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How Much Does an Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setter, Operator, and Tender Make?

An extruding, forming, pressing, and compacting machine setter, operator, and tender in the US earns a median salary of $45,760 a year, or $22.00 an hour (BLS, May 2025). The average is $47,260, and the middle half earn between $38,360 and $52,580.

Median a year $45,760
Median an hour $22.00
Median a month $3,813
Average a year $47,260

Extruding, forming, pressing, and compacting machine setter, operator, and tender pay range

What extruding, forming, pressing, and compacting machine setters, operators, and tenders earn at each point of the pay scale. The 10th percentile is a rough guide to starting pay.

Percentile A year An hour
10th (lowest 10%) $34,630 $16.65
25th $38,360 $18.44
Median (50th) $45,760 $22.00
75th $52,580 $25.28
90th (top 10%) $63,450 $30.51

The median is 10% less than the $50,980 median for all US jobs. About 58,770 people work as extruding, forming, pressing, and compacting machine setters, operators, and tenders in the US.

After tax and by period

A week
$880
Every two weeks
$1,760
Twice a month
$1,907
A month
$3,813

At the median salary, before tax.

Extruding, forming, pressing, and compacting machine setter, operator, and tender salary by state

Sorted by average pay. Pennsylvania pays extruding, forming, pressing, and compacting machine setters, operators, and tenders the most, at $57,820 a year on average.

State Average Median Jobs After tax
Pennsylvania $57,820 $53,580 2,450 After tax
Maine $55,230 $57,990 140 After tax
South Carolina $53,530 $51,620 2,460 After tax
Minnesota $52,730 $52,070 560 After tax
Illinois $51,860 $47,370 1,690 After tax
Oregon $51,820 $48,360 370 After tax
Vermont $51,620 $52,340 160 After tax
Colorado $51,150 $49,100 280 After tax
Iowa $50,910 $49,340 500 After tax
California $50,900 $47,300 4,210 After tax
Nebraska $50,700 $48,760 750 After tax
Nevada $50,440 $50,050 – After tax
Virginia $50,180 $49,390 1,810 After tax
Washington $49,800 $44,510 750 After tax
West Virginia $49,380 $50,690 180 After tax
Ohio $48,980 $47,070 3,970 After tax
Utah $48,620 $49,100 250 After tax
New York $48,510 $44,660 3,260 After tax
Connecticut $48,450 $46,090 240 After tax
Mississippi $48,390 $46,560 660 After tax
New Jersey $48,200 $47,080 1,880 After tax
Missouri $47,940 $47,470 1,040 After tax
Massachusetts $47,900 $47,220 950 After tax
New Hampshire $47,800 $47,730 410 After tax
North Dakota $47,770 $46,220 270 After tax
Arizona $47,380 $46,440 700 After tax
Arkansas $46,990 $48,320 2,190 After tax
Indiana $46,720 $46,790 3,150 After tax
Wisconsin $46,580 $46,370 1,730 After tax
Maryland $46,380 $46,640 280 After tax
South Dakota $45,880 $43,240 610 After tax
Louisiana $45,360 $44,200 200 After tax
Georgia $44,930 $45,670 1,150 After tax
North Carolina $44,890 $43,050 3,420 After tax
Kansas $44,370 $44,290 600 After tax
Michigan $43,470 $39,790 1,970 After tax
Tennessee $43,230 $41,970 4,210 After tax
Rhode Island $42,570 $39,230 80 After tax
Oklahoma $42,220 $42,180 1,310 After tax
Florida $41,560 $39,800 780 After tax
Texas $41,230 $37,710 3,420 After tax
Idaho $40,900 $38,580 210 After tax
Alabama $39,900 $38,650 1,510 After tax
Kentucky $39,330 $36,180 1,690 After tax
New Mexico $35,320 $36,710 80 After tax
Puerto Rico $25,240 $23,330 330

A dash means BLS did not publish that figure for the state.

Other production jobs

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (published 2026), for “Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders” (SOC 51-9041). Wages are before tax and leave out self-employed workers. All job salaries

About the Job Salaries

Job Salaries shows what more than 500 US jobs pay, from nurses and electricians to software developers and truck drivers. Each job has its median and average salary, hourly and monthly pay, the pay range from the lowest-paid 10% to the top 10%, and a table of pay in every state. The figures come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, the largest survey of US pay, in its latest release.

How to use it

  1. 1 Search for a job or pick one from the list.
  2. 2 Read the median salary, hourly pay and the pay range.
  3. 3 Check the salary by state to see where the job pays most.
  4. 4 Open the take-home pay calculator to see the salary after tax.

Frequently asked questions

How much does an extruding, forming, pressing, and compacting machine setter, operator, and tender make an hour?

The median hourly wage for an extruding, forming, pressing, and compacting machine setter, operator, and tender is $22.00, and the average is $22.72. The lowest-paid 10% earn under $16.65 an hour and the top 10% over $30.51.

How much does an extruding, forming, pressing, and compacting machine setter, operator, and tender make a month?

At the median salary of $45,760, an extruding, forming, pressing, and compacting machine setter, operator, and tender earns about $3,813 a month before tax, or $1,760 every two weeks.

Which state pays extruding, forming, pressing, and compacting machine setters, operators, and tenders the most?

Pennsylvania has the highest average pay for an extruding, forming, pressing, and compacting machine setter, operator, and tender, at $57,820 a year. Next are Maine and South Carolina. Pay is usually higher where living costs are higher, so compare take-home pay too.

What is the starting salary for an extruding, forming, pressing, and compacting machine setter, operator, and tender?

The lowest-paid 10% of extruding, forming, pressing, and compacting machine setters, operators, and tenders earn less than $34,630 a year, and the lowest 25% less than $38,360. That is a fair guide to starting pay, which depends on the state, the employer and your experience.

How much do the highest-paid extruding, forming, pressing, and compacting machine setters, operators, and tenders make?

The top 10% earn more than $63,450 a year, and the top 25% more than $52,580.