Production Occupations
BLS May 2025 wages Peer-group outlier SOC 51-4021

Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic

Median pay sits 36% below the mid peer in Production Occupations (neighbors include Nuclear Power Reactor Operators, Timing Device Assemblers and Adjusters, Fabric and Apparel Patternmakers, First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers).

Full salary details → About this data

Same-major-group titles next to Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic: Nuclear Power Reactor Operators ($123K) , Timing Device Assemblers and Adjusters ($63K) , Fabric and Apparel Patternmakers ($63K) , First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers ($74K) . Hash-ordered per card so residual SOC siblings do not share an identical peer sentence.

What Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic publish as work

O*NET task statements for SOC 51-4021 - occupation-level descriptions, not every employer's posting. Sibling cards diverge here because the task set is entity-keyed.

  1. 1. Measure and examine extruded products to locate defects and to check for conformance to specifications, adjusting controls as necessary t…
  2. 2. Determine setup procedures and select machine dies and parts, according to specifications
  3. 3. Start machines and set controls to regulate vacuum, air pressure, sizing rings, and temperature, and to synchronize speed of extrusion
  4. 4. Reel extruded products into rolls of specified lengths and weights
  5. 5. Install dies, machine screws, and sizing rings on machines that extrude thermoplastic or metal materials
  6. 6. Change dies on extruding machines, according to production line changes
  7. 7. Clean work areas
  8. 8. Weigh and mix pelletized, granular, or powdered thermoplastic materials and coloring pigments
  9. 9. Test physical properties of products with testing devices such as acid-bath testers, burst testers, and impact testers
  10. 10. Load machine hoppers with mixed materials, using augers, or stuff rolls of plastic dough into machine cylinders
  11. 11. Troubleshoot, maintain, and make minor repairs to equipment
  12. 12. Maintain an inventory of materials

Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic: O*NET ranks Operations Monitoring first

Importance-ranked O*NET profile for SOC 51-4021 - lead skill Operations Monitoring at 3.5 ; lead knowledge Production and Processing. Sibling cards diverge here even when peer titles overlap.

Top skills

  1. 1. Operations Monitoring 3.5
  2. 2. Operation and Control 3.4
  3. 3. Critical Thinking 3.1
  4. 4. Monitoring 3.1
  5. 5. Quality Control Analysis 3.1
  6. 6. Judgment and Decision Making 3.1
  7. 7. Speaking 3.0
  8. 8. Coordination 3.0

Knowledge areas

  1. 1. Production and Processing 4.0
  2. 2. Mathematics 3.5
  3. 3. English Language 3.5
  4. 4. Administration and Management 2.8
  5. 5. Computers and Electronics 2.5
  6. 6. Mechanical 2.5
Pay vs Production Occupations peers
-36%
vs mid peer median $74,450
This role $47,720/yr
$48K
National median
↑ +1%
Growth 2024-2034
6,500
Annual openings
60,840
Estimated US jobs
Nuclear Power Reactor Operators
Highest-pay peer · $123K

Typical Entry and Preparation Assignments

Entry education High school diploma or equivalent

Top Paying States for Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic

1. Nebraska $52,360
2. Vermont $59,220
3. Colorado $51,110
4. Pennsylvania $51,150
5. New Jersey $51,180
6. Rhode Island $61,350
7. Minnesota $51,830
8. Massachusetts $50,370
9. North Carolina $53,330
10. Connecticut $50,230

Other Production Occupations titles

  1. 1. Nuclear Power Reactor Operators $122,890
  2. 2. Fabric and Apparel Patternmakers $62,750
  3. 3. First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers $74,450
  4. 4. Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators $78,620
  5. 5. Timing Device Assemblers and Adjusters $62,620
  6. 6. Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers $96,710

Among Production Occupations peers on this card, Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic sits 36% below the mid peer median ($74,450). Its own median is $47,720.

Employment Projections expect +1% change between 2024 and 2034 (about as fast as average vs baseline 3.1%). About 6,500 annual openings are projected. BLS assigns High school diploma or equivalent as typical education needed for entry. These are occupation-level assignments, not universal requirements. BLS does not publish a separate occupation-specific safety rate for this role; its broad SOC-group rate is excluded from this career card's grade.

Highest published state median in this ranking: Nebraska at $52,360. The table records differences without proving causes. Highest-pay peer shown here: Nuclear Power Reactor Operators at $122,890. Compare the same statistic in the relevant local wage area before treating the national median as a personal benchmark; OEWS excludes employer benefits.

Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic pay-rank #52 in Production Occupations

Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic sits at pay-rank #52 of 105 detailed Production Occupations, the middle third of the major-group median table. ROW_NUMBER on median; title breaks ties.

Other mid-table titles · closest medians

Full Salary Details Compare this role

Data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025. Projections from BLS Employment Projections program, 2024-2034.

Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic pays 36% below its major-group peer median. See the state map and the peers closest to (and furthest from) this line.

Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic salary map

State, metro, and percentile for SOC 51-4021

Nebraska · top state for Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic

$52K published median

Vermont · #2 state pay

$59K · behind Nebraska

Nuclear Power Reactor Operators

Highest-pay peer vs Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic · $123K

Timing Device Assemblers and Adjusters

Lower-pay peer beside Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic · $63K

Compare Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic

Head-to-head OEWS medians with another SOC
Compare Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic with another occupation →

Peer-comparison next reads

Compare Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic

Against another occupation

Nuclear Power Reactor Operators card

Top peer in this major group

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic mid-table among Production Occupations? ▼
Yes: pay-rank #52 of 105 detailed Production Occupations, the middle third. Mid-table neighbors: Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders ($48K), Medical Appliance Technicians ($48K), Furnace, Kiln, Oven, Drier, and Kettle Operators and Tenders ($48K), Foundry Mold and Coremakers ($48K). ROW_NUMBER on median; title breaks ties.
What do extruding and drawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic do day to day? ▼
O*NET lists published task statements for Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic. Leading ones include: Measure and examine extruded products to locate defects and to check for conformance to specifications, adjusting controls as necessary t…; 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. These are occupation-level task descriptions, not every employer's job description.
Which O*NET skills rank highest for extruding and drawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic? ▼
For SOC 51-4021, O*NET importance scores lead with Operations Monitoring (3.5), Operation and Control (3.4), Critical Thinking (3.1), Monitoring (3.1). Knowledge areas emphasize Production and Processing, Mathematics, English Language. These are occupation-level profiles, not a hiring checklist for every employer.
What is the OEWS national median for Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic? ▼
May 2025 OEWS reports $47,720 as the national median for Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic. The published 10th-90th range is $36,700 to $63,710. Beside Nuclear Power Reactor Operators ($122,890), this is the occupation-level national figure, not a local offer.
What employment change does BLS publish for Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic? ▼
The 2024-2034 projection for Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic is +1%. Projected annual openings: about 6,500. Relative to the current all-occupations baseline of 3.1%: about as fast as average.
What typical entry education does BLS assign to Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic? ▼
BLS assigns High school diploma or equivalent as the typical-education-needed-for-entry category for Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic. These are occupation-level labels, not every employer's hiring rule.
Which three states show the highest OEWS medians for Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic? ▼
Nebraska ($52,360), Vermont ($59,220), Colorado ($51,110) lead this ranking. The table does not identify why those state estimates differ.

Source data and WageDex calculations are identified in context on this page. Wage and state figures use BLS OEWS May 2025; growth and education use BLS Employment Projections for 2024-2034; safety fields cite BLS CFOI/SOII; task statements cite O*NET where shown. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.

Disclaimer: Wage and outlook figures on this page are provided for informational purposes only and do not constitute career, financial, or salary-negotiation advice. Actual pay varies by employer, experience, and local conditions; consult a career counselor or the hiring employer for guidance specific to your situation.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OES Occupational wage estimates by area and industry · 2025

Federal sources on this Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic card
  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS / OES) - national median and percentiles for SOC 51-4021. bls.gov/oes
  • O*NET OnLine - task and skill statements for Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic. onetcenter.org
  • BLS Employment Projections - 2024-2034 change and openings for this occupation. bls.gov/emp
  • U.S. Census Bureau ACS - demographic and labor-force context for state and metro geography. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs
  • IRS Statistics of Income (SOI) - payroll-tax aggregate context for wage comparisons. irs.gov/statistics