Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic Salary
Production Occupations · 61K employed in the U.S.
Median annual
$47,720
Median hourly
$23
Average annual
$49,480
Typical range
$36,700–$63,710
Pay distribution
10th to 90th percentile, with the median marked.
What this role pays
The median annual salary for Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic is $47,720 as of May 2025, based on the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey. That works out to about $23 an hour at a full-time schedule.
Set up, operate, or tend machines to extrude or draw thermoplastic or metal materials into tubes, rods, hoses, wire, bars, or structural shapes..
Most earn between $36,700 and $63,710 a year. There are roughly 61K people employed as extruding and drawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic in the United States. Use the state and metro pages below to see how pay changes by location, and the calculator to convert any hourly or annual figure.
Salary calculator
Convert your pay and see where it lands for Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic.
- Hourly
- $22.94
- Daily
- $184
- Weekly
- $918
- Bi-weekly
- $1,835
- Monthly
- $3,977
- Annual
- $47,720
$47,720 a year is around the 50th percentile for Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastics. The median is $47,720.
Highest-paying states
Median annual wage by state.
- 1Rhode Island$61,350
- 2Vermont$59,220
- 3North Carolina$53,330
- 4Nebraska$52,360
- 5Minnesota$51,830
- 6New Jersey$51,180
- 7Pennsylvania$51,150
- 8Colorado$51,110
- 9Massachusetts$50,370
- 10Connecticut$50,230
- 11Wisconsin$50,230
- 12New Hampshire$50,210
Top-paying metro areas
Median annual wage by metro area.
- 1Burlington-South Burlington, VT$64,760
- 2Oshkosh-Neenah, WI$64,760
- 3Cedar Rapids, IA$64,520
- 4Appleton, WI$61,960
- 5Lincoln, NE$61,570
- 6Duluth, MN-WI$61,530
- 7Pittsburgh, PA$60,820
- 8Greensboro-High Point, NC$60,390
- 9Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ$57,370
- 10Fort Wayne, IN$56,970
- 11Manchester-Nashua, NH$56,820
- 12Columbia, SC$56,430
Related job titles
Employers advertise Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic roles under these titles.
Related occupations
- Extruding and Forming Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Synthetic and Glass Fibers$46,350
- Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$44,350
- Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$46,330
- Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$47,180
- Rolling Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$50,140
- Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$46,570
- Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$50,270
- Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$45,760
What a Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic does
- Measure and examine extruded products to locate defects and to check for conformance to specifications, adjusting controls as necessary to alter products.
- Determine setup procedures and select machine dies and parts, according to specifications.
- Start machines and set controls to regulate vacuum, air pressure, sizing rings, and temperature, and to synchronize speed of extrusion.
- Reel extruded products into rolls of specified lengths and weights.
- Install dies, machine screws, and sizing rings on machines that extrude thermoplastic or metal materials.
- Change dies on extruding machines, according to production line changes.
- Clean work areas.
- Troubleshoot, maintain, and make minor repairs to equipment.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does a Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic make?
- The median annual wage for Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic is $47,720 ($23 per hour). Pay ranges from about $36,700 at the 10th percentile to $63,710 at the 90th percentile.
- What is the average salary for a Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic?
- The average (mean) annual salary is $49,480, which is higher than the median because a small number of high earners pull the average up.
- Which state pays Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastics the most?
- Rhode Island has the highest median annual wage for this occupation at $61,350.
- Is Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic a growing occupation?
- BLS employment data for May 2025 counts about 61K people in this occupation. Projected growth is published separately in the BLS Employment Projections program.
- What does a Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic do?
- Measure and examine extruded products to locate defects and to check for conformance to specifications, adjusting controls as necessary to alter products.; Determine setup procedures and select machine dies and parts, according to specifications.; Start machines and set controls to regulate vacuum, air pressure, sizing rings, and temperature, and to synchronize speed of extrusion..