Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders (SOC 51-9041) earn a median $45,760 a year ($22.00 an hour) in the United States, with 58,770 employed as of May 2025; the highest-paying state is Maine.
What extruding, forming, pressing, and compacting machine setters, operators, and tenders do
Operators of extruding, forming, pressing, and compacting machines shape nonmetal materials such as glass, rubber, clay, soap, wax, brick, tile, and food into finished or semifinished products. Machines include glass-forming machines, plodders, and tubers, as well as presses and compactors. The operator adjusts components to control speed, pressure, temperature, and the amount and flow of material, then presses the control buttons to start the cycle. During production they watch lights and gauges to catch malfunctions, clear jams, and remove defective or substandard items. Samples are examined, measured, and weighed with templates, micrometers, and scales. If extruded filaments fall short of standards, the operator notifies a supervisor. Production data such as meter readings and the quantities and dimensions of output are recorded. Shoe machine operators and paper goods machine operators are excluded and have their own codes.
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: Abrasive Wheel Molder, Air Bag Curer, Alfalfa Dehydrator Operator, Arch Cushion Press Operator, Artificial Log Machine Operator.
National wage percentiles, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $16.65 | $18.44 | $22.00 | $25.28 | $30.51 | $22.72 | 58,770 |
| Annual | $34,630 | $38,360 | $45,760 | $52,580 | $63,450 | $47,260 | ||
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 extruding, forming, pressing, and compacting machine setters, operators, and tenders 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 | ||||||
| Maine | Hourly | $17.75 | $21.44 | $27.88 | $29.54 | $35.28 | $26.55 | 140 | 0.22 | 0.59 |
| Annual | $36,920 | $44,600 | $57,990 | $61,450 | $73,390 | $55,230 | ||||
| Pennsylvania | Hourly | $19.24 | $22.20 | $25.76 | $34.10 | $37.82 | $27.80 | 2,450 | 0.40 | 1.07 |
| Annual | $40,020 | $46,170 | $53,580 | $70,920 | $78,670 | $57,820 | ||||
| Vermont | Hourly | $21.34 | $24.10 | $25.16 | $25.16 | $29.72 | $24.82 | 160 | 0.52 | 1.39 |
| Annual | $44,400 | $50,120 | $52,340 | $52,340 | $61,810 | $51,620 | ||||
| Minnesota | Hourly | $19.55 | $22.76 | $25.03 | $28.39 | $30.84 | $25.35 | 560 | 0.19 | 0.51 |
| Annual | $40,660 | $47,330 | $52,070 | $59,060 | $64,140 | $52,730 | ||||
| South Carolina | Hourly | $17.00 | $21.96 | $24.82 | $30.68 | $35.03 | $25.74 | 2,460 | 1.07 | 2.82 |
| Annual | $35,360 | $45,670 | $51,620 | $63,820 | $72,860 | $53,530 | ||||
Five states with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| California | Hourly | $17.91 | $19.75 | $22.74 | $27.89 | $34.20 | $24.47 | 4,210 | 0.23 | 0.61 |
| Annual | $37,260 | $41,080 | $47,300 | $58,010 | $71,130 | $50,900 | ||||
| Tennessee | Hourly | $16.72 | $17.43 | $20.18 | $22.66 | $26.95 | $20.79 | 4,210 | 1.28 | 3.39 |
| Annual | $34,770 | $36,260 | $41,970 | $47,140 | $56,050 | $43,230 | ||||
| Ohio | Hourly | $18.10 | $19.23 | $22.63 | $25.72 | $32.77 | $23.55 | 3,970 | 0.72 | 1.89 |
| Annual | $37,650 | $40,000 | $47,070 | $53,500 | $68,160 | $48,980 | ||||
| North Carolina | Hourly | $12.75 | $13.99 | $20.70 | $26.78 | $32.12 | $21.58 | 3,420 | 0.69 | 1.83 |
| Annual | $26,510 | $29,100 | $43,050 | $55,710 | $66,810 | $44,890 | ||||
| Texas | Hourly | $15.80 | $17.35 | $18.13 | $22.17 | $26.15 | $19.82 | 3,420 | 0.24 | 0.64 |
| Annual | $32,860 | $36,080 | $37,710 | $46,110 | $54,400 | $41,230 | ||||
Five highest-paying metropolitan areas
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Modesto, CA | Hourly | $18.38 | $23.45 | $42.76 | $42.76 | $46.86 | $35.56 | 140 | 0.73 | 1.93 |
| Annual | $38,230 | $48,780 | $88,940 | $88,940 | $97,460 | $73,970 | ||||
| Oshkosh-Neenah, WI | Hourly | $17.52 | $18.97 | $34.86 | $34.86 | $37.09 | $27.65 | 100 | 1.07 | 2.83 |
| Annual | $36,440 | $39,460 | $72,500 | $72,500 | $77,150 | $57,510 | ||||
| Lincoln, NE | Hourly | $19.40 | $22.48 | $29.72 | $31.16 | $31.16 | $26.49 | 170 | 0.91 | 2.42 |
| Annual | $40,340 | $46,750 | $61,820 | $64,800 | $64,800 | $55,110 | ||||
| Vallejo, CA | Hourly | $18.19 | $22.07 | $28.42 | $32.05 | $34.54 | $27.32 | 110 | 0.77 | 2.02 |
| Annual | $37,830 | $45,910 | $59,110 | $66,660 | $71,830 | $56,820 | ||||
| Terre Haute, IN | Hourly | $20.99 | $21.30 | $28.41 | $28.41 | $28.41 | $26.45 | 170 | 2.64 | 6.98 |
| Annual | $43,650 | $44,310 | $59,080 | $59,080 | $59,080 | $55,020 | ||||
Five metropolitan areas with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | Hourly | $16.55 | $17.45 | $19.08 | $23.38 | $28.69 | $21.22 | 2,420 | 0.26 | 0.68 |
| Annual | $34,430 | $36,300 | $39,680 | $48,640 | $59,680 | $44,150 | ||||
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | Hourly | $17.78 | $18.88 | $22.46 | $27.69 | $34.05 | $24.02 | 1,540 | 0.25 | 0.65 |
| Annual | $36,980 | $39,270 | $46,710 | $57,590 | $70,830 | $49,960 | ||||
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | Hourly | $16.44 | $17.84 | $19.01 | $22.11 | $26.98 | $20.20 | 1,130 | 0.28 | 0.74 |
| Annual | $34,200 | $37,110 | $39,530 | $45,980 | $56,110 | $42,020 | ||||
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | Hourly | $17.45 | $18.19 | $22.67 | $26.00 | $38.11 | $23.59 | 1,120 | 0.25 | 0.66 |
| Annual | $36,290 | $37,840 | $47,150 | $54,080 | $79,280 | $49,060 | ||||
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | Hourly | $19.44 | $19.73 | $22.95 | $24.72 | $26.71 | $23.07 | 850 | 0.31 | 0.83 |
| Annual | $40,430 | $41,050 | $47,730 | $51,410 | $55,560 | $47,980 | ||||
Top industries employing extruding, forming, pressing, and compacting machine setters, operators, and tenders
Rubber Product Manufacturing employ 31.2% of extruding, forming, pressing, and compacting machine setters, operators, and tenders nationally (18,360 jobs) at a median $45,300 a year ($21.78 an hour), followed by Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing (18.9%) and Plastics Product Manufacturing (10.8%).
| Industry | Employment | Share of occupation | Median annual | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rubber Product Manufacturing NAICS 326200 | 18,360 | 31.2% | $45,300 | $21.78 |
| Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing NAICS 327000 | 11,090 | 18.9% | $46,370 | $22.30 |
| Plastics Product Manufacturing NAICS 326100 | 6,320 | 10.8% | $43,400 | $20.86 |
| Converted Paper Product Manufacturing NAICS 322200 | 2,350 | 4.0% | $53,430 | $25.69 |
| Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing NAICS 325400 | 2,280 | 3.9% | $44,470 | $21.38 |
Share is the industry's employment over the occupation's national employment (58,770). Industries whose employment BLS withheld are not ranked.
Published medians, May 2021 to May 2025
BLS published a median annual wage of $37,660 for extruding, forming, pressing, and compacting machine setters, operators, and tenders in May 2021 and $45,760 in May 2025, with employment of 56,570 and 58,770.
| Release | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $37,660 | $18.10 | 56,570 |
| May 2022 | $39,480 | $18.98 | 58,740 |
| May 2023 | $42,670 | $20.52 | 57,080 |
| May 2024 | $45,130 | $21.70 | 57,310 |
| May 2025 | $45,760 | $22.00 | 58,770 |
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
45 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 | Maine profile | $27.88 | $57,990 | $36,920 | $73,390 | 140 | 0.22 | 0.59 |
| 2 | Pennsylvania profile | $25.76 | $53,580 | $40,020 | $78,670 | 2,450 | 0.40 | 1.07 |
| 3 | Vermont profile | $25.16 | $52,340 | $44,400 | $61,810 | 160 | 0.52 | 1.39 |
| 4 | Minnesota profile | $25.03 | $52,070 | $40,660 | $64,140 | 560 | 0.19 | 0.51 |
| 5 | South Carolina profile | $24.82 | $51,620 | $35,360 | $72,860 | 2,460 | 1.07 | 2.82 |
| 6 | West Virginia profile | $24.37 | $50,690 | $36,770 | $57,840 | 180 | 0.26 | 0.69 |
| 7 | Nevada profile | $24.06 | $50,050 | $40,490 | $60,190 | ** | ** | ** |
| 8 | Virginia profile | $23.74 | $49,390 | $37,790 | $63,830 | 1,810 | 0.44 | 1.17 |
| 9 | Iowa profile | $23.72 | $49,340 | $40,290 | $62,100 | 500 | 0.32 | 0.84 |
| 10 | Colorado profile | $23.61 | $49,100 | $33,860 | $73,970 | 280 | 0.10 | 0.26 |
| 11 | Utah profile | $23.61 | $49,100 | $33,280 | $61,670 | 250 | 0.14 | 0.38 |
| 12 | Nebraska profile | $23.44 | $48,760 | $39,080 | $64,800 | 750 | 0.73 | 1.93 |
| 13 | Oregon profile | $23.25 | $48,360 | $39,380 | $64,880 | 370 | 0.19 | 0.50 |
| 14 | Arkansas profile | $23.23 | $48,320 | $38,220 | $48,320 | 2,190 | 1.68 | 4.44 |
| 15 | New Hampshire profile | $22.95 | $47,730 | $40,000 | $59,200 | 410 | 0.60 | 1.59 |
| 16 | Missouri profile | $22.82 | $47,470 | $33,280 | $61,810 | 1,040 | 0.35 | 0.93 |
| 17 | Illinois profile | $22.78 | $47,370 | $36,290 | $77,050 | 1,690 | 0.28 | 0.73 |
| 18 | California profile | $22.74 | $47,300 | $37,260 | $71,130 | 4,210 | 0.23 | 0.61 |
| 19 | Massachusetts profile | $22.70 | $47,220 | $40,430 | $56,010 | 950 | 0.26 | 0.69 |
| 20 | New Jersey profile | $22.63 | $47,080 | $35,350 | $62,570 | 1,880 | 0.44 | 1.16 |
| 21 | Ohio profile | $22.63 | $47,070 | $37,650 | $68,160 | 3,970 | 0.72 | 1.89 |
| 22 | Indiana profile | $22.50 | $46,790 | $37,480 | $59,580 | 3,150 | 0.98 | 2.60 |
| 23 | Maryland profile | $22.43 | $46,640 | $34,740 | $64,040 | 280 | 0.10 | 0.27 |
| 24 | Mississippi profile | $22.39 | $46,560 | $34,440 | $70,690 | 660 | 0.57 | 1.50 |
| 25 | Arizona profile | $22.33 | $46,440 | $37,370 | $60,320 | 700 | 0.22 | 0.57 |
| 26 | Wisconsin profile | $22.30 | $46,370 | $38,520 | $58,480 | 1,730 | 0.59 | 1.56 |
| 27 | North Dakota profile | $22.22 | $46,220 | $42,290 | $56,070 | 270 | 0.62 | 1.64 |
| 28 | Connecticut profile | $22.16 | $46,090 | $35,490 | $61,770 | 240 | 0.14 | 0.37 |
| 29 | Georgia profile | $21.96 | $45,670 | $32,720 | $57,240 | 1,150 | 0.24 | 0.62 |
| 30 | New York profile | $21.47 | $44,660 | $33,840 | $70,260 | 3,260 | 0.34 | 0.89 |
| 31 | Washington profile | $21.40 | $44,510 | $39,560 | $69,960 | 750 | 0.21 | 0.56 |
| 32 | Kansas profile | $21.30 | $44,290 | $34,870 | $51,140 | 600 | 0.42 | 1.11 |
| 33 | Louisiana profile | $21.25 | $44,200 | $31,400 | $59,330 | 200 | 0.11 | 0.28 |
| 34 | South Dakota profile | $20.79 | $43,240 | $36,090 | $61,460 | 610 | 1.33 | 3.51 |
| 35 | North Carolina profile | $20.70 | $43,050 | $26,510 | $66,810 | 3,420 | 0.69 | 1.83 |
| 36 | Oklahoma profile | $20.28 | $42,180 | $33,150 | $57,640 | 1,310 | 0.77 | 2.04 |
| 37 | Tennessee profile | $20.18 | $41,970 | $34,770 | $56,050 | 4,210 | 1.28 | 3.39 |
| 38 | Florida profile | $19.14 | $39,800 | $28,530 | $53,250 | 780 | 0.08 | 0.21 |
| 39 | Michigan profile | $19.13 | $39,790 | $32,080 | $58,770 | 1,970 | 0.45 | 1.18 |
| 40 | Rhode Island profile | $18.86 | $39,230 | $33,780 | $59,340 | 80 | 0.17 | 0.45 |
| 41 | Alabama profile | $18.58 | $38,650 | $29,170 | $48,940 | 1,510 | 0.72 | 1.89 |
| 42 | Idaho profile | $18.55 | $38,580 | $29,860 | $53,570 | 210 | 0.25 | 0.65 |
| 43 | Texas profile | $18.13 | $37,710 | $32,860 | $54,400 | 3,420 | 0.24 | 0.64 |
| 44 | New Mexico profile | $17.65 | $36,710 | $30,590 | $41,340 | 80 | 0.10 | 0.25 |
| 45 | Kentucky profile | $17.40 | $36,180 | $31,110 | $45,710 | 1,690 | 0.85 | 2.24 |
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 51-9041 Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders.
**- Employment estimate not available.
- 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 51-9041, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- O*NET 30.1 Database, 51-9041.00, 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.