Metal Workers and Plastic Workers, All Other
Metal Workers and Plastic Workers, All Other (SOC 51-4199) earn a median $45,950 a year ($22.09 an hour) in the United States, with 15,900 employed as of May 2025; the highest-paying state is Hawaii.
What metal workers and plastic workers, all other do
This residual category holds metal and plastic workers whose jobs do not fit any of the more specific metalworking and plasticworking occupations in the classification. Titles listed under it include arbor press operator, anvil seating press operator, automatic engraver, and assembly machine tender, balancing machine operator, and band maker, which gives a sense of the range of presses, machines, and operations tied to particular products. The SOC definition adds no description beyond the catch-all label, so no common set of core tasks is attached to the code. Because the grouping is defined by what it excludes, duties vary by employer and there is no single typical task set. A job that matches a named occupation such as machinist, welder, or one of the machine setter and operator groups belongs in that code instead.
Also called: Anvil Seating Press Operator, Arbor Press Operator, Assembly Machine Tender, Automatic Engraver, Automatic Wheel Line Operator.
National wage percentiles, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $16.99 | $18.84 | $22.09 | $26.01 | $31.50 | $23.36 | 15,900 |
| Annual | $35,350 | $39,190 | $45,950 | $54,100 | $65,510 | $48,580 | ||
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 metal workers and plastic workers, all other 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 | ||||||
| Hawaii | Hourly | $18.00 | $30.00 | $37.50 | $43.67 | $46.32 | $35.14 | 30 | 0.05 | 0.51 |
| Annual | $37,440 | $62,400 | $78,000 | $90,830 | $96,350 | $73,080 | ||||
| Washington | Hourly | $17.41 | $23.42 | $31.62 | $51.27 | $53.09 | $36.23 | 360 | 0.10 | 1.00 |
| Annual | $36,210 | $48,720 | $65,760 | $106,640 | $110,420 | $75,360 | ||||
| Oklahoma | Hourly | $14.77 | $21.25 | $31.27 | $32.76 | $33.96 | $27.15 | 180 | 0.10 | 1.01 |
| Annual | $30,710 | $44,210 | $65,040 | $68,140 | $70,640 | $56,470 | ||||
| Kentucky | Hourly | $23.22 | $28.37 | $29.48 | $32.25 | $33.84 | $29.00 | 200 | 0.10 | 0.99 |
| Annual | $48,300 | $59,000 | $61,320 | $67,080 | $70,390 | $60,310 | ||||
| New York | Hourly | $20.53 | $25.29 | $29.20 | $35.58 | $39.31 | $30.08 | 150 | 0.02 | 0.16 |
| Annual | $42,690 | $52,610 | $60,740 | $74,010 | $81,760 | $62,570 | ||||
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 | $18.96 | $20.75 | $22.78 | $26.37 | $34.13 | $24.60 | 1,970 | 0.11 | 1.06 |
| Annual | $39,430 | $43,150 | $47,380 | $54,840 | $70,990 | $51,170 | ||||
| Georgia | Hourly | $16.26 | $17.77 | $20.21 | $22.14 | $27.57 | $20.70 | 1,730 | 0.35 | 3.46 |
| Annual | $33,830 | $36,950 | $42,030 | $46,060 | $57,340 | $43,060 | ||||
| Texas | Hourly | $16.69 | $18.67 | $21.91 | $24.37 | $28.77 | $22.30 | 1,410 | 0.10 | 0.98 |
| Annual | $34,710 | $38,830 | $45,560 | $50,690 | $59,830 | $46,380 | ||||
| Tennessee | Hourly | $15.75 | $17.04 | $17.68 | $22.00 | $24.12 | $19.50 | 980 | 0.30 | 2.92 |
| Annual | $32,760 | $35,440 | $36,770 | $45,760 | $50,160 | $40,570 | ||||
| Pennsylvania | Hourly | $17.35 | $18.63 | $21.80 | $25.42 | $29.63 | $22.62 | 800 | 0.13 | 1.29 |
| Annual | $36,080 | $38,740 | $45,350 | $52,880 | $61,620 | $47,040 | ||||
Five highest-paying metropolitan areas
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL | Hourly | $26.32 | $37.18 | $40.32 | $40.32 | $40.32 | $37.72 | 40 | 0.24 | 2.36 |
| Annual | $54,740 | $77,330 | $83,870 | $83,870 | $83,870 | $78,450 | ||||
| Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY | Hourly | $30.51 | $33.84 | $35.60 | $38.32 | $41.07 | $35.41 | 50 | 0.12 | 1.18 |
| Annual | $63,450 | $70,390 | $74,050 | $79,710 | $85,430 | $73,650 | ||||
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | Hourly | $19.01 | $23.42 | $31.62 | $51.27 | $53.09 | $36.55 | 300 | 0.14 | 1.40 |
| Annual | $39,540 | $48,720 | $65,760 | $106,640 | $110,420 | $76,030 | ||||
| Corpus Christi, TX | Hourly | $20.89 | $20.92 | $30.06 | $41.94 | $42.46 | $30.57 | 50 | 0.24 | 2.39 |
| Annual | $43,450 | $43,510 | $62,520 | $87,240 | $88,320 | $63,590 | ||||
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | Hourly | $20.76 | $25.11 | $29.05 | $33.62 | $41.65 | $30.41 | 160 | 0.07 | 0.64 |
| Annual | $43,170 | $52,230 | $60,430 | $69,930 | $86,630 | $63,240 | ||||
Five metropolitan areas with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | Hourly | $17.68 | $18.02 | $21.37 | $24.70 | $27.72 | $21.79 | 980 | 0.34 | 3.33 |
| Annual | $36,780 | $37,480 | $44,440 | $51,370 | $57,660 | $45,330 | ||||
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | Hourly | $18.96 | $19.45 | $23.01 | $25.59 | $32.79 | $24.20 | 910 | 0.15 | 1.42 |
| Annual | $39,430 | $40,460 | $47,860 | $53,220 | $68,190 | $50,330 | ||||
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | Hourly | $17.12 | $19.29 | $23.50 | $24.37 | $28.77 | $23.62 | 370 | 0.09 | 0.89 |
| Annual | $35,610 | $40,130 | $48,890 | $50,690 | $59,830 | $49,130 | ||||
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | Hourly | $19.31 | $21.41 | $21.76 | $22.63 | $28.85 | $23.01 | 370 | 0.22 | 2.12 |
| Annual | $40,160 | $44,540 | $45,270 | $47,070 | $60,020 | $47,870 | ||||
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | Hourly | $14.56 | $17.72 | $18.40 | $22.00 | $26.65 | $20.14 | 330 | 0.10 | 0.97 |
| Annual | $30,280 | $36,860 | $38,270 | $45,760 | $55,430 | $41,890 | ||||
Top industries employing metal workers and plastic workers, all other
Plastics Product Manufacturing employ 19.3% of metal workers and plastic workers, all other nationally (3,070 jobs) at a median $43,860 a year ($21.09 an hour), followed by Employment Services (16.2%) and Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3321, 3322, 3325, 3326, and 3329 only) (10.3%).
| Industry | Employment | Share of occupation | Median annual | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plastics Product Manufacturing NAICS 326100 | 3,070 | 19.3% | $43,860 | $21.09 |
| Employment Services NAICS 561300 | 2,580 | 16.2% | $42,990 | $20.67 |
| Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3321, 3322, 3325, 3326, and 3329 only) NAICS 3320A1 | 1,640 | 10.3% | $44,580 | $21.43 |
| Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3323 and 3324 only) NAICS 3320A2 | 800 | 5.0% | $45,630 | $21.94 |
| Merchant Wholesalers, Durable Goods (4232, 4233, 4235, 4236, 4237, and 4239 only) NAICS 4230A1 | 620 | 3.9% | $46,530 | $22.37 |
Share is the industry's employment over the occupation's national employment (15,900). Industries whose employment BLS withheld are not ranked.
Published medians, May 2021 to May 2025
BLS published a median annual wage of $36,990 for metal workers and plastic workers, all other in May 2021 and $45,950 in May 2025, with employment of 18,740 and 15,900.
| Release | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $36,990 | $17.78 | 18,740 |
| May 2022 | $38,340 | $18.43 | 21,030 |
| May 2023 | $41,200 | $19.81 | 20,370 |
| May 2024 | $42,750 | $20.56 | 20,270 |
| May 2025 | $45,950 | $22.09 | 15,900 |
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
38 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 | Hawaii profile | $37.50 | $78,000 | $37,440 | $96,350 | 30 | 0.05 | 0.51 |
| 2 | Washington profile | $31.62 | $65,760 | $36,210 | $110,420 | 360 | 0.10 | 1.00 |
| 3 | Oklahoma profile | $31.27 | $65,040 | $30,710 | $70,640 | 180 | 0.10 | 1.01 |
| 4 | Kentucky profile | $29.48 | $61,320 | $48,300 | $70,390 | 200 | 0.10 | 0.99 |
| 5 | New York profile | $29.20 | $60,740 | $42,690 | $81,760 | 150 | 0.02 | 0.16 |
| 6 | Montana profile | $27.28 | $56,740 | $28,910 | $68,650 | 110 | 0.21 | 2.02 |
| 7 | Utah profile | $26.42 | $54,940 | $35,950 | $78,450 | 30 | 0.02 | 0.20 |
| 8 | Indiana profile | $26.39 | $54,890 | $40,800 | $64,630 | 250 | 0.08 | 0.76 |
| 9 | Alabama profile | $26.13 | $54,360 | $35,030 | $71,680 | 80 | 0.04 | 0.39 |
| 10 | New Mexico profile | $25.52 | $53,080 | $44,090 | $63,040 | 40 | 0.05 | 0.44 |
| 11 | Colorado profile | $25.21 | $52,430 | $40,960 | $61,930 | 400 | 0.14 | 1.36 |
| 12 | Minnesota profile | $25.00 | $51,990 | $41,810 | $67,110 | 110 | 0.04 | 0.35 |
| 13 | Virginia profile | $24.85 | $51,690 | $39,370 | $86,880 | 130 | 0.03 | 0.30 |
| 14 | Maryland profile | $24.17 | $50,280 | $36,230 | $71,650 | 510 | 0.19 | 1.81 |
| 15 | Illinois profile | $23.83 | $49,570 | $38,020 | $83,870 | 170 | 0.03 | 0.27 |
| 16 | Oregon profile | $23.80 | $49,510 | $34,880 | $77,320 | 570 | 0.29 | 2.82 |
| 17 | Missouri profile | $23.52 | $48,920 | $38,240 | $63,960 | 210 | 0.07 | 0.69 |
| 18 | New Hampshire profile | $23.00 | $47,830 | $37,820 | $61,910 | 790 | 1.16 | 11.33 |
| 19 | California profile | $22.78 | $47,380 | $39,430 | $70,990 | 1,970 | 0.11 | 1.06 |
| 20 | Massachusetts profile | $22.63 | $47,060 | $32,430 | $97,060 | 30 | 0.01 | 0.08 |
| 21 | Arizona profile | $22.62 | $47,050 | $42,060 | $66,510 | 100 | 0.03 | 0.29 |
| 22 | Iowa profile | $22.39 | $46,570 | $41,310 | $61,690 | 40 | 0.02 | 0.23 |
| 23 | South Carolina profile | $22.34 | $46,470 | $35,070 | $62,870 | 400 | 0.17 | 1.68 |
| 24 | Nevada profile | $22.33 | $46,440 | $40,130 | $65,980 | 210 | 0.13 | 1.30 |
| 25 | Louisiana profile | $21.96 | $45,680 | $38,110 | $61,270 | 210 | 0.11 | 1.08 |
| 26 | Texas profile | $21.91 | $45,560 | $34,710 | $59,830 | 1,410 | 0.10 | 0.98 |
| 27 | Pennsylvania profile | $21.80 | $45,350 | $36,080 | $61,620 | 800 | 0.13 | 1.29 |
| 28 | North Carolina profile | $21.73 | $45,190 | $37,030 | $59,800 | 470 | 0.10 | 0.93 |
| 29 | Ohio profile | $21.72 | $45,180 | $40,160 | $60,710 | 790 | 0.14 | 1.40 |
| 30 | Wisconsin profile | $21.68 | $45,100 | $39,090 | $65,890 | 470 | 0.16 | 1.56 |
| 31 | Georgia profile | $20.21 | $42,030 | $33,830 | $57,340 | 1,730 | 0.35 | 3.46 |
| 32 | Maine profile | $20.00 | $41,600 | $35,000 | $84,010 | 60 | 0.10 | 0.93 |
| 33 | Arkansas profile | $19.51 | $40,570 | $37,360 | $65,240 | 180 | 0.13 | 1.32 |
| 34 | Connecticut profile | $19.36 | $40,260 | $35,240 | $59,590 | 350 | 0.20 | 1.99 |
| 35 | Michigan profile | $19.28 | $40,110 | $36,540 | $55,560 | 530 | 0.12 | 1.18 |
| 36 | Tennessee profile | $17.68 | $36,770 | $32,760 | $50,160 | 980 | 0.30 | 2.92 |
| 37 | Florida profile | $17.33 | $36,040 | $28,690 | $47,330 | 490 | 0.05 | 0.48 |
| 38 | New Jersey profile | $16.25 | $33,790 | $32,220 | $48,850 | ** | ** | ** |
Related occupations
Occupations in the same SOC broad group (51-4190), 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 51-4199 Metal Workers and Plastic Workers, All Other.
**- 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 51-4199, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- O*NET 30.1 Database, 51-4199.00, 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.