Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic Salary in the United States
The median annual wage for plating machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic in the U.S. is $43,960 ($21.14 per hour), according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, May 2025 estimates.
- Median annual wage
- $43,960
- Mean annual wage
- $45,100
- Median hourly wage
- $21.14
- Employment
- 32,410
32,410 employed
Wage percentiles
| Percentile | Annual wage | Hourly wage |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $33,790 | $16.25 |
| 25th percentile | $37,260 | $17.91 |
| Median (50th) | $43,960 | $21.14 |
| 75th percentile | $49,600 | $23.85 |
| 90th percentile | $60,370 | $29.02 |
Highest-paying states for plating machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic
| State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Iowa | $70,910 | 440 |
| Washington | $58,000 | 410 |
| Mississippi | $52,090 | 60 |
| Arkansas | $51,140 | 230 |
| Oklahoma | $49,330 | 180 |
| Oregon | $48,050 | 310 |
| Nebraska | $48,010 | 400 |
| Colorado | $47,930 | 190 |
| Arizona | $47,110 | 640 |
| Utah | $46,940 | 180 |
Lowest-paying states
- Alabama: $33,730 median annual wage
- Louisiana: $34,040 median annual wage
- Kentucky: $34,680 median annual wage
- Connecticut: $37,220 median annual wage
- Nevada: $37,460 median annual wage
About this occupation
Set up, operate, or tend plating machines to coat metal or plastic products with chromium, zinc, copper, cadmium, nickel, or other metal to protect or decorate surfaces. Typically, the product being coated is immersed in molten metal or an electrolytic solution.
Typical tasks
- Observe gauges to ensure that machines are operating properly, making adjustments or stopping machines when problems occur.
- Operate hoists to place workpieces onto machine feed carriages or spindles.
- Position containers to receive parts, and load or unload materials in containers, using dollies or handtrucks.
- Inspect coated or plated areas for defects, such as air bubbles or uneven coverage.
- Examine completed objects to determine thicknesses of metal deposits, or measure thicknesses by using instruments such as micrometers.
- Position objects to be plated in frames, or suspend them from positive or negative terminals of power supplies.
Education of the current workforce — typical entry: High school diploma or equivalent
| Education level | Share of workers |
|---|---|
| Less than high school diploma | 16.8% |
| High school diploma or equivalent | 49.5% |
| Some college, no degree | 19.4% |
| Associate's degree | 8.2% |
| Bachelor's degree | 5.2% |
| Master's degree | 0.8% |
| Doctoral or professional degree | 0.1% |
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.