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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Plating machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic work in a specialized production role with a national employment base of 32,000 workers. This occupation centers on operating and tending equipment used to plate or coat metal and plastic parts. The field offers 2,000 annual openings nationwide, reflecting a mix of new positions and replacement needs. While projected employment growth is -13.6%, opportunities continue to exist across the country, especially in certain states and metro areas with higher opportunity scores. Typical entry into this occupation is accessible with a high school diploma or equivalent, supported by skills such as mechanical aptitude, fine motor abilities, and attention to detail. Strong performance can also draw on science, mathematics, and critical and analytical thinking. For individuals interested in hands-on production work, this role can be a starting point within manufacturing-related career paths, with related options in occupations such as furnace and kiln operators, fiberglass laminators and fabricators, packaging and filling machine operators, forging machine operators, and other production roles.
The national median annual salary for plating machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic is $41,600. Earnings vary by location. Among the top states by opportunity score, median salaries range from $45,510 in New York and $46,150 in Massachusetts to $46,760 in California and $47,930 in Colorado, reaching $58,000 in Washington. At the metro level, median salaries span from $44,880 in the New York-Newark-Jersey City area to $50,870 in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara and $53,680 in San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont. These figures show that some metro areas in California and Washington offer higher median pay than the national level, while other regions remain closer to it. Job seekers can use these differences to weigh potential earnings against location preferences when planning their careers in this occupation.
Plating machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic have national employment of 32,000, with a projected employment growth rate of -13.6%. Despite this projected decline, there are still 2,000 annual openings nationwide. These openings reflect ongoing labor-market activity, including the need to replace workers who retire or change occupations. The negative growth projection is consistent across the highlighted states and metro areas, all listed with -13.6% growth. This means that while the overall number of positions may decrease over time, employers are still expected to hire for this role on a regular basis. People considering this career can factor in both the projected contraction and the continuing flow of openings. Those who want to remain in similar types of production work may also consider related occupations such as furnace and kiln operators, fiberglass laminators and fabricators, packaging and filling machine operators, forging machine operators, or other production workers.
Location plays a major role in opportunities for plating machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic. Among states, California stands out with an opportunity score of 67.38, employment of 5,600, and a median salary of $46,760. Massachusetts and New York also offer relatively strong opportunity scores of 65.87 and 65.78, with median salaries just above $45,000 and employment around 800–860. Colorado and Washington have smaller employment bases, but Washington combines an opportunity score of 56.29 with the highest listed median salary of $58,000. At the metro level, San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA and New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ have the top opportunity scores, both above 77, with employment of 560–600. San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA and Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH also offer solid opportunity scores and mid-to-upper $40,000s to low-$50,000s median salaries. The Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro shows a moderate opportunity score with a small employment base of 50.
The typical education needed for plating machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic is a high school diploma or equivalent. This makes the occupation accessible to individuals who complete secondary education and want to move directly into a production-focused job. Success in this role can be supported by a range of skills. Mechanical abilities and fine motor skills are important for working effectively with equipment and components. Being detail oriented helps ensure consistent, accurate work. Science and mathematics knowledge can support understanding of processes and measurements, while critical and analytical thinking assists with problem-solving on the job. Writing and reading skills contribute to following instructions and documenting work, and leadership can be valuable for those who move into more responsible positions. Creativity and innovation may also play a role in suggesting improvements to processes. Together, this combination of education and skills forms a solid foundation for entering and progressing in this occupation.
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