Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic (SOC 51-4035) earn a median $52,800 a year ($25.39 an hour) in the United States, with 12,460 employed as of May 2025; the highest-paying state is Washington.
What milling and planing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic do
Milling and planing machine setters, operators, and tenders use machines in which a rotating cutter or a reciprocating tool removes metal or plastic to produce flat surfaces, slots, grooves, and profiled shapes. The same machines can be set to shape, groove, or profile the stock. Reading the job order and drawings comes first, and then the worker selects and installs cutting tools, positions the workpiece, and secures it with holding devices, using hoists for heavy pieces. Alignment is verified with rules, gauges, or calipers. Once the cutting specifications are set, the machine is started and watched, with controls adjusted to hold the specified tolerances. Pieces are removed and checked with microscopes, gauges, or calipers. Worn tools are replaced with hand tools and dull ones sharpened on bench grinders. The occupation is narrower than machinist work, since the operator concentrates on one kind of machine rather than building a part through many different operations.
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: Barrel Rib Matting Machine Operator, Barrel Rifler, Boring Mill Operator, Broacher, Broaching Machine Operator.
National wage percentiles, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $18.19 | $21.74 | $25.39 | $31.20 | $38.96 | $27.28 | 12,460 |
| Annual | $37,840 | $45,210 | $52,800 | $64,900 | $81,030 | $56,740 | ||
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 milling and planing 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 | ||||||
| Washington | Hourly | $24.54 | $37.60 | $41.57 | $50.69 | $53.27 | $41.50 | 240 | 0.07 | 0.84 |
| Annual | $51,050 | $78,200 | $86,460 | $105,430 | $110,800 | $86,320 | ||||
| Connecticut | Hourly | $19.25 | $22.93 | $38.13 | $39.23 | $46.00 | $34.22 | 150 | 0.09 | 1.11 |
| Annual | $40,040 | $47,700 | $79,300 | $81,600 | $95,680 | $71,170 | ||||
| Kentucky | Hourly | $18.84 | $26.86 | $31.94 | $33.02 | $33.04 | $29.23 | 540 | 0.27 | 3.34 |
| Annual | $39,190 | $55,880 | $66,440 | $68,670 | $68,720 | $60,800 | ||||
| Illinois | Hourly | $21.00 | $23.52 | $30.46 | $31.11 | $32.19 | $28.55 | 570 | 0.09 | 1.16 |
| Annual | $43,680 | $48,920 | $63,360 | $64,700 | $66,950 | $59,380 | ||||
| Massachusetts | Hourly | $22.07 | $25.11 | $29.99 | $39.08 | $39.18 | $30.67 | ** | ** | ** |
| Annual | $45,900 | $52,240 | $62,380 | $81,290 | $81,490 | $63,800 | ||||
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 | $21.84 | $22.89 | $28.39 | $36.36 | $40.55 | $30.04 | 1,960 | 0.11 | 1.34 |
| Annual | $45,420 | $47,600 | $59,050 | $75,630 | $84,340 | $62,490 | ||||
| Tennessee | Hourly | $14.22 | $16.18 | $21.02 | $22.41 | $29.23 | $20.69 | 1,170 | 0.36 | 4.47 |
| Annual | $29,570 | $33,650 | $43,710 | $46,610 | $60,790 | $43,040 | ||||
| Michigan | Hourly | $18.83 | $20.92 | $23.27 | $27.66 | $33.80 | $24.78 | 670 | 0.15 | 1.90 |
| Annual | $39,170 | $43,510 | $48,400 | $57,530 | $70,310 | $51,550 | ||||
| Ohio | Hourly | $21.65 | $23.02 | $24.67 | $30.05 | $34.45 | $26.85 | 610 | 0.11 | 1.38 |
| Annual | $45,020 | $47,880 | $51,310 | $62,500 | $71,650 | $55,850 | ||||
| Indiana | Hourly | $22.56 | $23.63 | $27.75 | $28.61 | $30.16 | $26.89 | 590 | 0.19 | 2.31 |
| Annual | $46,920 | $49,140 | $57,720 | $59,520 | $62,720 | $55,940 | ||||
Five highest-paying metropolitan areas
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | Hourly | $24.71 | $37.60 | $50.69 | $53.27 | $53.27 | $45.14 | 110 | 0.05 | 0.67 |
| Annual | $51,400 | $78,200 | $105,430 | $110,800 | $110,800 | $93,900 | ||||
| Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN | Hourly | $22.00 | $24.31 | $31.94 | $31.94 | $31.94 | $28.62 | 90 | 0.13 | 1.64 |
| Annual | $45,760 | $50,560 | $66,440 | $66,440 | $66,440 | $59,520 | ||||
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | Hourly | $24.52 | $25.39 | $31.51 | $39.08 | $39.18 | $31.79 | ** | ** | ** |
| Annual | $51,000 | $52,800 | $65,540 | $81,290 | $81,490 | $66,120 | ||||
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | Hourly | $20.72 | $22.80 | $30.46 | $30.46 | $32.19 | $28.42 | 470 | 0.10 | 1.29 |
| Annual | $43,090 | $47,420 | $63,360 | $63,360 | $66,950 | $59,110 | ||||
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | Hourly | $21.00 | $23.93 | $30.06 | $31.02 | $38.81 | $29.16 | 110 | 0.06 | 0.70 |
| Annual | $43,680 | $49,770 | $62,530 | $64,520 | $80,710 | $60,660 | ||||
Five metropolitan areas with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | Hourly | $19.29 | $22.49 | $26.01 | $31.71 | $40.76 | $28.57 | 660 | 0.11 | 1.31 |
| Annual | $40,130 | $46,780 | $54,090 | $65,960 | $84,770 | $59,420 | ||||
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | Hourly | $20.72 | $22.80 | $30.46 | $30.46 | $32.19 | $28.42 | 470 | 0.10 | 1.29 |
| Annual | $43,090 | $47,420 | $63,360 | $63,360 | $66,950 | $59,110 | ||||
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | Hourly | $19.37 | $22.65 | $27.39 | $31.60 | $35.03 | $27.39 | 230 | 0.12 | 1.49 |
| Annual | $40,290 | $47,120 | $56,970 | $65,730 | $72,860 | $56,960 | ||||
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | Hourly | $22.71 | $23.10 | $28.39 | $34.38 | $36.46 | $29.17 | 230 | 0.15 | 1.89 |
| Annual | $47,240 | $48,050 | $59,050 | $71,520 | $75,840 | $60,670 | ||||
| Elkhart-Goshen, IN | Hourly | $22.93 | $24.17 | $28.39 | $29.28 | $35.70 | $28.09 | 190 | 1.46 | 18.27 |
| Annual | $47,690 | $50,270 | $59,040 | $60,890 | $74,250 | $58,430 | ||||
Top industries employing milling and planing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic
Machine Shops; Turned Product; and Screw, Nut, and Bolt Manufacturing employ 14.7% of milling and planing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic nationally (1,830 jobs) at a median $56,560 a year ($27.19 an hour), followed by Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing (9.7%) and Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3321, 3322, 3325, 3326, and 3329 only) (8.3%).
| Industry | Employment | Share of occupation | Median annual | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Machine Shops; Turned Product; and Screw, Nut, and Bolt Manufacturing NAICS 332700 | 1,830 | 14.7% | $56,560 | $27.19 |
| Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing NAICS 336400 | 1,210 | 9.7% | $81,490 | $39.18 |
| Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3321, 3322, 3325, 3326, and 3329 only) NAICS 3320A1 | 1,030 | 8.3% | $46,610 | $22.41 |
| Alumina and Aluminum Production and Processing NAICS 331300 | 1,020 | 8.2% | $68,670 | $33.02 |
| Machinery Manufacturing (3331, 3332, 3334, and 3339 only) NAICS 3330A1 | 880 | 7.1% | $55,000 | $26.44 |
Share is the industry's employment over the occupation's national employment (12,460). Industries whose employment BLS withheld are not ranked.
Published medians, May 2021 to May 2025
BLS published a median annual wage of $46,850 for milling and planing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic in May 2021 and $52,800 in May 2025, with employment of 14,920 and 12,460.
| Release | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $46,850 | $22.53 | 14,920 |
| May 2022 | $46,870 | $22.53 | 15,480 |
| May 2023 | $47,200 | $22.69 | 13,990 |
| May 2024 | $48,310 | $23.22 | 13,810 |
| May 2025 | $52,800 | $25.39 | 12,460 |
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
36 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 | Washington profile | $41.57 | $86,460 | $51,050 | $110,800 | 240 | 0.07 | 0.84 |
| 2 | Connecticut profile | $38.13 | $79,300 | $40,040 | $95,680 | 150 | 0.09 | 1.11 |
| 3 | Kentucky profile | $31.94 | $66,440 | $39,190 | $68,720 | 540 | 0.27 | 3.34 |
| 4 | Illinois profile | $30.46 | $63,360 | $43,680 | $66,950 | 570 | 0.09 | 1.16 |
| 5 | Massachusetts profile | $29.99 | $62,380 | $45,900 | $81,490 | ** | ** | ** |
| 6 | Nebraska profile | $28.67 | $59,630 | $40,360 | $64,680 | 70 | 0.07 | 0.86 |
| 7 | California profile | $28.39 | $59,050 | $45,420 | $84,340 | 1,960 | 0.11 | 1.34 |
| 8 | Wisconsin profile | $28.26 | $58,770 | $43,950 | $73,520 | 280 | 0.10 | 1.20 |
| 9 | Indiana profile | $27.75 | $57,720 | $46,920 | $62,720 | 590 | 0.19 | 2.31 |
| 10 | New York profile | $27.19 | $56,560 | $40,420 | $81,030 | 550 | 0.06 | 0.71 |
| 11 | Virginia profile | $27.12 | $56,410 | $40,030 | $82,460 | 90 | 0.02 | 0.28 |
| 12 | Maryland profile | $26.96 | $56,080 | $37,440 | $80,980 | 50 | 0.02 | 0.22 |
| 13 | Minnesota profile | $26.54 | $55,210 | $39,850 | $78,780 | 220 | 0.08 | 0.95 |
| 14 | Texas profile | $25.89 | $53,840 | $37,110 | $106,740 | 510 | 0.04 | 0.45 |
| 15 | Colorado profile | $25.86 | $53,780 | $46,210 | $62,140 | ** | ** | ** |
| 16 | Nevada profile | $25.39 | $52,800 | $40,840 | $64,060 | 120 | 0.08 | 0.93 |
| 17 | Iowa profile | $24.81 | $51,600 | $42,490 | $62,770 | 140 | 0.09 | 1.09 |
| 18 | Ohio profile | $24.67 | $51,310 | $45,020 | $71,650 | 610 | 0.11 | 1.38 |
| 19 | New Jersey profile | $24.29 | $50,530 | $39,020 | $60,810 | 190 | 0.04 | 0.55 |
| 20 | New Hampshire profile | $23.67 | $49,230 | $47,400 | $59,110 | 50 | 0.08 | 0.98 |
| 21 | North Carolina profile | $23.66 | $49,210 | $31,220 | $77,430 | 280 | 0.06 | 0.71 |
| 22 | Arizona profile | $23.44 | $48,760 | $45,860 | $62,220 | 100 | 0.03 | 0.39 |
| 23 | Michigan profile | $23.27 | $48,400 | $39,170 | $70,310 | 670 | 0.15 | 1.90 |
| 24 | South Carolina profile | $23.24 | $48,340 | $38,890 | $69,340 | 120 | 0.05 | 0.65 |
| 25 | Pennsylvania profile | $22.93 | $47,690 | $40,220 | $64,950 | 410 | 0.07 | 0.84 |
| 26 | Missouri profile | $22.93 | $47,680 | $35,630 | $63,590 | 350 | 0.12 | 1.49 |
| 27 | Florida profile | $22.70 | $47,220 | $36,450 | $56,160 | 140 | 0.01 | 0.17 |
| 28 | Utah profile | $22.39 | $46,580 | $31,870 | $82,220 | 100 | 0.06 | 0.71 |
| 29 | West Virginia profile | $21.85 | $45,440 | $39,740 | $61,340 | 120 | 0.18 | 2.21 |
| 30 | Maine profile | $21.74 | $45,210 | $45,210 | $74,630 | 120 | 0.19 | 2.40 |
| 31 | Arkansas profile | $21.36 | $44,440 | $35,600 | $74,330 | 160 | 0.13 | 1.57 |
| 32 | Tennessee profile | $21.02 | $43,710 | $29,570 | $60,790 | 1,170 | 0.36 | 4.47 |
| 33 | Oklahoma profile | $19.35 | $40,250 | $33,270 | $55,820 | 160 | 0.10 | 1.19 |
| 34 | Mississippi profile | $18.80 | $39,100 | $36,000 | $53,890 | 100 | 0.09 | 1.08 |
| 35 | Georgia profile | $18.43 | $38,340 | $32,760 | $57,520 | 120 | 0.02 | 0.30 |
| 36 | Alabama profile | $17.19 | $35,760 | $31,590 | $49,290 | 210 | 0.10 | 1.25 |
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 51-4035 Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic.
**- 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 51-4035, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- O*NET 30.1 Database, 51-4035.00, 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.