Chico, CA · SOC 51-4072

Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic in Chico

Metro area salary data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025)

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Median Salary

$45,530

per year in Chico

+3% above

National Median

$44,350

per year nationally

Hourly Rate

$21.89/hr

median hourly

Employment

40

jobs in Chico

BLS metro-level wage data places Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic pay in Chico, CA at a median of $45,530 per year ($21.89/hr/hour), drawn from the OEWS May 2025 release for this Metropolitan Statistical Area. Compared to the national median of $44,350, Chico pays +3% above, signaling either concentrated employer demand, a cost-of-living premium, or both. Approximately 40 molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics are employed across the Chico MSA in SOC 51-4072.

The Chico pay distribution spans from $34,320 at the 10th percentile to $58,080 at the 90th — a 1.7× spread that reflects experience tenure, specialization, employer size, and the difference between public-sector, nonprofit, and private-sector compensation inside the metro. The 25th percentile sits at $36,930 and the 75th at $46,590, so half of Chico-based molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics earn within that middle band.

Metro figures capture where you actually work, not just where you live — which matters for commuters. BLS draws metro boundaries from the OMB MSA definitions, so Chico, CA covers the central city plus outlying counties tied to the metro economically. Remember that OEWS wages reflect base pay only: employer-provided health insurance, retirement matches, stock options, signing bonuses, overtime, and tips are excluded and can add 20-40% to real total compensation. Before using this metro median as a negotiation anchor, triangulate against the same occupation's national profile (linked below), its state-wide CA data, and peer-metro comparisons — a median is a starting point, not a ceiling.

Salary Range in Chico

Annual Salary Distribution

$34,320$36,930$45,530$46,590$58,080
10th pct25thMedian75th90th pct

10th Percentile

$34,320

25th Percentile

$36,930

Median

$45,530

75th Percentile

$46,590

90th Percentile

$58,080

Top Paying Jobs in Chico

Similar Occupations in Chico

Other roles inside the Chico, CA MSA from the same SOC major group.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does a Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic make in Chico?
The median annual salary for Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic in Chico, CA is $45,530 ($21.89/hour). The salary range spans from $34,320 at the 10th percentile to $58,080 at the 90th percentile.
Is Chico a good place to work as a Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic?
Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic in Chico, CA earns +3% above the national median of $44,350. There are approximately 40 Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic jobs in this metro area.

Last updated: May 2025 (BLS OEWS annual release). Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025.

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