51 Series · SOC 51-4199

Metal Workers and Plastic Workers, All Other Salary

National pay, percentile range, growth outlook, and state-by-state detail from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey (May 2025).

$45,950
Median / year
$65,510
Top 10% earn
-9.5%
Growth '23–'33
15,900
US workers

Metal Workers and Plastic Workers, All Other earn a median of $45,950 per year.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey, the median annual wage is $45,950, based on the most recent survey of employers. Reported pay ranges from $35,350 (10th percentile) to $65,510 (90th percentile) nationally, across roughly 15,900 US workers. Hawaii pays the most ($78,000), since pay varies by state and metro area.

51 Series · Source: BLS OEWS Compare with another job →
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The pay verdict

Metal Workers and Plastic Workers, All Other earn a median of $45,950, putting them among the lower-paid US occupations and higher than 22% of the 825 occupations with a published BLS median. Within Production, it ranks #63 of 105 by median pay. Employment is projected to fall 9.5% by 2033.

$45,950
Median annual wage
Top 78%
of 825 US occupations with published wages
#63 of 105
in Production
1.9×
90th-to-10th pay spread

Highest-paying state: Hawaii at $78,000. Typical entry-level education: High school diploma or equivalent.

Metal Workers and Plastic Workers, All Other (SOC 51-4199) pays a national median of $45,950 per year according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey released in May 2025. Full-range compensation stretches from $35,350 at the 10th percentile to $65,510 at the 90th, with a mean of $48,580 indicating a right-skew where top earners pull the average above the midpoint. An estimated 15,900 Americans work in this occupation across 39 reporting states and 86 metro areas.

BLS Employment Projections forecast a -9.5% change in employment from 2024 to 2034, which the agency classifies as declining relative to the 5% all-occupations baseline. About 1,700 openings are projected per year, combining new positions with replacement needs from retirements and occupation-switchers. Typical entry-level preparation is High school diploma or equivalent and moderate-term on-the-job training of on-the-job training. The BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) and Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII) produce a workplace-safety grade of B for this role, with a fatality rate of 3.5 per 100,000 and injury rate of 3.2 per 100.

Geographic variation matters as much as the headline median. Hawaii pays the highest state median at $78,000, which is +70% above the national figure. The top metro is Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL at $83,870 - metro premiums typically reflect higher cost of living, industry concentration, or specialized employer demand. When using this page for negotiation or career planning, pair the national median with the state and metro rows below, remember that BLS wages exclude benefits, bonuses, and overtime, and revisit after each May OEWS release since percentiles shift with cost-of-living cycles and industry demand. See our methodology for exactly how these figures are sourced, computed, and verified.

BLS OEWS May 2025 15,900 jobs Median $45,950/yr

Median Salary

$45,950

per year

Median Hourly

$22.09/hr

per hour

Mean Salary

$48,580

average

Employment

15,900

jobs nationwide

How does this pay compare nationally?

Where Metal Workers and Plastic Workers, All Other pay sits nationally

Median annual wage vs. 825 detailed BLS occupations with a published median

$45,950 Bottom 22% higher than 22% of 825 US occupations

$0–$20,000: 0 US occupations (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 98 US occupations (12%). Below this entry. $40,000–$60,000: 298 US occupations (36%). This entry sits in this band. $60,000–$80,000: 209 US occupations (25%). Above this entry. $80,000–$100,000: 82 US occupations (10%). Above this entry. $100,000–$120,000: 58 US occupations (7%). Above this entry. $120,000–$140,000: 32 US occupations (4%). Above this entry. $140,000–$160,000: 14 US occupations (2%). Above this entry. $160,000–$180,000: 9 US occupations (1%). Above this entry. $180,000–$200,000: 25 US occupations (3%). Above this entry. This job $0 $200,000 every BLS occupation, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US occupations. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS · May 2025

Does this job pay well and grow?

Each dot is a 51-series occupation, placed by projected 2024–2034 growth and median pay. The highlighted dot is Metal Workers and Plastic Workers, All Other; the upper-right quadrant is the sweet spot (high pay + fast growth).

Among 23 51-series occupations with growth data, Metal Workers and Plastic Workers, All Other sits on the slower-growing side at -9.5% growth and $45,950 median pay.

Among 23 51-series occupations with growth data, Metal Workers and Plastic Workers, All Other sits on the slower-growing side at -9.5% growth and $45,950 median pay. Scatter plot of 23 data points. $30000$40000$50000$60000$70000$80000 -15%-10%-5%0%5%10% Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) Median annual wage
Among 23 51-series occupations with growth data, Metal Workers and Plastic Workers, All Other sits on the slower-growing side at -9.5% growth and $45,950 median pay.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS (wages, May 2025) and Employment Projections (2024–2034).

Job Outlook (2024–2034)

Projected Growth

-9.5%

Declining

Annual Openings

1,700

per year (projected)

Typical Education

High school diploma or equivalent

On-the-Job Training

Moderate-term on-the-job training

Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2024–2034

Workplace Safety

All safety ratings →
B

Safe

Safety Grade (BLS 2023)

Fatality Rate

3.5/100K

Injury Rate

3.2/100

Danger Index

14.6/100

Source: BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) & Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII), 2023

Salary Range

Annual Salary Distribution

$35,350$39,190$45,950$54,100$65,510
10th pct25thMedian75th90th pct

Hourly Rate Distribution

$16.99$18.84$22.09$26.01$31.50
10th pct25thMedian75th90th pct

10th Percentile

$35,350

25th Percentile

$39,190

Median

$45,950

75th Percentile

$54,100

90th Percentile

$65,510

Salary by State

Highest Paying States

1. Hawaii $78,000 2. Washington $65,760 3. Oklahoma $65,040 4. Kentucky $61,320 5. New York $60,740

Lowest Paying States

35. Puerto Rico $21,840 36. New Jersey $33,790 37. Florida $36,040 38. Tennessee $36,770 39. Michigan $40,110
View all 39 states →
# State Median Salary vs National
1 Hawaii $78,000 +70% above national
2 Washington $65,760 +43% above national
3 Oklahoma $65,040 +42% above national
4 Kentucky $61,320 +33% above national
5 New York $60,740 +32% above national
6 Montana $56,740 +23% above national
7 Utah $54,940 +20% above national
8 Indiana $54,890 +19% above national
9 Alabama $54,360 +18% above national
10 New Mexico $53,080 +16% above national
11 Colorado $52,430 +14% above national
12 Minnesota $51,990 +13% above national
13 Virginia $51,690 +12% above national
14 Maryland $50,280 +9% above national
15 Illinois $49,570 +8% above national
16 Oregon $49,510 +8% above national
17 Missouri $48,920 +6% above national
18 New Hampshire $47,830 +4% above national
19 California $47,380 +3% above national
20 Massachusetts $47,060 +2% above national
21 Arizona $47,050 +2% above national
22 Iowa $46,570 +1% above national
23 South Carolina $46,470 +1% above national
24 Nevada $46,440 +1% above national
25 Louisiana $45,680 1% below national
26 Texas $45,560 1% below national
27 Pennsylvania $45,350 1% below national
28 North Carolina $45,190 2% below national
29 Ohio $45,180 2% below national
30 Wisconsin $45,100 2% below national
31 Georgia $42,030 9% below national
32 Maine $41,600 9% below national
33 Arkansas $40,570 12% below national
34 Connecticut $40,260 12% below national
35 Michigan $40,110 13% below national
36 Tennessee $36,770 20% below national
37 Florida $36,040 22% below national
38 New Jersey $33,790 26% below national
39 Puerto Rico $21,840 52% below national

Salary by Metro Area

Highest Paying Metros

1. Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL $83,870 2. Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY $74,050 3. Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA $65,760 4. Corpus Christi, TX $62,520 5. San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA $60,430

Lowest Paying Metros

82. San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas, PR $21,840 83. Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL $30,800 84. West Tennessee nonmetropolitan area $32,760 85. Jackson, TN $32,990 86. New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ $33,790
View all 86 metro areas →
# Metro Area Median Salary vs National
1 Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL $83,870 +83% above national
2 Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY $74,050 +61% above national
3 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA $65,760 +43% above national
4 Corpus Christi, TX $62,520 +36% above national
5 San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA $60,430 +32% above national
6 Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA $57,140 +24% above national
7 West Montana nonmetropolitan area $56,260 +22% above national
8 Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN $54,890 +19% above national
9 Albany, OR $54,020 +18% above national
10 San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA $53,930 +17% above national
11 Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO $53,090 +16% above national
12 Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA $52,880 +15% above national
13 Charleston-North Charleston, SC $52,180 +14% above national
14 Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC $51,690 +12% above national
15 Spartanburg, SC $51,500 +12% above national
16 Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD $51,030 +11% above national
17 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA $50,650 +10% above national
18 Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD $50,070 +9% above national
19 Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH $50,050 +9% above national
20 Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA $50,000 +9% above national
21 Connecticut nonmetropolitan area $49,860 +9% above national
22 Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC $49,720 +8% above national
23 Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI $49,630 +8% above national
24 Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN $49,570 +8% above national
25 Northwestern South Carolina nonmetropolitan area $49,560 +8% above national
26 Fort Collins-Loveland, CO $49,210 +7% above national
27 Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH $49,120 +7% above national
28 St. Louis, MO-IL $48,920 +6% above national
29 Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX $48,890 +6% above national
30 Pittsburgh, PA $48,890 +6% above national
31 Central New Hampshire nonmetropolitan area $48,340 +5% above national
32 Greeley, CO $48,210 +5% above national
33 Northern New Hampshire nonmetropolitan area $48,010 +4% above national
34 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA $47,860 +4% above national
35 West Northwestern Ohio nonmetropolitan area $47,820 +4% above national
36 Lancaster, PA $47,780 +4% above national
37 Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ $47,540 +3% above national
38 Southwestern New Hampshire nonmetropolitan area $47,370 +3% above national
39 Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI $47,300 +3% above national
40 Hill Country Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area $47,180 +3% above national
41 Greensboro-High Point, NC $47,160 +3% above national
42 Columbia, SC $47,050 +2% above national
43 Manchester-Nashua, NH $46,930 +2% above national
44 Memphis, TN-MS-AR $46,730 +2% above national
45 Vallejo, CA $46,450 +1% above national
46 Reno, NV $46,440 +1% above national
47 Colorado Springs, CO $46,030 same as national
48 San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX $45,830 same as national
49 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV $45,630 1% below national
50 Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA $45,270 1% below national
51 Cleveland, OH $45,180 2% below national
52 Akron, OH $44,720 3% below national
53 York-Hanover, PA $44,490 3% below national
54 Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA $44,440 3% below national
55 Fresno, CA $43,570 5% below national
56 Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV $43,370 6% below national
57 Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC $42,950 7% below national
58 Muskegon-Norton Shores, MI $42,700 7% below national
59 Appleton, WI $42,450 8% below national
60 East Georgia nonmetropolitan area $42,240 8% below national
61 Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI $42,170 8% below national
62 Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT $42,130 8% below national
63 South Central Tennessee nonmetropolitan area $41,720 9% below national
64 El Paso, TX $40,910 11% below national
65 Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI $40,650 12% below national
66 Jacksonville, FL $40,440 12% below national
67 Central North Carolina nonmetropolitan area $39,820 13% below national
68 Midland, TX $39,450 14% below national
69 Gainesville, GA $39,430 14% below national
70 Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN $39,330 14% below national
71 Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA $38,740 16% below national
72 Waterbury-Shelton, CT $38,720 16% below national
73 Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX $38,270 17% below national
74 Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL $38,270 17% below national
75 New Haven, CT $38,240 17% below national
76 Eugene-Springfield, OR $37,330 19% below national
77 Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL $36,490 21% below national
78 South Georgia nonmetropolitan area $35,540 23% below national
79 Knoxville, TN $35,530 23% below national
80 East Tennessee nonmetropolitan area $35,420 23% below national
81 Chattanooga, TN-GA $35,020 24% below national
82 New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ $33,790 26% below national
83 Jackson, TN $32,990 28% below national
84 West Tennessee nonmetropolitan area $32,760 29% below national
85 Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL $30,800 33% below national
86 San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas, PR $21,840 52% below national

Similar Occupations in the Same Category

Other roles in SOC major group 51 (production) with comparable pay and career paths.

Adhesive Bonding Machine Operators and Tenders

SOC 51-9191

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SOC 51-2011

Bakers

SOC 51-3011

Butchers and Meat Cutters

SOC 51-3021

Cabinetmakers and Bench Carpenters

SOC 51-7011
Compare Metal Workers and Plastic Workers, All Other side-by-side with another occupation →

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does a Metal Workers and Plastic Workers, All Other make? ▼
The median annual salary for Metal Workers and Plastic Workers, All Other is $45,950 ($22.09/hour). The salary range spans from $35,350 at the 10th percentile to $65,510 at the 90th percentile.
What state pays Metal Workers and Plastic Workers, All Other the most? ▼
Hawaii pays the highest median salary for Metal Workers and Plastic Workers, All Other at $78,000/year, which is +70% above the national median.
What education do you need to become a Metal Workers and Plastic Workers, All Other? ▼
The typical entry-level education for Metal Workers and Plastic Workers, All Other is High school diploma or equivalent. On-the-job training: Moderate-term on-the-job training.
How dangerous is being a Metal Workers and Plastic Workers, All Other? ▼
Metal Workers and Plastic Workers, All Other has a safety grade of B (Safe) based on BLS data. The fatality rate is 3.5 per 100,000 workers and the injury rate is 3.2 per 100 workers.
Is Metal Workers and Plastic Workers, All Other a good career? ▼
Employment for Metal Workers and Plastic Workers, All Other is projected to decline 9.5% from 2024 to 2034, which is declining. About 1,700 openings are projected each year.
How does Metal Workers and Plastic Workers, All Other pay vary by state? ▼
Metal Workers and Plastic Workers, All Other salaries vary significantly by state. The highest-paying state is Hawaii at $78,000/year, while Michigan pays the least at $40,110/year. BLS data covers 39 states and territories.
Which metro areas pay the most for Metal Workers and Plastic Workers, All Other? ▼
The highest-paying metro area for Metal Workers and Plastic Workers, All Other is Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL at $83,870/year. BLS reports wage data for 86 metro areas for this occupation, with pay varying based on local demand and cost of living.

What to do with this data

How to use Metal Workers and Plastic Workers, All Other pay figures in a real decision

  • For an experienced offer, anchor on the 75th percentile (about $54,100/year), not the median. The median marks the middle worker; the upper quartile is the realistic target with strong experience. Salary calculator
  • Location moves pay significantly: Hawaii leads at $78,000/year for this role. Weigh state pay against local cost of living before relocating or negotiating remote. Pay by state
  • Compare this occupation against similar roles before you decide, so you are reading the pay band in context rather than in isolation. Compare jobs

These are BLS survey estimates for the occupation, not a salary offer or a prediction for any individual. Your pay depends on experience, employer, exact role, and location.

Data as of May 2025. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 annual release. Employment projections from BLS Employment Projections program, 2024–2034. Data reflects cross-industry estimates for all ownership types.

These are survey estimates for the occupation, not a salary offer or a prediction for any individual. See how to use them.

Every figure on WageDex is rendered directly from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage data, no number is typed in by an editor. This occupation's figures are computed directly from the BLS OEWS and Employment Projections datasets, nothing is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of May 2025.

This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or career advice. Actual pay for a specific role, employer, or offer may differ from these national/state figures, consult a qualified career counselor, recruiter, or financial advisor before making decisions based on this data.