Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders salary in the U.S.
Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders in the U.S. earn a median of $50,270 a year ($24.17 an hour), based on BLS data for 96,130 workers.
Pay ranges from $37,300 for the lowest-paid 10% to $70,320 for the top 10%. The average (mean) salary is $52,840, above the median because a few high earners pull it up.
Pay range for paper goods machine setters, operators, and tenders in the U.S.
| Pay level | Yearly | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile (entry level) | $37,300 | $17.93 |
| 25th percentile | $44,920 | $21.60 |
| Median | $50,270 | $24.17 |
| 75th percentile | $60,180 | $28.93 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $70,320 | $33.81 |
| Average (mean) | $52,840 | $25.40 |
Half of paper goods machine setters, operators, and tenders earn more than the median and half earn less. Percentiles show the spread: 10% earn less than the 10th percentile, and 10% earn more than the 90th.
Median paycheck, before taxes
| Pay period | Amount |
|---|---|
| Monthly | $4,189.17 |
| Semi-monthly (24 a year) | $2,094.58 |
| Biweekly (26 a year) | $1,933.46 |
| Weekly | $966.73 |
| Hourly | $24.17 |
Based on a full-time year of 2,080 hours. Convert any amount with the hourly to salary converter.
Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders salary by state
| State | Median salary | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Oklahoma | $63,640 | 1,390 |
| Maine | $61,780 | 740 |
| Utah | $60,790 | 1,350 |
| Washington | $59,410 | 2,170 |
| Louisiana | $58,230 | 1,150 |
| Minnesota | $58,150 | 1,960 |
| Kentucky | $58,050 | 2,670 |
| Wisconsin | $58,050 | 8,510 |
| Idaho | $57,950 | 480 |
| Oregon | $56,810 | 680 |
| Illinois | $56,400 | 5,360 |
| New Mexico | $53,930 | 100 |
| New York | $52,800 | 3,280 |
| Alabama | $52,290 | 3,800 |
| Pennsylvania | $51,780 | 7,410 |
| Michigan | $50,540 | 3,000 |
| New Hampshire | $50,200 | 230 |
| Georgia | $50,160 | 5,650 |
| South Carolina | $50,040 | 2,460 |
| Virginia | $49,900 | 2,370 |
| Arizona | $49,160 | 1,190 |
| Colorado | $48,940 | 240 |
| Florida | $48,910 | 1,360 |
| Massachusetts | $48,840 | 1,920 |
| Indiana | $48,780 | 2,580 |
| California | $48,730 | 5,570 |
| Rhode Island | $48,710 | 240 |
| Arkansas | $48,630 | 2,060 |
| Connecticut | $48,530 | 650 |
| Delaware | $48,110 | 160 |
| Nebraska | $47,980 | 300 |
| North Carolina | $47,940 | 4,800 |
| Texas | $47,830 | 3,740 |
| Maryland | $47,780 | 480 |
| Nevada | $47,780 | 380 |
| Missouri | $47,560 | 1,540 |
| Ohio | $47,450 | 4,640 |
| Mississippi | $47,380 | 960 |
| Tennessee | $46,920 | 3,490 |
| South Dakota | $46,910 | 130 |
| Iowa | $46,110 | 1,010 |
| New Jersey | $45,950 | 3,210 |
| Kansas | $45,840 | 420 |
| Puerto Rico | $30,530 | 240 |
Best-paying metro areas for paper goods machine setters, operators, and tenders
| Metro area | Median salary | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Cedar Rapids, IA | $83,470 | 260 |
| Pittsfield, MA | $65,190 | 190 |
| Terre Haute, IN | $65,110 | 40 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $64,020 | 460 |
| Albany, OR | $63,800 | 80 |
| Glens Falls, NY | $61,830 | 340 |
| Wausau, WI | $61,070 | 430 |
| Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT | $60,440 | 150 |
| Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT | $59,980 | 240 |
| Longview-Kelso, WA | $59,770 | 590 |
| Appleton, WI | $59,550 | 710 |
| Green Bay, WI | $59,230 | 1,740 |
| Modesto, CA | $59,150 | 370 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $59,020 | 4,320 |
| Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT | $59,010 | 130 |
Metro areas with the most paper goods machine setters, operators, and tenders
| Metro area | Workers | Median salary |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | 4,320 | $59,020 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 2,940 | $46,410 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 2,060 | $48,930 |
| Green Bay, WI | 1,740 | $59,230 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | 1,690 | $48,150 |
| Oshkosh-Neenah, WI | 1,670 | $58,560 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 1,590 | $48,640 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 1,430 | $55,810 |
| Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | 1,410 | $48,900 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | 1,280 | $57,840 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | 1,120 | $49,160 |
| Richmond, VA | 930 | $49,980 |
| Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI | 920 | $54,410 |
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN | 850 | $49,120 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | 780 | $47,420 |
Related jobs in the U.S.
| Job | Median salary | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers | $48,570 | $23.35 |
| Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders | $43,220 | $20.78 |
| Production Workers, All Other | $40,110 | $19.29 |
| Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operator | $50,690 | $24.37 |
| Helpers--Production Workers | $39,070 | $18.78 |
| Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders | $48,250 | $23.20 |
| Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders | $58,040 | $27.90 |
| Mixing and Blending Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders | $48,990 | $23.55 |
| Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders | $51,610 | $24.81 |
| Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders | $45,760 | $22.00 |
| Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders | $46,570 | $22.39 |
| Dental Laboratory Technician | $49,610 | $23.85 |
| Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic | $46,170 | $22.20 |
| Semiconductor Processing Technician | $51,430 | $24.73 |
More: Production Occupations
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 estimates, occupation code 51-9196. Wages include base pay, tips, commissions and shift pay, but not overtime, bonuses or benefits, and exclude the self-employed.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a paper goods machine setters, operators, and tenders make in the U.S.?
The median salary for paper goods machine setters, operators, and tenders in the U.S. is $50,270 a year, or $24.17 an hour. Pay ranges from $37,300 for the lowest-paid 10% to $70,320 for the top 10%.
How much do the highest-paid paper goods machine setters, operators, and tenders make in the U.S.?
The top 10% of paper goods machine setters, operators, and tenders in the U.S. earn at least $70,320 a year. The top 25% earn $60,180 or more.
What is the starting pay for paper goods machine setters, operators, and tenders in the U.S.?
Entry-level pay (the 10th percentile) is about $37,300 a year, and a quarter of paper goods machine setters, operators, and tenders earn $44,920 or less.
How many paper goods machine setters, operators, and tenders work in the U.S.?
About 96,130 paper goods machine setters, operators, and tenders are employed in the U.S., not counting the self-employed.