but most especially Operations Monitoring, Operation and Control, Critical Thinking, Monitoring, Active Listening.
Required skills for Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic include Mechanical, Production and Processing, Mathematics, English Language, Computers and Electronics.
Knowledge areas required for Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic include Near Vision, Manual Dexterity, Arm-Hand Steadiness, Control Precision, Problem Sensitivity.
Required abilities for Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic.
Daily Activities
Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic spend their time on activities such as Controlling Machines and Processes, Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings, Making Decisions and Solving Problems, Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials, Handling and Moving Objects.
Most important work activities for Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic.
About
Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
The average yearly wage for Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic was $58,675 in 2023.
SOC Code
51-4035 - Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
Insights and Analysis
Compensation snapshot: Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic reports an average salary of $58,675.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 13,810 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual decline is -2.6%, 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.