Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic Salary
Production Occupations · 32K employed in the U.S.
Median annual
$43,960
Median hourly
$21
Average annual
$45,100
Typical range
$33,790–$60,370
Pay distribution
10th to 90th percentile, with the median marked.
What this role pays
The median annual salary for Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic is $43,960 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 $21 an hour at a full-time schedule.
Set up, operate, or tend plating machines to coat metal or plastic products with chromium, zinc, copper, cadmium, nickel, or other metal to protect or decorate surfaces. Typically, the product being coated is immersed in molten metal or an electrolytic solution..
Most earn between $33,790 and $60,370 a year. There are roughly 32K people employed as plating 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 Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic.
- Hourly
- $21.13
- Daily
- $169
- Weekly
- $845
- Bi-weekly
- $1,691
- Monthly
- $3,663
- Annual
- $43,960
$43,960 a year is around the 50th percentile for Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastics. The median is $43,960.
Highest-paying states
Median annual wage by state.
- 1Iowa$70,910
- 2Washington$58,000
- 3Mississippi$52,090
- 4Arkansas$51,140
- 5Oklahoma$49,330
- 6Oregon$48,050
- 7Nebraska$48,010
- 8Colorado$47,930
- 9Arizona$47,110
- 10Utah$46,940
- 11Ohio$46,790
- 12California$46,760
Top-paying metro areas
Median annual wage by metro area.
- 1Ogden, UT$70,490
- 2Oklahoma City, OK$65,040
- 3Omaha, NE-IA$61,880
- 4Oshkosh-Neenah, WI$59,720
- 5Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA$58,400
- 6Jacksonville, FL$56,350
- 7Reading, PA$55,230
- 8San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$53,680
- 9San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$50,870
- 10Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA$50,520
- 11Lancaster, PA$50,080
- 12New Haven, CT$49,100
Related job titles
Employers advertise Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic roles under these titles.
- Alodize Machine Operator
- Anode Machine Operator
- Anodic Operator
- Anodic Treater
- Anodize Machine Operator
- Anodizer
- Anodizing Line Operator
- Anodizing Operator
- Anodizing Technician
- Automatic Metal Spraying Machine Operator
- Barrel Plater
- Black Oxide Coating Equipment Tender
- Bronze Plater
- Browning Processor
- Bullet Lubricating Machine Operator
- Ceramic Coater
Related occupations
- Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$47,920
- Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$48,750
- Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$48,250
- Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$44,350
- Extruding and Forming Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Synthetic and Glass Fibers$46,350
- Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic$46,170
- Adhesive Bonding Machine Operators and Tenders$46,460
- Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$45,760
What a Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic does
- Set up, operate, or tend plating or coating machines to coat metal or plastic products with chromium, zinc, copper, cadmium, nickel, or other metal to protect or decorate surfaces.
- Remove objects from solutions at periodic intervals and observe objects to verify conformance to specifications.
- Remove excess materials or impurities from objects, using air hoses or grinding machines.
- Rinse coated objects in cleansing liquids and dry them with cloths, centrifugal driers, or by tumbling in sawdust-filled barrels.
- Examine completed objects to determine thicknesses of metal deposits, or measure thicknesses by using instruments such as micrometers.
- Immerse workpieces in coating solutions or liquid metal or plastic for specified times.
- Adjust dials to regulate flow of current and voltage supplied to terminals to control plating processes.
- Inspect coated or plated areas for defects, such as air bubbles or uneven coverage.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does a Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic make?
- The median annual wage for Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic is $43,960 ($21 per hour). Pay ranges from about $33,790 at the 10th percentile to $60,370 at the 90th percentile.
- What is the average salary for a Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic?
- The average (mean) annual salary is $45,100, which is higher than the median because a small number of high earners pull the average up.
- Which state pays Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastics the most?
- Iowa has the highest median annual wage for this occupation at $70,910.
- Is Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic a growing occupation?
- BLS employment data for May 2025 counts about 32K people in this occupation. Projected growth is published separately in the BLS Employment Projections program.
- What does a Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic do?
- Set up, operate, or tend plating or coating machines to coat metal or plastic products with chromium, zinc, copper, cadmium, nickel, or other metal to protect or decorate surfaces.; Remove objects from solutions at periodic intervals and observe objects to verify conformance to specifications.; Remove excess materials or impurities from objects, using air hoses or grinding machines..