Occupation overview

Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic Salary in the United States

The median annual wage for heat treating equipment setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic is $48,750, or $23.44 per hour. About 14,000 people work in this occupation nationwide. Wages vary substantially by state — from $61,990 in Washington to $35,180 in Louisiana.

Median annual
$48,750
Median hourly
$23.44
Entry level (P10)
$35,180
Top 10% (P90)
$66,350
Employment
14,000
States covered
37

Wage distribution nationwide

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

10th percentile90th percentile
$35,180
$40,660
$48,750
$58,400
$35,180$48,750$66,350
Annual wage distribution. Highlighted segment contains the median of $48,750.

Salary by state

All 37 states with published data, ranked by median annual wage.

#StateMedian annual Median hourlyEmployment Location quotient
1Washington$61,990$29.801400.45
2Oregon$60,280$28.982401.34
3Colorado$58,300$28.031000.40
4West Virginia$56,880$27.35701.06
5Virginia$55,070$26.471900.50
6Tennessee$54,930$26.416702.26
7New York$52,940$25.452800.32
8Ohio$52,880$25.421,0402.09
9New Hampshire$52,250$25.12901.49
10Oklahoma$51,680$24.851200.81
11Arizona$50,660$24.361600.53
12Michigan$50,560$24.311,1903.00
13California$50,150$24.117700.47
14Iowa$49,760$23.931200.88
15New Jersey$49,640$23.864401.14
16Massachusetts$49,280$23.692500.76
17Wisconsin$49,100$23.614701.78
18Pennsylvania$48,800$23.461,5202.78
19Nebraska$48,120$23.14500.51
20Missouri$47,980$23.071400.52
21Utah$47,860$23.01900.59
22Kansas$47,500$22.84500.39
23Florida$47,370$22.771500.17
24Kentucky$47,090$22.643401.87
25Alabama$46,920$22.561700.88
26Indiana$46,860$22.539903.45
27South Carolina$46,750$22.482901.38
28North Carolina$46,660$22.433200.72
29Mississippi$46,630$22.42800.72
30Maine$45,590$21.92400.66
31Illinois$45,340$21.808501.55
32Connecticut$44,350$21.323202.12
33Georgia$44,050$21.182500.56
34Texas$41,690$20.041,4501.14
35Minnesota$41,100$19.76900.33
36Arkansas$37,590$18.072001.68
37Louisiana$35,180$16.92——

Related occupations

Same job family, ranked by national employment.

Frequently asked questions

How much do heat treating equipment setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic make?

The median annual wage for heat treating equipment setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic in the United States is $48,750, or $23.44 per hour. Entry-level workers (10th percentile) earn $35,180, and the top 10% earn $66,350.

How many heat treating equipment setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic are employed in the U.S.?

About 14,000 people work as heat treating equipment setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic nationwide.

Which state pays heat treating equipment setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic the most?

Washington pays the most at a median of $61,990, followed by Oregon ($60,280) and Colorado ($58,300).

Which state pays heat treating equipment setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic the least?

Louisiana has the lowest median at $35,180.

Where are heat treating equipment setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic jobs most concentrated?

The location quotient measures employment concentration relative to the national average. The highest is Indiana at 3.45×.

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