Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic Salary: $48,139 Median Pay (2026 stats)
TL;DR
About 31,510 plating machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic nationally earn a mean of $48,139. Projections imply about 1.4% annual growth; CA accounts for about 5,350 jobs in our geographic extract.
Key Statistics
Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic: what the data shows
Common questions about plating machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic careers, answered from BLS OEWS and O*NET in this repository.
What is a plating machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic?
Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic is tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics under SOC 51-4193.
U.S. employment in our OEWS extract is about 31,510 workers.
What does a plating machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic do?
O*NET work activities rated highest for this occupation include Handling and Moving Objects, Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates, Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings, Making Decisions and Solving Problems, Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events, Controlling Machines and Processes, and related tasks. See Work Activities for the full list.
How much does a plating machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic make?
BLS national median annual wage: $41,600 (May 2024 in our extract).
Mean annual wage in our occupational extract: $48,139 — higher than the median, which often reflects top earners in the distribution.
| Wage percentile | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $37,192 |
| 25th percentile | $40,546 |
| Median (50th) | $47,574 |
| 75th percentile | $51,176 |
| 90th percentile | $59,599 |
What education do you need?
For Plating 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, Monitoring, Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, Time Management, and knowledge areas including Production and Processing, Mathematics, Chemistry, English Language. See Education & Skills for detail.
Is plating machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic in demand?
Historical employment trend in our series implies about 1.4% annual growth (compound rate in the extract).
Five-year projected employment change: 7.0%.
Ten-year projected employment change: 14.6%.
Current U.S. headcount: 31,510.
We report federal series only—compare wages, growth, and openings against your target market.
Where do plating machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics work?
Top industries by employment share in our OEWS industry extract:
| Industry | Employment | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Cross-industry | 31,510 | 19.9% |
| Cross-industry, Private Ownership only | 31,170 | 19.7% |
| Manufacturing | 30,440 | 19.3% |
| Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing | 22,720 | 14.4% |
| Coating, Engraving, Heat Treating, and Allied Activities | 19,990 | 12.7% |
| Primary Metal Manufacturing | 1,950 | 1.2% |
See Industry for charts.
What degrees lead to this career?
Common majors for Plating Machine 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Computer Hardware Engineers | 75,710 | $155,020 |
| Helpers--Pipelayers, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters | 43,640 | $39,270 |
| Farm Equipment Mechanics and Service Technicians | 36,880 | $52,080 |
| Makeup Artists, Theatrical and Performance | 3,320 | $50,280 |
| Physicists | 21,340 | $166,290 |
| Soil and Plant Scientists | 16,600 | $71,410 |
| Biochemists and Biophysicists | 34,520 | $103,650 |
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic workforce.
Employment Over Time
31,510 Workforce in 2023
The Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic workforce has been growing over time.
Historical employment trends for Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$48,139 Average Wage
In 2023, Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic earned an average of $48,139.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic.
Salary distribution for Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic.
Employment Growth Projections
1.4% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
23,420 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: 7.0%
25,068 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: 14.6%
This occupation is projected to grow at 1.4% annually, indicating strong future demand.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Plating 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 Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic.
Wage Trends by Industry
1.5% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Plating Machine 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: 5,350 employees, $48,123 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD: 1,850 employees, $48,064 avg wage
- Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine MD: 1,200 employees, $46,731 avg wage
- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara MSA: 580 employees, $54,048 avg wage
- Oakland-Fremont-Berkeley MD: 370 employees, $53,583 avg wage
- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario MSA: 360 employees, $45,717 avg wage
- Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura MSA: 330 employees, $43,922 avg wage
- San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad MSA: 300 employees, $46,589 avg wage
- Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom MSA: 130 employees, $46,743 avg wage
- Stockton-Lodi MSA: 80 employees, $45,933 avg wage
- Fresno MSA: 70 employees, $42,639 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic.
Diversity
Demographic information on Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic in the US.
Gender and Age
The workforce of Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic in 2023 was 31,510 people, with 62.0% women and 38.0% men.
Gender and age distribution for Plating 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 Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic in 2023 were Engineering, Business, Social Sciences.
Common majors for Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic workers.
Education level distribution for Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic.
Skills
Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic need many skills, but most especially Operations Monitoring, Operation and Control, Monitoring, Reading Comprehension, Active Listening.
Required skills for Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic include Production and Processing, Mathematics, Chemistry, English Language, Mechanical.
Knowledge areas required for Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic include Near Vision, Control Precision, Problem Sensitivity, Manual Dexterity, Oral Comprehension.
Required abilities for Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic.
Daily Activities
Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic spend their time on activities such as Handling and Moving Objects, Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates, Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings, Making Decisions and Solving Problems, Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events.
Most important work activities for Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic.
About
Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
The average yearly wage for Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic was $48,139 in 2023.
SOC Code
51-4193 - Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
Insights and Analysis
Compensation snapshot: Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic reports an average salary of $48,139.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 31,510 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual growth 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.