Explore national salary, projected growth, education requirements, and career opportunities across the United States.
A concise view of this occupation’s national scale, compensation, and projected demand.
National median annual wage for this occupation.
Estimated jobs currently supported nationwide.
Projected employment change through 2034.
Estimated openings created each year.
The typical education, prior experience, and on-the-job training associated with entry into this career.
High school diploma or equivalent
None
Moderate-term on-the-job training
These are the highest-rated capabilities associated with success in this occupation. Scores are derived from occupational skill analysis and are measured on a 100-point scale.
Based on skills, knowledge, and work activities, these occupations are the closest match to your current career.
Explore the states and metropolitan areas offering the strongest combination of salary, employment, demand, and long-term opportunity.
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Understand the salary, outlook, education, and geographic opportunities shaping this career.
Extruding and drawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic (51-4021) work in a field that combines hands-on production with technical and mechanical skills. Nationally, about 66,000 people are employed in this occupation, with a national median annual salary of $46,980, indicating a solid wage profile for a role that typically requires a high school diploma or equivalent. Projected employment growth of 1.2% and around 6,000 annual openings suggest ongoing movement in the job market, including opportunities from both new positions and turnover. The role can be a good fit for people who enjoy physical work, machinery, and detail-oriented tasks. Success draws on a mix of physical strength and stamina, fine motor skills, mechanical ability, problem solving, and comfort with mathematics, science, and computers. For career explorers, this occupation can also serve as a gateway to related machine operation and metal and plastic working careers identified as similar occupations.
The national median annual salary for extruding and drawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic is $46,980. Pay levels vary by location. Among top states, median salaries range from $45,880 in California to $51,110 in Colorado, with Massachusetts and New York also above the national median. At the metro level, several areas show higher typical pay. The New York-Newark-Jersey City metro reports a median salary of $55,960, and the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont metro shows $53,670. Boston-Cambridge-Newton and Washington-Arlington-Alexandria also have median salaries above $49,000. Even within the same state, differences appear: in California, the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim metro has a median of $46,010 compared with $53,670 around San Francisco. These variations indicate that workers interested in maximizing earnings may want to compare both state and metro-level salary medians when considering job opportunities.
This occupation has national employment of about 66,000 workers, with a projected growth rate of 1.2%. Alongside that modest growth, the labor market is expected to see about 6,000 annual openings. The combination of existing employment and ongoing openings suggests continuing demand for workers in this role. The uniform 1.2% growth rate appearing across the highlighted states and metro areas indicates generally consistent projections in the markets identified as strong for opportunity. Job seekers can interpret the 6,000 annual openings as a reflection of both new positions and replacement needs as workers move, change careers, or retire. For students and career changers, these figures indicate a field with a steady flow of opportunities rather than a rapidly shrinking or extremely volatile niche. When planning a career path, candidates can pair this stable outlook with location-specific opportunity scores to target regions that align with their goals.
Location makes a meaningful difference for extruding and drawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic. Among states, California, Massachusetts, and New York post the highest CareerGPS opportunity scores, all above 65. California leads with an opportunity score of 67.38 and the largest employment level among these top states at 3,870. Massachusetts and New York show somewhat smaller employment counts, at 1,490 and 1,400 respectively, but have higher median salaries than California. Colorado and Washington round out the top five states, both with opportunity scores in the mid-50s and similar projected growth rates of 1.2%. At the metro level, the New York-Newark-Jersey City area stands out with the highest opportunity score (77.27) and the highest median salary ($55,960) among listed metros. San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, Boston-Cambridge-Newton, Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, and Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim also offer notable combinations of salary, employment, and opportunity scores, giving job seekers several strong regional options to compare.
The typical education requirement for extruding and drawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic is a high school diploma or equivalent. This makes the occupation accessible to individuals who are ready to enter the workforce without pursuing a college degree. However, success in the role relies on a broad set of skills. Physical strength and stamina, along with fine motor abilities, support the hands-on and often physically demanding aspects of the work. Mechanical skill, being detail oriented, and strong problem solving and decision making are central to operating and tending equipment effectively. Mathematics and science knowledge contribute to understanding measurements, processes, and production parameters. Leadership and project management skills can be valuable for coordinating tasks or guiding small teams, while comfort with computers and information technology supports working with modern equipment and production systems. Together, these skills provide multiple paths for growth and increased responsibility within the field or into related occupations.
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