Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic Salary: $48,570 Median Pay (2026 stats)
TL;DR
About 129,850 multiple machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic nationally earn a mean of $48,570. Employment in the series shown fell about 12% from the first to the last year; projections imply about 0.8% annual decline.
Key Statistics
Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic: what the data shows
Common questions about multiple machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic careers, answered from BLS OEWS and O*NET in this repository.
What is a multiple machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic?
Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic is tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics under SOC 51-4081.
U.S. employment in our OEWS extract is about 129,850 workers.
What does a multiple machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic do?
O*NET work activities rated highest for this occupation include Getting Information, Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events, Controlling Machines and Processes, Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials, Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards, Making Decisions and Solving Problems, and related tasks. See Work Activities for the full list.
How much does a multiple machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic make?
BLS national median annual wage: $46,060 (May 2024 in our extract).
| Wage percentile | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $36,956 |
| 25th percentile | $39,541 |
| Median (50th) | $46,795 |
| 75th percentile | $52,951 |
| 90th percentile | $62,954 |
What education do you need?
For Multiple Machine Tool 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, Quality Control Analysis, Operation and Control, Monitoring, Equipment Maintenance, Judgment and Decision Making, and knowledge areas including Production and Processing, Mechanical, Mathematics, English Language. See Education & Skills for detail.
Is multiple machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic in demand?
Historical employment trend in our series implies about 0.8% annual decline (compound rate in the extract).
Five-year projected employment change: -4.0%.
Ten-year projected employment change: -7.9%.
Current U.S. headcount: 129,850.
We report federal series only—compare wages, growth, and openings against your target market.
Where do multiple machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics work?
Top industries by employment share in our OEWS industry extract:
| Industry | Employment | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Cross-industry | 129,850 | 19.9% |
| Cross-industry, Private Ownership only | 129,830 | 19.9% |
| Manufacturing | 105,600 | 16.1% |
| Transportation Equipment Manufacturing | 26,870 | 4.1% |
| Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing | 21,930 | 3.4% |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 16,530 | 2.5% |
See Industry for charts.
What degrees lead to this career?
Common majors for Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | 18,970 | $48,620 |
| Drilling and Boring Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | 5,310 | $46,630 |
| Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | 70,110 | $45,190 |
| Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | 31,510 | $41,600 |
| Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders | 159,500 | $47,590 |
| Electric Motor, Power Tool, and Related Repairers | 16,570 | $53,990 |
| Tool and Die Makers | 55,130 | $63,180 |
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic workforce.
Employment Over Time
129,850 Workforce in 2023
The Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic workforce has been growing over time.
Historical employment trends for Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$48,570 Average Wage
In 2023, Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic earned an average of $48,570.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic.
Salary distribution for Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic.
Employment Growth Projections
-0.8% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
11,304 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: -4.0%
10,848 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: -7.9%
This occupation is experiencing a decline. Consider related fields with better growth prospects.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic.
Wage Trends by Industry
8.3% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic.
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: 2,740 employees, $48,334 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD: 930 employees, $49,427 avg wage
- Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine MD: 540 employees, $46,212 avg wage
- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario MSA: 380 employees, $45,830 avg wage
- San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad MSA: 310 employees, $47,574 avg wage
- Oakland-Fremont-Berkeley MD: 220 employees, $55,604 avg wage
- Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom MSA: 130 employees, $49,596 avg wage
- Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura MSA: 90 employees, $48,641 avg wage
- Stockton-Lodi MSA: 80 employees, $44,476 avg wage
- Fresno MSA: 40 employees, $44,414 avg wage
- Modesto MSA: 20 employees, $47,892 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic.
Diversity
Demographic information on Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic in the US.
Gender and Age
The workforce of Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic in 2023 was 129,850 people, with 62.0% women and 38.0% men.
Gender and age distribution for Multiple Machine Tool 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 Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic in 2023 were Business Administration, Engineering, Business.
Common majors for Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic workers.
Education level distribution for Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic.
Skills
Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic need many skills, but most especially Operations Monitoring, Quality Control Analysis, Operation and Control, Monitoring, Equipment Maintenance.
Required skills for Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic include Production and Processing, Mechanical, Mathematics, English Language, Design.
Knowledge areas required for Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic include Arm-Hand Steadiness, Near Vision, Control Precision, Manual Dexterity, Problem Sensitivity.
Required abilities for Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic.
Daily Activities
Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic spend their time on activities such as Getting Information, Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events, Controlling Machines and Processes, Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials, Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards.
Most important work activities for Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic.
About
Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
The average yearly wage for Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic was $48,570 in 2023.
SOC Code
51-4081 - Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
Insights and Analysis
Compensation snapshot: Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic reports an average salary of $48,570.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 129,850 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual decline is -0.8%, 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.