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.
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Rolling machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic work with equipment that shapes metal and plastic materials. National employment stands at 22,000, with about 2,000 annual openings, suggesting ongoing job movement through replacements and transitions even as overall employment is projected to decline. The typical education requirement is a high school diploma or equivalent, which can make entry more accessible for people who prefer to start earning sooner rather than pursuing longer formal education. Success in this field draws on mechanical ability, fine motor skills, physical strength and stamina, and strong attention to detail. Problem solving, critical and analytical thinking, and mathematics also play a role, as do leadership and project management for those moving into more advanced roles. For people who enjoy working with machinery and materials in a hands-on environment, this occupation can offer a stable, skills-based path, with additional options to consider similar roles such as extraction workers, furnace operators, crane and tower operators, tank loaders, or hoist and winch operators.
The national median annual salary for rolling machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic is $48,630. Pay can vary by location. Among the top states by opportunity score, median salaries range from $47,830 in Massachusetts to $63,560 in Washington. New York and Colorado also show relatively higher state-level medians of $60,890 and $57,500, while California is closer to the national figure at $48,040. Top metro areas also show differences. The Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA metro reports a median of $57,130, and Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO aligns with its state median at $57,500. The Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro comes in at $50,790, while Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA is $48,080 and New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ is $47,110. These figures suggest that choosing where to work within this occupation can have a meaningful impact on earnings.
Rolling machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic have national employment of 22,000. Projected employment growth is -8.3%, indicating a decline over the projection period. Despite this negative growth rate, the occupation is expected to have about 2,000 annual openings. This combination suggests that many opportunities will arise from replacement needs rather than expansion. The -8.3% projected growth rate appears consistently across the top states and metro areas listed, indicating a broadly similar trend in different regions. For someone considering this field, the outlook points to a more competitive environment for new positions tied to overall employment levels, balanced by ongoing openings as current workers leave or retire. People exploring this career may want to factor in both the declining employment projection and the steady volume of annual openings when planning their long-term path or evaluating whether to stay in the field versus exploring similar occupations.
Location can significantly shape the experience of rolling machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic. Among states with the highest opportunity scores, Washington shows the highest median salary at $63,560, followed by New York at $60,890 and Colorado at $57,500. California and Massachusetts sit closer to the national median at $48,040 and $47,830. Employment levels also vary: California has 1,150 workers, while Massachusetts has 480, New York 420, Washington 350, and Colorado 110. At the metro level, the New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ area has the highest opportunity score (77.27), with a median salary of $47,110 and employment of 240. Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA employs 570 workers with a median of $48,080, while Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH reports $50,790 and 140 workers. Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA and Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO stand out with higher medians of $57,130 and $57,500, but smaller employment bases of 190 and 60. These contrasts highlight trade-offs between pay levels, job concentration, and opportunity scores across regions.
The typical education requirement for rolling machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic is a high school diploma or equivalent. This makes the field accessible to those who prefer to enter the workforce without completing a two- or four-year college degree. However, success depends strongly on practical abilities and core competencies rather than formal schooling alone. Key skills for this occupation include mechanical aptitude, fine motor capabilities, and physical strength and stamina, reflecting the hands-on, equipment-focused nature of the work. Being detail oriented supports accuracy and quality. Problem solving and decision making, along with critical and analytical thinking, help workers respond effectively to issues as they arise. Mathematics and science contribute to understanding measurements and processes, while leadership and project management skills can become more important as workers take on coordination or supervisory responsibilities. Together, these skills shape a progression path from basic operation toward more advanced or leadership-oriented roles within the occupation or into related fields.
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