Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic Salary in California
SOC 51-4193 · California · BLS OEWS May 2025
Median Annual Salary
$46,758
$22.48/hr
6.3% higher than the US national median ($43,971)
Verified BLS OEWS data · Updated May 18, 2026
Is this a competitive Plating Machine Setters salary in California in 2026?
Based on BLS OEWS wage percentiles, JOLTS August 2026 demand signals, and ECI Q2 2026 wage growth.
$Competitive · ~P50
P10$37K
P25$39K
P50$47K
P75$51K
P90$60K
Drag the dot or type an amount above.
⚡
Demand: ACTIVE. Demand is active -- manufacturing openings are at 4.0% (JOLTS, August 2026). A balanced market where the median is a solid, competitive anchor.
📈
Merit budget: Wages in manufacturing are rising about 3.3% a year (BLS ECI, Q2 2026). Budget a 2.9-3.4% merit increase to hold this role at market.
Our read
For a competitive 2026 offer, target $46,758 to $51,189 (market median to the 75th percentile). The median-to-P75 range keeps offers competitive.
Figures are market benchmarks from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics; apply professional judgment before making pay decisions.
How Plating Machine Setters pay is moving in 2026
Trend, demand, and spread context from BLS OEWS, JOLTS, and ECI
Pay trend
Median pay for this role rose 5.7% between the May 2024 and May 2025 BLS surveys, outpacing the 3.3% wage growth of Manufacturing (BLS ECI).
Hiring demand · MODERATE
Manufacturing is running a 4.0% job-openings rate with quits at 1.6% (BLS JOLTS). The openings rate has held near 4.0% over the past quarter.
Pay spread
Top earners (P90) make about 1.8 times what entry-level (P10) workers make in this role. That spread is narrower than typical, so pay is fairly standardized; small differences move a candidate across the market.
What changed recently
Sep 29, 2026JOLTS August 2026: sector openings eased to 4.0% (down 54K) after July's durable-goods jump, which held at 4.4% on revision. Quits rose to 1.6%, led by nondurable goods.
Sep 1, 2026JOLTS July 2026: sector openings jumped to 4.4% (up 79K), all of it in durable goods, the biggest sector move this release. Quits eased to 1.4%.
Aug 4, 2026JOLTS June 2026: sector openings eased to 3.7%, with nondurable goods driving the pullback. Quits steady at 1.5%.
Commentary is generated from published BLS figures (OEWS May 2025 vs May 2024, JOLTS August 2026, ECI Q2 2026) and refreshed each release. It is interpretation, not a BLS product.
Source: BLS OEWS · Published May 15, 2026
Next refresh: May 2027
Get notified when this number updates
Personal or work email, both work. No account needed. Unsubscribe anytime.
The median salary for Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic in California is $46,758 per year ($22.48/hr). This is 6.3% higher than the national median of $43,971.
About This Role
BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018
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.
Wage Percentiles: California
Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours) · National adjusted
Percentile
Hourly Rate
Annual Salary
vs National
P10Entry level
$17.66
$36,733
+8.7%
P25
$18.94
$39,395
+5.8%
P50MEDIAN
$22.48
$46,758
+6.3%
P75
$24.61
$51,189
+3.2%
P90Top earners
$28.66
$59,613
-1.2%
How California compares for Plating Machine Setters
Computed from this state's own BLS distribution against national
Pay for Plating Machine Setters in California is above national (+8.7%) at entry but in line with national (-1.2%) at the top, so local pay sits relatively lower toward the senior end of the range.
An offer at the national median of $43,971 would sit at about the 40th percentile in California.
The top of the range earns 1.62 times the bottom here against 1.79 times nationally, so pay for this role is more compressed between entry and senior levels in California.
California employs 5,600 people in this role, 17.3% of the national total.
Get the full percentile report
P10–P90 breakdown, career outlook, industry wages, and JOLTS market signal for Plating Machine Setters
Free. No account needed. Unsubscribe anytime.
Career Outlook
BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034
10-year growth
-13.6%
Much slower than average
Annual openings
3K
per year, on avg
Workforce today
32K
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
Coating, Engraving, Heat Treating, and Allied Activities
NAICS 332800
20K
$40,140
Semiconductor and Other Electronic Component Manufacturing
NAICS 334400
2K
$45,410
Wage range across top 5 industries: $40,140 to $45,410 (13% spread)
See the complete picture
Full percentile breakdown · JOLTS market signals · Geographic comparison · AI analyst briefs
No credit card required · 770+ occupations · 393 metros
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the median plating machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic salary in California?
The median (P50) annual salary for Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic in California is approximately $46,758, based on BLS OEWS May 2025 data. This is 6.3% higher than the national median of $43,971. 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.
