Rolling Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic Salary in the United States
The median annual wage for rolling machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic in the U.S. is $50,140 ($24.10 per hour), according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, May 2025 estimates.
- Median annual wage
- $50,140
- Mean annual wage
- $53,220
- Median hourly wage
- $24.10
- Employment
- 25,250
25,250 employed
Wage percentiles
| Percentile | Annual wage | Hourly wage |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $37,690 | $18.12 |
| 25th percentile | $44,020 | $21.16 |
| Median (50th) | $50,140 | $24.10 |
| 75th percentile | $61,880 | $29.75 |
| 90th percentile | $70,310 | $33.80 |
Highest-paying states for rolling machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic
| State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Iowa | $72,670 | 660 |
| Pennsylvania | $66,970 | 3,070 |
| Vermont | $66,240 | 40 |
| Washington | $63,560 | 350 |
| Maryland | $61,470 | 310 |
| New York | $60,890 | 420 |
| Minnesota | $60,620 | 50 |
| Connecticut | $60,610 | 150 |
| New Hampshire | $60,570 | 40 |
| Colorado | $57,500 | 110 |
Lowest-paying states
- Mississippi: $39,320 median annual wage
- Kansas: $40,260 median annual wage
- North Dakota: $43,480 median annual wage
- Michigan: $44,090 median annual wage
- Georgia: $45,050 median annual wage
About this occupation
Set up, operate, or tend machines to roll steel or plastic forming bends, beads, knurls, rolls, or plate, or to flatten, temper, or reduce gauge of material.
Typical tasks
- Set distance points between rolls, guides, meters, and stops, according to specifications.
- Position, align, and secure arbors, spindles, coils, mandrels, dies, and slitting knives.
- Read rolling orders, blueprints, and mill schedules to determine setup specifications, work sequences, product dimensions, and installation procedures.
- Monitor machine cycles and mill operation to detect jamming and to ensure that products conform to specifications.
- Examine, inspect, and measure raw materials and finished products to verify conformance to specifications.
- Thread or feed sheets or rods through rolling mechanisms, or start and control mechanisms that automatically feed steel into rollers.
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.