Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders Salary
Production Occupations · 59K employed in the U.S.
Median annual
$45,760
Median hourly
$22
Average annual
$47,260
Typical range
$34,630–$63,450
Pay distribution
10th to 90th percentile, with the median marked.
What this role pays
The median annual salary for Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders is $45,760 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 $22 an hour at a full-time schedule.
Set up, operate, or tend machines, such as glass-forming machines, plodder machines, and tuber machines, to shape and form products such as glassware, food, rubber, soap, brick, tile, clay, wax, tobacco, or cosmetics..
Most earn between $34,630 and $63,450 a year. There are roughly 59K people employed as extruding, forming, pressing, and compacting machine setters, operators, and tenders 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, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders.
- Hourly
- $22.00
- Daily
- $176
- Weekly
- $880
- Bi-weekly
- $1,760
- Monthly
- $3,813
- Annual
- $45,760
$45,760 a year is around the 50th percentile for Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenderss. The median is $45,760.
Highest-paying states
Median annual wage by state.
- 1Maine$57,990
- 2Pennsylvania$53,580
- 3Vermont$52,340
- 4Minnesota$52,070
- 5South Carolina$51,620
- 6West Virginia$50,690
- 7Nevada$50,050
- 8Virginia$49,390
- 9Iowa$49,340
- 10Colorado$49,100
- 11Utah$49,100
- 12Nebraska$48,760
Top-paying metro areas
Median annual wage by metro area.
- 1Modesto, CA$88,940
- 2Oshkosh-Neenah, WI$72,500
- 3Lincoln, NE$61,820
- 4Vallejo, CA$59,110
- 5Terre Haute, IN$59,080
- 6Duluth, MN-WI$57,910
- 7St. Louis, MO-IL$56,320
- 8Gulfport-Biloxi, MS$55,940
- 9San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$55,780
- 10Appleton, WI$54,630
- 11Reading, PA$54,530
- 12Stockton-Lodi, CA$54,200
Related job titles
Employers advertise Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders roles under these titles.
- Abrasive Wheel Molder
- Air Bag Curer
- Alfalfa Dehydrator Operator
- Arch Cushion Press Operator
- Auger Press Operator
- Automatic Lump Making Machine Tender
- Bag Bailer
- Bag Builder
- Bailer
- Bailing Machine Operator
- Baler Operator
- Baling Machine Operator
- Bark Press Operator
- Block Maker
- Block Making Machine Operator
- Block Press Operator
Related occupations
- Extruding and Forming Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Synthetic and Glass Fibers$46,350
- Machine Feeders and Offbearers$41,220
- Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$46,570
- Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$50,270
- Adhesive Bonding Machine Operators and Tenders$46,460
- Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$48,540
- Rolling Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$50,140
- Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$44,350
What a Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders does
- Monitor machine operations and observe lights and gauges to detect malfunctions.
- Turn controls to adjust machine functions, such as regulating air pressure, creating vacuums, and adjusting coolant flow.
- Clean dies, arbors, compression chambers, and molds, using swabs, sponges, or air hoses.
- Adjust machine components to regulate speeds, pressures, and temperatures, and amounts, dimensions, and flow of materials or ingredients.
- Press control buttons to activate machinery and equipment.
- Examine, measure, and weigh materials or products to verify conformance to standards, using measuring devices such as templates, micrometers, or scales.
- Notify supervisors when extruded filaments fail to meet standards.
- Record and maintain production data, such as meter readings, and quantities, types, and dimensions of materials produced.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does a 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 is $45,760 ($22 per hour). Pay ranges from about $34,630 at the 10th percentile to $63,450 at the 90th percentile.
- What is the average salary for a Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders?
- The average (mean) annual salary is $47,260, which is higher than the median because a small number of high earners pull the average up.
- Which state pays Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenderss the most?
- Maine has the highest median annual wage for this occupation at $57,990.
- Is Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders a growing occupation?
- BLS employment data for May 2025 counts about 59K people in this occupation. Projected growth is published separately in the BLS Employment Projections program.
- What does a Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders do?
- Monitor machine operations and observe lights and gauges to detect malfunctions.; Turn controls to adjust machine functions, such as regulating air pressure, creating vacuums, and adjusting coolant flow.; Clean dies, arbors, compression chambers, and molds, using swabs, sponges, or air hoses..