Occupation overview

Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders Salary in the United States

The median annual wage for extruding, forming, pressing, and compacting machine setters, operators, and tenders is $45,760, or $22.00 per hour. About 58,770 people work in this occupation nationwide. Wages vary substantially by state — from $57,990 in Maine to $36,180 in Kentucky.

Median annual
$45,760
Median hourly
$22.00
Entry level (P10)
$34,630
Top 10% (P90)
$63,450
Employment
58,770
States covered
45

Wage distribution nationwide

Earnings spread across all U.S. workers in this occupation.

10th percentile90th percentile
$34,630
$38,360
$45,760
$52,580
$34,630$45,760$63,450
Annual wage distribution. Highlighted segment contains the median of $45,760.

Salary by state

All 45 states with published data, ranked by median annual wage.

#StateMedian annual Median hourlyEmployment Location quotient
1Maine$57,990$27.881400.59
2Pennsylvania$53,580$25.762,4501.07
3Vermont$52,340$25.161601.39
4Minnesota$52,070$25.035600.51
5South Carolina$51,620$24.822,4602.82
6West Virginia$50,690$24.371800.69
7Nevada$50,050$24.06——
8Virginia$49,390$23.741,8101.17
9Iowa$49,340$23.725000.84
10Utah$49,100$23.612500.38
11Colorado$49,100$23.612800.26
12Nebraska$48,760$23.447501.93
13Oregon$48,360$23.253700.50
14Arkansas$48,320$23.232,1904.44
15New Hampshire$47,730$22.954101.59
16Missouri$47,470$22.821,0400.93
17Illinois$47,370$22.781,6900.73
18California$47,300$22.744,2100.61
19Massachusetts$47,220$22.709500.69
20New Jersey$47,080$22.631,8801.16
21Ohio$47,070$22.633,9701.89
22Indiana$46,790$22.503,1502.60
23Maryland$46,640$22.432800.27
24Mississippi$46,560$22.396601.50
25Arizona$46,440$22.337000.57
26Wisconsin$46,370$22.301,7301.56
27North Dakota$46,220$22.222701.64
28Connecticut$46,090$22.162400.37
29Georgia$45,670$21.961,1500.62
30New York$44,660$21.473,2600.89
31Washington$44,510$21.407500.56
32Kansas$44,290$21.306001.11
33Louisiana$44,200$21.252000.28
34South Dakota$43,240$20.796103.51
35North Carolina$43,050$20.703,4201.83
36Oklahoma$42,180$20.281,3102.04
37Tennessee$41,970$20.184,2103.39
38Florida$39,800$19.147800.21
39Michigan$39,790$19.131,9701.18
40Rhode Island$39,230$18.86800.45
41Alabama$38,650$18.581,5101.89
42Idaho$38,580$18.552100.65
43Texas$37,710$18.133,4200.64
44New Mexico$36,710$17.65800.25
45Kentucky$36,180$17.401,6902.24

Related occupations

Same job family, ranked by national employment.

Frequently asked questions

How much do extruding, forming, pressing, and compacting machine setters, operators, and tenders make?

The median annual wage for extruding, forming, pressing, and compacting machine setters, operators, and tenders in the United States is $45,760, or $22.00 per hour. Entry-level workers (10th percentile) earn $34,630, and the top 10% earn $63,450.

How many extruding, forming, pressing, and compacting machine setters, operators, and tenders are employed in the U.S.?

About 58,770 people work as extruding, forming, pressing, and compacting machine setters, operators, and tenders nationwide.

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

Maine pays the most at a median of $57,990, followed by Pennsylvania ($53,580) and Vermont ($52,340).

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

Kentucky has the lowest median at $36,180.

Where are extruding, forming, pressing, and compacting machine setters, operators, and tenders jobs most concentrated?

The location quotient measures employment concentration relative to the national average. The highest is Arkansas at 4.44×.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025. Retrieved 2026-10-26. bls.gov/oes