Production Occupations
BLS May 2025 wages Peer-group outlier SOC 51-4193

Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic

Median pay sits 41% below the mid peer in Production Occupations (neighbors include Nuclear Power Reactor Operators, Timing Device Assemblers and Adjusters, Tool and Die Makers, Power Distributors and Dispatchers).

Full salary details → About this data

Same-major-group titles next to Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic: Nuclear Power Reactor Operators ($123K) , Timing Device Assemblers and Adjusters ($63K) , Tool and Die Makers ($64K) , Power Distributors and Dispatchers ($107K) . Hash-ordered per card so residual SOC siblings do not share an identical peer sentence.

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

O*NET task statements for SOC 51-4193 - occupation-level descriptions, not every employer's posting. Sibling cards diverge here because the task set is entity-keyed.

  1. 1. Immerse workpieces in coating solutions or liquid metal or plastic for specified times
  2. 2. Adjust dials to regulate flow of current and voltage supplied to terminals to control plating processes
  3. 3. Inspect coated or plated areas for defects, such as air bubbles or uneven coverage
  4. 4. Set up, operate, or tend plating or coating machines to coat metal or plastic products with chromium, zinc, copper, cadmium, nickel, or o…
  5. 5. Observe gauges to ensure that machines are operating properly, making adjustments or stopping machines when problems occur
  6. 6. Remove objects from solutions at periodic intervals and observe objects to verify conformance to specifications
  7. 7. Maintain production records
  8. 8. Remove excess materials or impurities from objects, using air hoses or grinding machines
  9. 9. Determine sizes and compositions of objects to be plated, and amounts of electrical current and time required
  10. 10. Test machinery to ensure that it is operating properly
  11. 11. Measure or weigh materials, using rulers, calculators, and scales
  12. 12. Measure, mark, and mask areas to be excluded from plating

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

Importance-ranked O*NET profile for SOC 51-4193 - lead skill Operations Monitoring at 3.3 ; lead knowledge Production and Processing. Sibling cards diverge here even when peer titles overlap.

Top skills

  1. 1. Operations Monitoring 3.3
  2. 2. Reading Comprehension 3.1
  3. 3. Active Listening 3.1
  4. 4. Monitoring 3.1
  5. 5. Operation and Control 3.1
  6. 6. Speaking 3.0
  7. 7. Critical Thinking 3.0
  8. 8. Coordination 3.0

Knowledge areas

  1. 1. Production and Processing 4.2
  2. 2. Mathematics 3.5
  3. 3. Chemistry 3.4
  4. 4. English Language 3.4
  5. 5. Mechanical 3.3
  6. 6. Engineering and Technology 3.3
Pay vs Production Occupations peers
-41%
vs mid peer median $74,450
This role $43,960/yr
$44K
National median
↓ -14%
Growth 2024-2034
2,500
Annual openings
32,410
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 Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic

1. Mississippi $52,090
2. Iowa $70,910
3. Oklahoma $49,330
4. Colorado $47,930
5. Washington $58,000
6. Oregon $48,050
7. Nebraska $48,010
8. Arkansas $51,140
9. Arizona $47,110
10. Utah $46,940

Other Production Occupations titles

  1. 1. Tool and Die Makers $64,050
  2. 2. Power Distributors and Dispatchers $106,730
  3. 3. Nuclear Power Reactor Operators $122,890
  4. 4. First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers $74,450
  5. 5. Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers $65,380
  6. 6. Timing Device Assemblers and Adjusters $62,620

Among Production Occupations peers on this card, Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic sits 41% below the mid peer median ($74,450). Its own median is $43,960.

Employment Projections expect -14% change between 2024 and 2034 (declining vs baseline 3.1%). About 2,500 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: Mississippi at $52,090. 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.

Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic pay-rank #72 in Production Occupations

On the Production Occupations median table (105 detailed occupations with OEWS medians), Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic lands at #72, in the lower third. That rank is a table position, not a statement about individual workers.

Other lower-third 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.

Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic pays 41% below its major-group peer median. See the state map and the peers closest to (and furthest from) this line.

Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic salary map

State, metro, and percentile for SOC 51-4193

Mississippi · top state for Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic

$52K published median

Iowa · #2 state pay

$71K · behind Mississippi

Nuclear Power Reactor Operators

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

Timing Device Assemblers and Adjusters

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

Compare Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic

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

Peer-comparison next reads

Compare Plating 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

Where does Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic land on the Production Occupations median table? ▼
Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic is pay-rank #72 of 105 in this major group, lower third of the median table. Closest lower-third titles: Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic ($44K), Cleaning, Washing, and Metal Pickling Equipment Operators and Tenders ($44K), Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing ($43K), Etchers and Engravers ($43K). That position is a table rank, not a worker percentile.
What do plating machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic do day to day? ▼
O*NET lists published task statements for Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic. Leading ones include: 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; Set up, operate, or tend plating or coating machines to coat metal or plastic products with chromium, zinc, copper, cadmium, nickel, or o…. These are occupation-level task descriptions, not every employer's job description.
Which O*NET skills rank highest for plating machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic? ▼
For SOC 51-4193, O*NET importance scores lead with Operations Monitoring (3.3), Reading Comprehension (3.1), Active Listening (3.1), Monitoring (3.1). Knowledge areas emphasize Production and Processing, Mathematics, Chemistry. These are occupation-level profiles, not a hiring checklist for every employer.
What is the OEWS national median for Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic? ▼
May 2025 OEWS reports $43,960 as the national median for Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic. The published 10th-90th range is $33,790 to $60,370. 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 Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic? ▼
The 2024-2034 projection for Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic is -14%. Projected annual openings: about 2,500. Relative to the current all-occupations baseline of 3.1%: declining.
What typical entry education does BLS assign to Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic? ▼
BLS assigns High school diploma or equivalent as the typical-education-needed-for-entry category for Plating 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 Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic? ▼
Mississippi ($52,090), Iowa ($70,910), Oklahoma ($49,330) 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 Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic card
  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS / OES) - national median and percentiles for SOC 51-4193. bls.gov/oes
  • O*NET OnLine - task and skill statements for Plating 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