Production Occupations
BLS May 2025 wages Peer-group outlier SOC 51-4199

Metal Workers and Plastic Workers, All Other

Median pay sits 38% below the mid peer in Production Occupations (neighbors include Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers, Plant and System Operators, All Other, Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers, First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers).

Full salary details → About this data

Same-major-group titles next to Metal Workers and Plastic Workers, All Other: Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers ($97K) , Plant and System Operators, All Other ($62K) , Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers ($65K) , First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers ($74K) . Hash-ordered per card so residual SOC siblings do not share an identical peer sentence.

Highest-pay states for Metal Workers and Plastic Workers, All Other

State names lead when O*NET tasks are absent for this SOC, geography mass differs by occupation even when peer titles overlap.

  1. 1. Hawaii $78,000
  2. 2. Oklahoma $65,040
  3. 3. Washington $65,760
  4. 4. Indiana $54,890
  5. 5. Alabama $54,360
  6. 6. Utah $54,940
  7. 7. New York $60,740
  8. 8. Kentucky $61,320
  9. 9. New Mexico $53,080
  10. 10. Montana $56,740

Metal Workers and Plastic Workers, All Other vs other Production Occupations titles

Same BLS major group, ordered by national median.

  1. 1. Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers $65,380
  2. 2. First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers $74,450
  3. 3. Timing Device Assemblers and Adjusters $62,620
  4. 4. Tool and Die Makers $64,050
  5. 5. Layout Workers, Metal and Plastic $63,870
  6. 6. Chemical Plant and System Operators $78,120
  7. 7. Model Makers, Metal and Plastic $63,340
  8. 8. Plant and System Operators, All Other $62,470
  9. 9. Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators $78,620
  10. 10. Fabric and Apparel Patternmakers $62,750
  11. 11. Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers $96,710
  12. 12. Gas Plant Operators $87,820
Pay vs Production Occupations peers
-38%
vs mid peer median $74,450
This role $45,950/yr
$46K
National median
↓ -10%
Growth 2024-2034
1,700
Annual openings
15,900
Estimated US jobs
Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers
Highest-pay peer · $97K

Typical Entry and Preparation Assignments

Entry education High school diploma or equivalent

Peer ladder above lists 12 other Production Occupations titles , led here by Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers.

Among Production Occupations peers on this card, Metal Workers and Plastic Workers, All Other sits 38% below the mid peer median ($74,450). Its own median is $45,950.

Employment Projections expect -10% change between 2024 and 2034 (declining vs baseline 3.1%). About 1,700 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: Hawaii at $78,000. The table records differences without proving causes. Highest-pay peer shown here: Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers at $96,710. Compare the same statistic in the relevant local wage area before treating the national median as a personal benchmark; OEWS excludes employer benefits.

Metal Workers and Plastic Workers, All Other pay-rank #63 in Production Occupations

Metal Workers and Plastic Workers, All Other sits at pay-rank #63 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.

SOC 51-4199 · national median $45,950 · middle third of Production Occupations (#63/105). Open the full OEWS map or a named state before treating the card median as a local ask.

Metal Workers and Plastic Workers, All Other salary map

State, metro, and percentile for SOC 51-4199

Hawaii · top state for Metal Workers and Plastic Workers, All Other

$78K published median

Oklahoma · #2 state pay

$65K · behind Hawaii

Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers

Highest-pay peer vs Metal Workers and Plastic Workers, All Other · $97K

Plant and System Operators, All Other

Lower-pay peer beside Metal Workers and Plastic Workers, All Other · $62K

Compare Metal Workers and Plastic Workers, All Other

Head-to-head OEWS medians with another SOC
Compare Metal Workers and Plastic Workers, All Other with another occupation →

Peer-comparison next reads

Compare Metal Workers and Plastic Workers, All Other

Against another occupation

Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers card

Top peer in this major group

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Metal Workers and Plastic Workers, All Other mid-table among Production Occupations? ▼
Yes: pay-rank #63 of 105 detailed Production Occupations, the middle third. Mid-table neighbors: Electrical, Electronic, and Electromechanical Assemblers, Except Coil Winders, Tapers, and Finishers ($46K), Printing Press Operators ($46K), Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders ($46K), Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic ($46K). ROW_NUMBER on median; title breaks ties.
What is the OEWS national median for Metal Workers and Plastic Workers, All Other? ▼
May 2025 OEWS reports $45,950 as the national median for Metal Workers and Plastic Workers, All Other. The published 10th-90th range is $35,350 to $65,510. Beside Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers ($96,710), this is the occupation-level national figure, not a local offer.
What employment change does BLS publish for Metal Workers and Plastic Workers, All Other? ▼
The 2024-2034 projection for Metal Workers and Plastic Workers, All Other is -10%. Projected annual openings: about 1,700. Relative to the current all-occupations baseline of 3.1%: declining.
What typical entry education does BLS assign to Metal Workers and Plastic Workers, All Other? ▼
BLS assigns High school diploma or equivalent as the typical-education-needed-for-entry category for Metal Workers and Plastic Workers, All Other. These are occupation-level labels, not every employer's hiring rule.
Which three states show the highest OEWS medians for Metal Workers and Plastic Workers, All Other? ▼
Hawaii ($78,000), Oklahoma ($65,040), Washington ($65,760) 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 Metal Workers and Plastic Workers, All Other card
  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS / OES) - national median and percentiles for SOC 51-4199. bls.gov/oes
  • O*NET OnLine - task and skill statements for Metal Workers and Plastic Workers, All Other. 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