Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic Salary in the United States
The median annual wage for extruding and drawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic in the U.S. is $47,720 ($22.94 per hour), according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, May 2025 estimates.
- Median annual wage
- $47,720
- Mean annual wage
- $49,480
- Median hourly wage
- $22.94
- Employment
- 60,840
60,840 employed
Wage percentiles
| Percentile | Annual wage | Hourly wage |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $36,700 | $17.65 |
| 25th percentile | $40,450 | $19.45 |
| Median (50th) | $47,720 | $22.94 |
| 75th percentile | $56,840 | $27.33 |
| 90th percentile | $63,710 | $30.63 |
Highest-paying states for extruding and drawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic
| State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Rhode Island | $61,350 | 430 |
| Vermont | $59,220 | 60 |
| North Carolina | $53,330 | 2,950 |
| Nebraska | $52,360 | 510 |
| Minnesota | $51,830 | 900 |
| New Jersey | $51,180 | 750 |
| Pennsylvania | $51,150 | 2,960 |
| Colorado | $51,110 | 240 |
| Massachusetts | $50,370 | 1,490 |
| Connecticut | $50,230 | 1,000 |
Lowest-paying states
- Idaho: $34,700 median annual wage
- Oklahoma: $38,820 median annual wage
- Florida: $39,730 median annual wage
- Nevada: $44,210 median annual wage
- Mississippi: $44,220 median annual wage
About this occupation
Set up, operate, or tend machines to extrude or draw thermoplastic or metal materials into tubes, rods, hoses, wire, bars, or structural shapes.
Typical tasks
- Operate shearing mechanisms to cut rods to specified lengths.
- Troubleshoot, maintain, and make minor repairs to equipment.
- Weigh and mix pelletized, granular, or powdered thermoplastic materials and coloring pigments.
- Start machines and set controls to regulate vacuum, air pressure, sizing rings, and temperature, and to synchronize speed of extrusion.
- Load machine hoppers with mixed materials, using augers, or stuff rolls of plastic dough into machine cylinders.
- Select nozzles, spacers, and wire guides, according to diameters and lengths of rods.
Education of the current workforce — typical entry: High school diploma or equivalent
| Education level | Share of workers |
|---|---|
| Less than high school diploma | 12.7% |
| High school diploma or equivalent | 56.6% |
| Some college, no degree | 21.0% |
| Associate's degree | 4.5% |
| Bachelor's degree | 4.5% |
| Master's degree | 0.6% |
Occupation profile data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor.
Related occupations
- Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators$44,650
- First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers$74,450
- Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers$48,570
- Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers$53,750
- Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders$43,220
- Machinists$58,750
- Production Workers, All Other$40,110
- Electrical, Electronic, and Electromechanical Assemblers, Except Coil Winders, Tapers, and Finishers$45,850
About this data
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — data period May 2025, retrieved August 13, 2026.
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — data period May 2025, retrieved August 13, 2026.
- CareerOneStop Occupation Profiles — data period 2026-08, retrieved August 14, 2026.
Figures are shown exactly as published by the source or derived by the documented formulas on our methodology page. Where a source suppresses an estimate, we show “—” rather than a substitute value.