Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders Salary in the United States
The median annual wage for paper goods machine setters, operators, and tenders is $50,270, or $24.17 per hour. About 96,130 people work in this occupation nationwide. Wages vary substantially by state — from $63,640 in Oklahoma to $45,840 in Kansas.
Wage distribution nationwide
Earnings spread across all U.S. workers in this occupation.
Salary by state
All 43 states with published data, ranked by median annual wage.
| # | State | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oklahoma | $63,640 | $30.60 | 1,390 | 1.31 |
| 2 | Maine | $61,780 | $29.70 | 740 | 1.88 |
| 3 | Utah | $60,790 | $29.23 | 1,350 | 1.25 |
| 4 | Washington | $59,410 | $28.56 | 2,170 | 0.99 |
| 5 | Louisiana | $58,230 | $28.00 | 1,150 | 0.96 |
| 6 | Minnesota | $58,150 | $27.96 | 1,960 | 1.08 |
| 7 | Wisconsin | $58,050 | $27.91 | 8,510 | 4.68 |
| 8 | Kentucky | $58,050 | $27.91 | 2,670 | 2.16 |
| 9 | Idaho | $57,950 | $27.86 | 480 | 0.90 |
| 10 | Oregon | $56,810 | $27.31 | 680 | 0.56 |
| 11 | Illinois | $56,400 | $27.11 | 5,360 | 1.42 |
| 12 | New Mexico | $53,930 | $25.93 | 100 | 0.18 |
| 13 | New York | $52,800 | $25.39 | 3,280 | 0.55 |
| 14 | Alabama | $52,290 | $25.14 | 3,800 | 2.91 |
| 15 | Pennsylvania | $51,780 | $24.89 | 7,410 | 1.98 |
| 16 | Michigan | $50,540 | $24.30 | 3,000 | 1.10 |
| 17 | New Hampshire | $50,200 | $24.13 | 230 | 0.54 |
| 18 | Georgia | $50,160 | $24.12 | 5,650 | 1.87 |
| 19 | South Carolina | $50,040 | $24.06 | 2,460 | 1.73 |
| 20 | Virginia | $49,900 | $23.99 | 2,370 | 0.93 |
| 21 | Arizona | $49,160 | $23.63 | 1,190 | 0.59 |
| 22 | Colorado | $48,940 | $23.53 | 240 | 0.13 |
| 23 | Florida | $48,910 | $23.51 | 1,360 | 0.22 |
| 24 | Massachusetts | $48,840 | $23.48 | 1,920 | 0.85 |
| 25 | Indiana | $48,780 | $23.45 | 2,580 | 1.31 |
| 26 | California | $48,730 | $23.43 | 5,570 | 0.49 |
| 27 | Rhode Island | $48,710 | $23.42 | 240 | 0.77 |
| 28 | Arkansas | $48,630 | $23.38 | 2,060 | 2.55 |
| 29 | Connecticut | $48,530 | $23.33 | 650 | 0.62 |
| 30 | Delaware | $48,110 | $23.13 | 160 | 0.55 |
| 31 | Nebraska | $47,980 | $23.07 | 300 | 0.48 |
| 32 | North Carolina | $47,940 | $23.05 | 4,800 | 1.57 |
| 33 | Texas | $47,830 | $23.00 | 3,740 | 0.43 |
| 34 | Nevada | $47,780 | $22.97 | 380 | 0.40 |
| 35 | Maryland | $47,780 | $22.97 | 480 | 0.28 |
| 36 | Missouri | $47,560 | $22.87 | 1,540 | 0.85 |
| 37 | Ohio | $47,450 | $22.81 | 4,640 | 1.35 |
| 38 | Mississippi | $47,380 | $22.78 | 960 | 1.33 |
| 39 | Tennessee | $46,920 | $22.56 | 3,490 | 1.72 |
| 40 | South Dakota | $46,910 | $22.55 | 130 | 0.45 |
| 41 | Iowa | $46,110 | $22.17 | 1,010 | 1.04 |
| 42 | New Jersey | $45,950 | $22.09 | 3,210 | 1.21 |
| 43 | Kansas | $45,840 | $22.04 | 420 | 0.47 |
Related occupations
Same job family, ranked by national employment.
Frequently asked questions
How much do paper goods machine setters, operators, and tenders make?
The median annual wage for paper goods machine setters, operators, and tenders in the United States is $50,270, or $24.17 per hour. Entry-level workers (10th percentile) earn $37,300, and the top 10% earn $70,320.
How many paper goods machine setters, operators, and tenders are employed in the U.S.?
About 96,130 people work as paper goods machine setters, operators, and tenders nationwide.
Which state pays paper goods machine setters, operators, and tenders the most?
Oklahoma pays the most at a median of $63,640, followed by Maine ($61,780) and Utah ($60,790).
Which state pays paper goods machine setters, operators, and tenders the least?
Kansas has the lowest median at $45,840.
Where are paper goods machine setters, operators, and tenders jobs most concentrated?
The location quotient measures employment concentration relative to the national average. The highest is Wisconsin at 4.68×.