Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic Salary in Tennessee
SOC 51-4035 · Tennessee · BLS OEWS May 2025
Median Annual Salary
$43,722
$21.02/hr
17.2% lower than the US national median ($52,811)
Verified BLS OEWS data · Updated May 18, 2026
Source: BLS OEWS · Published May 15, 2026
Next refresh: May 2027
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The median salary for Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic in Tennessee is $43,722 per year ($21.02/hr). This is 17.2% lower than the national median of $52,811.
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.
Wage Percentiles: Tennessee
Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours) · National adjusted
Percentile
Hourly Rate
Annual Salary
vs National
P10Entry level
$14.22
$29,578
-21.8%
P25
$16.18
$33,654
-25.6%
P50MEDIAN
$21.02
$43,722
-17.2%
P75
$22.41
$46,613
-28.2%
P90Top earners
$29.23
$60,798
-25.0%
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P10–P90 breakdown, career outlook, industry wages, and JOLTS market signal for Milling and Planing Machine Setters
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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 2 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
Wage range across top 5 industries: $56,560 to $81,490 (44% spread)
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Full percentile breakdown · JOLTS market signals · Geographic comparison · AI analyst briefs
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the median milling and planing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic salary in Tennessee?
The median (P50) annual salary for Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic in Tennessee is approximately $43,722, based on BLS OEWS May 2025 data. This is 17.2% lower than the national median of $52,811. For the full P10–P90 breakdown and market context, open CompSignal.
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.
CompSignal is a free labor market intelligence tool built for HR, compensation, and talent acquisition teams. We make BLS data, the same primary source Mercer and Radford cross-reference in their paid surveys, searchable and actionable without an enterprise subscription.
Built and maintained by Falcon Incentives, a compensation strategy and incentive design consultancy.