Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic (SOC 51-4031) earn a median $46,330 a year ($22.27 an hour) in the United States, with 171,200 employed as of May 2025; the highest-paying state is Oregon.
What cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic do
Cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders work with machines that saw, shear, slit, punch, notch, crimp, bend, or straighten sheet, bar, and other stock of metal or plastic. A job begins with the work order or production schedule, which gives the material, the cutting lines, and the tolerances. The worker loads workpieces, sets cutting speeds, feed rates, or table angles, tests the machine, and adjusts speeds and actions with gauges and hand tools, then runs parts while monitoring the machine and noting production data. Finished workpieces are measured with micrometers, calipers, or templates and examined for chipped edges and marred surfaces, and defective pieces are sorted out by type of flaw. Operators of these metal and plastic machines are separate from those who cut textiles, wood, or other materials.
Typical entry: According to O*NET, a high school diploma or equivalent is the most common level of education reported by workers in this occupation.
Also called: Adjuster, Angle Shear Operator, Angle Shear Setup Operator, Arbor Press Operator, Automatic Punch Press Operator.
National wage percentiles, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $17.19 | $18.69 | $22.27 | $26.64 | $31.50 | $23.28 | 171,200 |
| Annual | $35,760 | $38,870 | $46,330 | $55,410 | $65,510 | $48,430 | ||
Employment per 1,000 jobs and the location quotient are area measures; they appear in the state and metro tables below. To see what a wage in this range leaves after tax, use FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Where cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic earn and work most
Five highest-paying states
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Oregon | Hourly | $21.39 | $23.11 | $25.81 | $28.63 | $31.83 | $26.63 | 1,180 | 0.60 | 0.55 |
| Annual | $44,490 | $48,070 | $53,680 | $59,550 | $66,210 | $55,390 | ||||
| Maine | Hourly | $18.41 | $22.66 | $24.92 | $29.06 | $31.15 | $25.03 | 180 | 0.28 | 0.25 |
| Annual | $38,290 | $47,130 | $51,820 | $60,440 | $64,800 | $52,050 | ||||
| Washington | Hourly | $19.92 | $22.25 | $24.60 | $29.27 | $34.40 | $26.52 | 1,750 | 0.49 | 0.45 |
| Annual | $41,440 | $46,280 | $51,160 | $60,890 | $71,550 | $55,150 | ||||
| Colorado | Hourly | $20.04 | $22.04 | $24.42 | $28.77 | $34.52 | $26.48 | 1,400 | 0.49 | 0.44 |
| Annual | $41,690 | $45,840 | $50,790 | $59,830 | $71,800 | $55,080 | ||||
| Minnesota | Hourly | $16.67 | $20.60 | $23.93 | $28.91 | $31.11 | $24.45 | 6,130 | 2.08 | 1.89 |
| Annual | $34,670 | $42,850 | $49,770 | $60,130 | $64,700 | $50,850 | ||||
Five states with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Michigan | Hourly | $17.37 | $18.55 | $22.17 | $31.79 | $36.89 | $24.94 | 22,060 | 5.01 | 4.55 |
| Annual | $36,130 | $38,580 | $46,120 | $66,130 | $76,720 | $51,880 | ||||
| Ohio | Hourly | $17.09 | $18.44 | $21.75 | $24.35 | $29.22 | $22.30 | 13,350 | 2.41 | 2.18 |
| Annual | $35,560 | $38,360 | $45,230 | $50,640 | $60,770 | $46,370 | ||||
| Texas | Hourly | $16.51 | $17.76 | $20.54 | $22.82 | $27.58 | $20.95 | 13,290 | 0.94 | 0.86 |
| Annual | $34,340 | $36,940 | $42,720 | $47,460 | $57,370 | $43,580 | ||||
| Indiana | Hourly | $17.77 | $19.53 | $22.59 | $27.09 | $35.50 | $23.99 | 9,680 | 3.02 | 2.75 |
| Annual | $36,960 | $40,630 | $46,980 | $56,350 | $73,840 | $49,900 | ||||
| Pennsylvania | Hourly | $17.01 | $19.57 | $23.01 | $28.26 | $30.09 | $23.88 | 8,890 | 1.47 | 1.33 |
| Annual | $35,380 | $40,710 | $47,860 | $58,780 | $62,590 | $49,670 | ||||
Five highest-paying metropolitan areas
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Flint, MI | Hourly | $16.93 | $19.38 | $37.79 | $37.79 | $37.79 | $29.65 | 380 | 2.81 | 2.55 |
| Annual | $35,220 | $40,300 | $78,600 | $78,600 | $78,600 | $61,680 | ||||
| Rome, GA | Hourly | $18.28 | $21.60 | $30.64 | $39.40 | $39.40 | $29.75 | 200 | 4.48 | 4.07 |
| Annual | $38,030 | $44,930 | $63,740 | $81,950 | $81,950 | $61,880 | ||||
| Oshkosh-Neenah, WI | Hourly | $19.60 | $24.76 | $29.93 | $31.95 | $32.30 | $28.21 | 560 | 5.93 | 5.38 |
| Annual | $40,770 | $51,510 | $62,250 | $66,450 | $67,180 | $58,680 | ||||
| Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN | Hourly | $18.74 | $22.37 | $28.96 | $31.87 | $31.87 | $26.94 | 3,100 | 4.52 | 4.10 |
| Annual | $38,980 | $46,530 | $60,230 | $66,280 | $66,280 | $56,030 | ||||
| Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ | Hourly | $17.01 | $22.25 | $28.89 | $28.90 | $29.12 | $25.61 | 730 | 1.94 | 1.76 |
| Annual | $35,380 | $46,270 | $60,080 | $60,110 | $60,580 | $53,270 | ||||
Five metropolitan areas with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | Hourly | $17.66 | $19.17 | $24.26 | $36.45 | $38.45 | $27.22 | 11,650 | 6.12 | 5.56 |
| Annual | $36,720 | $39,870 | $50,460 | $75,820 | $79,970 | $56,610 | ||||
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | Hourly | $18.47 | $20.97 | $24.41 | $29.52 | $37.20 | $25.65 | 6,320 | 1.40 | 1.27 |
| Annual | $38,420 | $43,610 | $50,770 | $61,400 | $77,370 | $53,350 | ||||
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | Hourly | $16.67 | $19.14 | $23.42 | $28.87 | $30.91 | $24.08 | 4,490 | 2.30 | 2.09 |
| Annual | $34,670 | $39,800 | $48,710 | $60,040 | $64,300 | $50,080 | ||||
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | Hourly | $17.26 | $18.02 | $21.13 | $22.89 | $28.77 | $21.38 | 4,440 | 1.10 | 1.00 |
| Annual | $35,890 | $37,480 | $43,950 | $47,610 | $59,840 | $44,470 | ||||
| Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI | Hourly | $17.46 | $18.60 | $20.22 | $24.07 | $35.82 | $22.36 | 4,270 | 7.14 | 6.48 |
| Annual | $36,320 | $38,680 | $42,050 | $50,060 | $74,500 | $46,510 | ||||
Top industries employing cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic
Motor Vehicle Parts Manufacturing employ 15.9% of cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic nationally (27,220 jobs) at a median $45,350 a year ($21.80 an hour), followed by Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3321, 3322, 3325, 3326, and 3329 only) (15.6%) and Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3323 and 3324 only) (13.0%).
| Industry | Employment | Share of occupation | Median annual | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Motor Vehicle Parts Manufacturing NAICS 336300 | 27,220 | 15.9% | $45,350 | $21.80 |
| Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3321, 3322, 3325, 3326, and 3329 only) NAICS 3320A1 | 26,710 | 15.6% | $46,140 | $22.18 |
| Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3323 and 3324 only) NAICS 3320A2 | 22,210 | 13.0% | $47,340 | $22.76 |
| Plastics Product Manufacturing NAICS 326100 | 12,850 | 7.5% | $43,650 | $20.99 |
| Merchant Wholesalers, Durable Goods (4232, 4233, 4235, 4236, 4237, and 4239 only) NAICS 4230A1 | 10,120 | 5.9% | $47,470 | $22.82 |
Share is the industry's employment over the occupation's national employment (171,200). Industries whose employment BLS withheld are not ranked.
Published medians, May 2021 to May 2025
BLS published a median annual wage of $37,630 for cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic in May 2021 and $46,330 in May 2025, with employment of 179,630 and 171,200.
| Release | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $37,630 | $18.09 | 179,630 |
| May 2022 | $39,340 | $18.91 | 182,460 |
| May 2023 | $42,400 | $20.39 | 179,230 |
| May 2024 | $45,590 | $21.92 | 174,430 |
| May 2025 | $46,330 | $22.27 | 171,200 |
BLS does not design OEWS as a time series: each release pools three years of samples, and occupational classifications, area definitions and estimation methods change between releases, so a difference between two releases is not a measure of change over time. The figures are shown as published, side by side, and nothing is computed from them. See how often OEWS is updated.
Every state, by median wage
49 states and DC publish a row for this occupation. A linked state has its own page with the within-state metro table and comparison; the others appear here only.
| Rank | State | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oregon profile | $25.81 | $53,680 | $44,490 | $66,210 | 1,180 | 0.60 | 0.55 |
| 2 | Maine profile | $24.92 | $51,820 | $38,290 | $64,800 | 180 | 0.28 | 0.25 |
| 3 | Washington profile | $24.60 | $51,160 | $41,440 | $71,550 | 1,750 | 0.49 | 0.45 |
| 4 | Colorado profile | $24.42 | $50,790 | $41,690 | $71,800 | 1,400 | 0.49 | 0.44 |
| 5 | Minnesota profile | $23.93 | $49,770 | $34,670 | $64,700 | 6,130 | 2.08 | 1.89 |
| 6 | Wisconsin profile | $23.69 | $49,270 | $38,290 | $62,580 | 7,960 | 2.71 | 2.46 |
| 7 | Alaska profile | $23.56 | $49,010 | $43,770 | $62,470 | 80 | 0.24 | 0.21 |
| 8 | Illinois profile | $23.55 | $48,990 | $36,960 | $73,270 | 8,060 | 1.32 | 1.20 |
| 9 | Nebraska profile | $23.41 | $48,690 | $36,160 | $60,850 | 1,320 | 1.29 | 1.17 |
| 10 | Montana profile | $23.31 | $48,490 | $37,270 | $59,860 | 130 | 0.25 | 0.23 |
| 11 | California profile | $23.29 | $48,450 | $37,090 | $68,500 | 7,710 | 0.42 | 0.38 |
| 12 | North Dakota profile | $23.27 | $48,400 | $43,680 | $65,980 | 230 | 0.54 | 0.49 |
| 13 | Missouri profile | $23.23 | $48,310 | $36,310 | $69,500 | 3,240 | 1.10 | 1.00 |
| 14 | Iowa profile | $23.19 | $48,240 | $36,550 | $57,490 | 2,030 | 1.30 | 1.18 |
| 15 | Rhode Island profile | $23.16 | $48,170 | $37,850 | $62,280 | 470 | 0.93 | 0.85 |
| 16 | New Hampshire profile | $23.13 | $48,110 | $37,580 | $61,450 | 600 | 0.88 | 0.80 |
| 17 | Pennsylvania profile | $23.01 | $47,860 | $35,380 | $62,590 | 8,890 | 1.47 | 1.33 |
| 18 | Nevada profile | $22.93 | $47,690 | $33,790 | $55,430 | 580 | 0.37 | 0.34 |
| 19 | Maryland profile | $22.75 | $47,320 | $35,470 | $57,360 | 270 | 0.10 | 0.09 |
| 20 | Virginia profile | $22.74 | $47,300 | $36,550 | $60,680 | 1,790 | 0.44 | 0.39 |
| 21 | Indiana profile | $22.59 | $46,980 | $36,960 | $73,840 | 9,680 | 3.02 | 2.75 |
| 22 | New York profile | $22.56 | $46,930 | $36,510 | $71,770 | 3,340 | 0.35 | 0.31 |
| 23 | Wyoming profile | $22.54 | $46,890 | $40,160 | $57,370 | 60 | 0.21 | 0.19 |
| 24 | Kansas profile | $22.52 | $46,840 | $36,360 | $63,150 | 1,900 | 1.33 | 1.20 |
| 25 | Utah profile | $22.44 | $46,670 | $37,420 | $62,430 | 1,050 | 0.61 | 0.55 |
| 26 | Arizona profile | $22.41 | $46,610 | $37,540 | $62,680 | 1,100 | 0.34 | 0.31 |
| 27 | Connecticut profile | $22.25 | $46,280 | $37,110 | $64,770 | 2,030 | 1.19 | 1.08 |
| 28 | Michigan profile | $22.17 | $46,120 | $36,130 | $76,720 | 22,060 | 5.01 | 4.55 |
| 29 | South Dakota profile | $22.15 | $46,060 | $36,840 | $59,950 | 490 | 1.07 | 0.97 |
| 30 | Kentucky profile | $22.00 | $45,760 | $34,920 | $66,280 | 7,290 | 3.65 | 3.31 |
| 31 | Massachusetts profile | $22.00 | $45,760 | $37,460 | $64,160 | 2,590 | 0.71 | 0.65 |
| 32 | New Jersey profile | $21.96 | $45,680 | $36,700 | $60,950 | 1,950 | 0.46 | 0.41 |
| 33 | Arkansas profile | $21.91 | $45,580 | $32,800 | $56,860 | 3,020 | 2.32 | 2.11 |
| 34 | Ohio profile | $21.75 | $45,230 | $35,560 | $60,770 | 13,350 | 2.41 | 2.18 |
| 35 | Georgia profile | $21.67 | $45,080 | $35,400 | $63,740 | 5,260 | 1.08 | 0.98 |
| 36 | Tennessee profile | $21.53 | $44,780 | $35,620 | $53,300 | 5,380 | 1.64 | 1.49 |
| 37 | South Carolina profile | $21.35 | $44,420 | $34,000 | $62,410 | 4,100 | 1.78 | 1.62 |
| 38 | Alabama profile | $21.07 | $43,830 | $34,660 | $54,760 | 6,000 | 2.84 | 2.58 |
| 39 | Vermont profile | $20.94 | $43,560 | $38,110 | $56,160 | 70 | 0.23 | 0.21 |
| 40 | North Carolina profile | $20.86 | $43,400 | $35,180 | $62,120 | 3,940 | 0.80 | 0.72 |
| 41 | West Virginia profile | $20.71 | $43,070 | $30,700 | $57,570 | 290 | 0.42 | 0.38 |
| 42 | Texas profile | $20.54 | $42,720 | $34,340 | $57,370 | 13,290 | 0.94 | 0.86 |
| 43 | Delaware profile | $20.02 | $41,640 | $38,260 | $57,860 | 240 | 0.50 | 0.45 |
| 44 | Oklahoma profile | $19.68 | $40,930 | $31,230 | $64,750 | 2,480 | 1.46 | 1.32 |
| 45 | Louisiana profile | $19.65 | $40,870 | $35,730 | $60,960 | 760 | 0.39 | 0.36 |
| 46 | Mississippi profile | $19.55 | $40,650 | $32,000 | $63,180 | 1,700 | 1.46 | 1.33 |
| 47 | Idaho profile | $19.03 | $39,580 | $36,240 | $50,540 | 720 | 0.84 | 0.77 |
| 48 | Florida profile | $18.96 | $39,440 | $33,180 | $50,630 | 2,740 | 0.28 | 0.25 |
| 49 | New Mexico profile | $18.96 | $39,430 | $33,430 | $46,720 | 220 | 0.25 | 0.23 |
Related occupations
Occupations in the same SOC broad group (51-4030), with their national median annual wage.
Part of Production Occupations. Compare any area in the wage explorer.
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS 51-4031 Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.
- Top industries: nat4d_M2025_dl.xlsx in oesm25in4.zip (BLS OEWS May 2025, national, 4-digit NAICS, cross-ownership). Employment is the industry's rounded total for this occupation; industries whose employment BLS withheld (**) are not ranked.
- Published medians: national_M2021_dl.xlsx to national_M2024_dl.xlsx in oesm21nat.zip to oesm24nat.zip (BLS OEWS May 2021 to May 2024, national, cross-industry, all ownerships) and the May 2025 spine. Each release is shown as published; nothing is computed between them.
Sources
- BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018, definition of 51-4031, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- O*NET 30.1 Database, 51-4031.00, National Center for O*NET Development, USDOL/ETA (CC BY 4.0).
- OEWS May 2025 national industry-specific estimates, 4-digit NAICS (oesm25in4.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2021 national estimates (oesm21nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2022 national estimates (oesm22nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2023 national estimates (oesm23nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2024 national estimates (oesm24nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2025 national estimates (oesm25nat.zip), the site's data spine, US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
Includes information from O*NET 30.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, used under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Description written 2026-10-17 in our own words from the sources above.