Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic Salary
Production Occupations · 8.9K employed in the U.S.
Median annual
$49,030
Median hourly
$24
Average annual
$51,680
Typical range
$36,800–$68,720
Pay distribution
10th to 90th percentile, with the median marked.
What this role pays
The median annual salary for Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic is $49,030 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 $24 an hour at a full-time schedule.
Set up, operate, or tend forging machines to taper, shape, or form metal or plastic parts..
Most earn between $36,800 and $68,720 a year. There are roughly 8.9K people employed as forging 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 Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic.
- Hourly
- $23.57
- Daily
- $189
- Weekly
- $943
- Bi-weekly
- $1,886
- Monthly
- $4,086
- Annual
- $49,030
$49,030 a year is around the 50th percentile for Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastics. The median is $49,030.
Highest-paying states
Median annual wage by state.
Top-paying metro areas
Median annual wage by metro area.
- 1San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$67,230
- 2Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD$63,880
- 3Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI$61,980
- 4Pittsburgh, PA$61,480
- 5Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI$60,500
- 6Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO$60,090
- 7Cleveland, OH$59,670
- 8Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA$59,320
- 9Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH$58,980
- 10Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN$57,740
- 11Canton-Massillon, OH$55,430
- 12Erie, PA$55,250
Related job titles
Employers advertise Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic roles under these titles.
- Automatic Casting-Forging Machine Operator
- Board Hammer Operator
- Buckshot Swage Operator
- Bulldozer Press Operator
- Charging Manipulator
- Cold Header Operator
- Die Forger
- Die Holder
- Die Machine Operator
- Drop Count Associate
- Drop Forge Hand
- Drop Forge Operator
- Drop Forger
- Drop Hammer Set Up Operator
- Drophammer Operator
- Expander
Related occupations
- Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$50,620
- Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$46,330
- Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing$43,380
- Tool and Die Makers$64,050
- Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$47,180
- Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$46,550
- Rolling Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$50,140
- Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand$42,660
What a Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic does
- Measure and inspect machined parts to ensure conformance to product specifications.
- Set up, operate, or tend presses and forging machines to perform hot or cold forging by flattening, straightening, bending, cutting, piercing, or other operations to taper, shape, or form metal.
- Turn handles or knobs to set pressures and depths of ram strokes and to synchronize machine operations.
- Install, adjust, and remove dies, synchronizing cams, forging hammers, and stop guides, using overhead cranes or other hoisting devices, and hand tools.
- Start machines to produce sample workpieces, and observe operations to detect machine malfunctions and to verify that machine setups conform to specifications.
- Confer with other workers about machine setups and operational specifications.
- Remove dies from machines when production runs are finished.
- Read work orders or blueprints to determine specified tolerances and sequences of operations for machine setup.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does a Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic make?
- The median annual wage for Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic is $49,030 ($24 per hour). Pay ranges from about $36,800 at the 10th percentile to $68,720 at the 90th percentile.
- What is the average salary for a Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic?
- The average (mean) annual salary is $51,680, which is higher than the median because a small number of high earners pull the average up.
- Which state pays Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastics the most?
- Oregon has the highest median annual wage for this occupation at $69,210.
- Is Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic a growing occupation?
- BLS employment data for May 2025 counts about 8.9K people in this occupation. Projected growth is published separately in the BLS Employment Projections program.
- What does a Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic do?
- Measure and inspect machined parts to ensure conformance to product specifications.; Set up, operate, or tend presses and forging machines to perform hot or cold forging by flattening, straightening, bending, cutting, piercing, or other operations to taper, shape, or form metal.; Turn handles or knobs to set pressures and depths of ram strokes and to synchronize machine operations..