Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic Salary - BLS OEWS Wage Benchmarks
SOC 51-4035 · National · May 2025 OEWS Data
Median Annual Salary
$52,811
$25.39/hr
Verified BLS OEWS data · Updated May 18, 2026
Source: BLS OEWS · Published May 15, 2026
Next refresh: May 2027
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The national median salary for Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic is $52,811 per year ($25.39/hr) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025. The middle 50% of earners make between $45,219 and $64,896 annually. Top earners at the 90th percentile reach $81,037 per year. There are approximately 12,460 milling and planing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic employed in the United States.
About This Role
BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018
Set up, operate, or tend milling or planing machines to mill, plane, shape, groove, or profile metal or plastic work pieces.
Career Outlook
BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034
10-year growth
-14.4%
Much slower than average
Annual openings
1K
per year, on avg
Workforce today
14K
as of 2024
Why those openings exist
0% from new growth100% from people leaving the role
Most openings come from replacement, not growth. Retention matters more than recruiting here.
Typical entry requirements
Education
High school diploma or equivalent
Experience
None
On-the-job training
Moderate-term on-the-job training
Industry Wage Breakdown
Top 5 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific
Industry
Workforce
Median Pay
Machine Shops; Turned Product; and Screw, Nut, and Bolt Manufacturing
NAICS 332700
2K
$56,560
Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing
NAICS 336400
1K
$81,490
Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3321, 3322, 3325, 3326, and 3329 only)
NAICS 3320A1
1K
$46,610
Alumina and Aluminum Production and Processing
NAICS 331300
1K
$68,670
Machinery Manufacturing (3331, 3332, 3334, and 3339 only)
NAICS 3330A1
880
$55,000
Wage range across top 5 industries: $46,610 to $81,490 (75% spread)
Wage Percentiles
Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours)
Percentile
Hourly Rate
Annual Salary
P10
$18.19
$37,835
P25
$21.74
$45,219
P50MEDIAN
$25.39
$52,811
P75
$31.20
$64,896
P90
$38.96
$81,037
Market Context Signal
JOLTS · manufacturing sector
Stable
Openings Rate
3.5%
Quits Rate
1.4%
Manufacturing openings ticked up to 462K (+19K) in March, with the rate at 3.5%. Hires rose to 310K. The sector has stabilized after late-2025 softening.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average milling and planing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic salary?
The national median salary for Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic is $52,811 per year ($25.39/hr) according to BLS OEWS May 2025 data. The middle 50% earn between $45,219 and $64,896 annually.
How much do top-earning milling and planing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic make?
The 90th percentile salary for Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic is $81,037 per year ($38.96/hr). The 75th percentile is $64,896 per year.
What is the entry-level salary for milling and planing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic?
Entry-level Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic (10th percentile) earn approximately $37,835 per year ($18.19/hr). The 25th percentile is $45,219 per year.
Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025 release. OEWS surveys roughly 1.1 million establishments annually. It is the most comprehensive employer-reported wage dataset in the United States.
P10 through P90 percentiles represent the wage distribution across all surveyed employers (not self-reported by workers). Geographic adjustments use BLS-derived cost multipliers calibrated from regional wage variation.
Wages are estimates. Individual compensation depends on experience, education, employer size, industry, and negotiation. Use this as benchmark context, not absolute ground truth.
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