51 Series · SOC 51-9196
Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders Salary
National pay, percentile range, growth outlook, and state-by-state detail from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey (May 2025).
- $50,270
- Median / year
- $70,320
- Top 10% earn
- -6.3%
- Growth '23–'33
- 96,130
- US workers
Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders earn a median of $50,270 per year.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey, the median annual wage is $50,270, based on the most recent survey of employers. Reported pay ranges from $37,300 (10th percentile) to $70,320 (90th percentile) nationally, across roughly 96,130 US workers. Oklahoma pays the most ($63,640), since pay varies by state and metro area.
The pay verdict
Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders earn a median of $50,270, putting them below the typical US occupation and higher than 34% of the 825 occupations with a published BLS median. Within Production, it ranks #34 of 105 by median pay. Employment is projected to fall 6.3% by 2033.
- $50,270
- Median annual wage
- Top 66%
- of 825 US occupations with published wages
- #34 of 105
- in Production
- 1.9×
- 90th-to-10th pay spread
Highest-paying state: Oklahoma at $63,640. Typical entry-level education: High school diploma or equivalent.
Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders (SOC 51-9196) pays a national median of $50,270 per year according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey released in May 2025. Full-range compensation stretches from $37,300 at the 10th percentile to $70,320 at the 90th, with a mean of $52,840 indicating a right-skew where top earners pull the average above the midpoint. An estimated 96,130 Americans work in this occupation across 44 reporting states and 172 metro areas.
BLS Employment Projections forecast a -6.3% change in employment from 2024 to 2034, which the agency classifies as declining relative to the 5% all-occupations baseline. About 8,100 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. Oklahoma pays the highest state median at $63,640, which is +27% above the national figure. The top metro is Cedar Rapids, IA at $83,470 - 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.
Median Salary
$50,270
per year
Median Hourly
$24.17/hr
per hour
Mean Salary
$52,840
average
Employment
96,130
jobs nationwide
How does this pay compare nationally?
Where Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders pay sits nationally
Median annual wage vs. 825 detailed BLS occupations with a published median
$50,270 Bottom 34% higher than 34% of 825 US occupations
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 Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders; the upper-right quadrant is the sweet spot (high pay + fast growth).
Among 22 51-series occupations with growth data, Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders sits on the slower-growing side at -6.3% growth and $50,270 median pay.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS (wages, May 2025) and Employment Projections (2024–2034).
Job Outlook (2024–2034)
Projected Growth
-6.3%
Declining
Annual Openings
8,100
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 →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
Career Intelligence
Skills, knowledge, and tasks most important for Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders roles, ranked by importance. Source: O*NET.
Top Skills
Knowledge Areas
Key Tasks
- ▸ Examine completed work to detect defects and verify conformance to work orders, and adjust machinery as necessary to correct production problems.
- ▸ Observe operation of various machines to detect and correct machine malfunctions such as improper forming, glue flow, or pasteboard tension.
- ▸ Install attachments to machines for gluing, folding, printing, or cutting.
- ▸ Cut products to specified dimensions, using hand or power cutters.
- ▸ Place rolls of paper or cardboard on machine feed tracks, and thread paper through gluing, coating, and slitting rollers.
- ▸ Monitor finished cartons as they drop from forming machines into rotating hoppers and into gravity feed chutes to prevent jamming.
- ▸ Adjust guide assemblies, forming bars, and folding mechanisms according to specifications, using hand tools.
- ▸ Start machines and move controls to regulate tension on pressure rolls, to synchronize speed of machine components, and to adjust temperatures of glue or paraffin.
- ▸ Measure, space, and set saw blades, cutters, and perforators, according to product specifications.
- ▸ Fill glue and paraffin reservoirs, and position rollers to dispense glue onto paperboard.
Source: O*NET Online, National Center for O*NET Development. Data represents typical importance ratings for this occupation.
Salary Range
Annual Salary Distribution
Hourly Rate Distribution
10th Percentile
$37,300
25th Percentile
$44,920
Median
$50,270
75th Percentile
$60,180
90th Percentile
$70,320
Salary by State
Highest Paying States
View all 44 states →
| # | State | Median Salary | vs National |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oklahoma | $63,640 | +27% above national |
| 2 | Maine | $61,780 | +23% above national |
| 3 | Utah | $60,790 | +21% above national |
| 4 | Washington | $59,410 | +18% above national |
| 5 | Louisiana | $58,230 | +16% above national |
| 6 | Minnesota | $58,150 | +16% above national |
| 7 | Kentucky | $58,050 | +15% above national |
| 8 | Wisconsin | $58,050 | +15% above national |
| 9 | Idaho | $57,950 | +15% above national |
| 10 | Oregon | $56,810 | +13% above national |
| 11 | Illinois | $56,400 | +12% above national |
| 12 | New Mexico | $53,930 | +7% above national |
| 13 | New York | $52,800 | +5% above national |
| 14 | Alabama | $52,290 | +4% above national |
| 15 | Pennsylvania | $51,780 | +3% above national |
| 16 | Michigan | $50,540 | +1% above national |
| 17 | New Hampshire | $50,200 | same as national |
| 18 | Georgia | $50,160 | same as national |
| 19 | South Carolina | $50,040 | same as national |
| 20 | Virginia | $49,900 | 1% below national |
| 21 | Arizona | $49,160 | 2% below national |
| 22 | Colorado | $48,940 | 3% below national |
| 23 | Florida | $48,910 | 3% below national |
| 24 | Massachusetts | $48,840 | 3% below national |
| 25 | Indiana | $48,780 | 3% below national |
| 26 | California | $48,730 | 3% below national |
| 27 | Rhode Island | $48,710 | 3% below national |
| 28 | Arkansas | $48,630 | 3% below national |
| 29 | Connecticut | $48,530 | 3% below national |
| 30 | Delaware | $48,110 | 4% below national |
| 31 | Nebraska | $47,980 | 5% below national |
| 32 | North Carolina | $47,940 | 5% below national |
| 33 | Texas | $47,830 | 5% below national |
| 34 | Maryland | $47,780 | 5% below national |
| 35 | Nevada | $47,780 | 5% below national |
| 36 | Missouri | $47,560 | 5% below national |
| 37 | Ohio | $47,450 | 6% below national |
| 38 | Mississippi | $47,380 | 6% below national |
| 39 | Tennessee | $46,920 | 7% below national |
| 40 | South Dakota | $46,910 | 7% below national |
| 41 | Iowa | $46,110 | 8% below national |
| 42 | New Jersey | $45,950 | 9% below national |
| 43 | Kansas | $45,840 | 9% below national |
| 44 | Puerto Rico | $30,530 | 39% below national |
Salary by Metro Area
Highest Paying Metros
View all 172 metro areas →
| # | Metro Area | Median Salary | vs National |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cedar Rapids, IA | $83,470 | +66% above national |
| 2 | Upper Peninsula of Michigan nonmetropolitan area | $66,750 | +33% above national |
| 3 | Pittsfield, MA | $65,190 | +30% above national |
| 4 | Northeast Louisiana nonmetropolitan area | $65,170 | +30% above national |
| 5 | Terre Haute, IN | $65,110 | +30% above national |
| 6 | Northeast Oklahoma nonmetropolitan area | $64,690 | +29% above national |
| 7 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $64,020 | +27% above national |
| 8 | South Georgia nonmetropolitan area | $63,910 | +27% above national |
| 9 | Albany, OR | $63,800 | +27% above national |
| 10 | West Kentucky nonmetropolitan area | $63,690 | +27% above national |
| 11 | Northeast Maine nonmetropolitan area | $63,520 | +26% above national |
| 12 | Northeastern Wisconsin nonmetropolitan area | $61,980 | +23% above national |
| 13 | Glens Falls, NY | $61,830 | +23% above national |
| 14 | Northeastern South Carolina nonmetropolitan area | $61,680 | +23% above national |
| 15 | Southwest Alabama nonmetropolitan area | $61,460 | +22% above national |
| 16 | Capital/Northern New York nonmetropolitan area | $61,170 | +22% above national |
| 17 | Wausau, WI | $61,070 | +21% above national |
| 18 | Eastern North Carolina nonmetropolitan area | $60,660 | +21% above national |
| 19 | Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT | $60,440 | +20% above national |
| 20 | Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT | $59,980 | +19% above national |
| 21 | Longview-Kelso, WA | $59,770 | +19% above national |
| 22 | Appleton, WI | $59,550 | +18% above national |
| 23 | Southern Ohio nonmetropolitan area | $59,280 | +18% above national |
| 24 | Green Bay, WI | $59,230 | +18% above national |
| 25 | Modesto, CA | $59,150 | +18% above national |
| 26 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $59,020 | +17% above national |
| 27 | Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT | $59,010 | +17% above national |
| 28 | Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN | $59,000 | +17% above national |
| 29 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $58,820 | +17% above national |
| 30 | Oshkosh-Neenah, WI | $58,560 | +16% above national |
| 31 | Southwest New York nonmetropolitan area | $58,520 | +16% above national |
| 32 | Jacksonville, FL | $58,480 | +16% above national |
| 33 | Racine-Mount Pleasant, WI | $58,050 | +15% above national |
| 34 | Kenosha, WI | $57,910 | +15% above national |
| 35 | Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $57,840 | +15% above national |
| 36 | Battle Creek, MI | $57,810 | +15% above national |
| 37 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $57,780 | +15% above national |
| 38 | Bowling Green, KY | $57,620 | +15% above national |
| 39 | Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA | $57,540 | +14% above national |
| 40 | Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY | $57,100 | +14% above national |
| 41 | Syracuse, NY | $57,060 | +14% above national |
| 42 | Rockford, IL | $56,800 | +13% above national |
| 43 | Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $55,810 | +11% above national |
| 44 | Central Kentucky nonmetropolitan area | $54,950 | +9% above national |
| 45 | Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI | $54,410 | +8% above national |
| 46 | Yakima, WA | $54,060 | +8% above national |
| 47 | Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $53,870 | +7% above national |
| 48 | South Central Kentucky nonmetropolitan area | $53,580 | +7% above national |
| 49 | Southeast Minnesota nonmetropolitan area | $53,260 | +6% above national |
| 50 | Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV | $52,790 | +5% above national |
| 51 | Lancaster, PA | $52,560 | +5% above national |
| 52 | Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL | $52,390 | +4% above national |
| 53 | Reading, PA | $52,130 | +4% above national |
| 54 | South Arkansas nonmetropolitan area | $51,570 | +3% above national |
| 55 | York-Hanover, PA | $51,500 | +2% above national |
| 56 | Kalamazoo-Portage, MI | $51,360 | +2% above national |
| 57 | Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $51,360 | +2% above national |
| 58 | Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | $51,220 | +2% above national |
| 59 | Salt Lake City-Murray, UT | $51,190 | +2% above national |
| 60 | Memphis, TN-MS-AR | $51,140 | +2% above national |
| 61 | Columbia, SC | $51,010 | +1% above national |
| 62 | Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ | $50,800 | +1% above national |
| 63 | Central Pennsylvania nonmetropolitan area | $50,730 | +1% above national |
| 64 | Western North Carolina nonmetropolitan area | $50,410 | same as national |
| 65 | Chattanooga, TN-GA | $50,330 | same as national |
| 66 | West Central Illinois nonmetropolitan area | $50,230 | same as national |
| 67 | Montgomery, AL | $50,120 | same as national |
| 68 | Richmond, VA | $49,980 | 1% below national |
| 69 | Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | $49,970 | 1% below national |
| 70 | Reno, NV | $49,920 | 1% below national |
| 71 | Lynchburg, VA | $49,900 | 1% below national |
| 72 | Rochester, NY | $49,850 | 1% below national |
| 73 | Gettysburg, PA | $49,660 | 1% below national |
| 74 | Niles, MI | $49,590 | 1% below national |
| 75 | Killeen-Temple, TX | $49,520 | 1% below national |
| 76 | Salem, OR | $49,450 | 2% below national |
| 77 | Madison, WI | $49,220 | 2% below national |
| 78 | South Central Wisconsin nonmetropolitan area | $49,200 | 2% below national |
| 79 | North Northeastern Ohio nonmetropolitan area (noncontiguous) | $49,180 | 2% below national |
| 80 | Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | $49,160 | 2% below national |
| 81 | Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN | $49,120 | 2% below national |
| 82 | Stockton-Lodi, CA | $49,100 | 2% below national |
| 83 | Northwestern Pennsylvania nonmetropolitan area | $49,000 | 3% below national |
| 84 | Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $48,940 | 3% below national |
| 85 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $48,930 | 3% below national |
| 86 | Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI | $48,910 | 3% below national |
| 87 | Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | $48,900 | 3% below national |
| 88 | Northeast Alabama nonmetropolitan area | $48,880 | 3% below national |
| 89 | Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY | $48,760 | 3% below national |
| 90 | Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC | $48,740 | 3% below national |
| 91 | Visalia, CA | $48,730 | 3% below national |
| 92 | Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $48,640 | 3% below national |
| 93 | Akron, OH | $48,580 | 3% below national |
| 94 | St. Louis, MO-IL | $48,570 | 3% below national |
| 95 | North Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area | $48,570 | 3% below national |
| 96 | Southern Michigan nonmetropolitan area | $48,520 | 3% below national |
| 97 | Birmingham, AL | $48,450 | 4% below national |
| 98 | Columbus, OH | $48,340 | 4% below national |
| 99 | Kansas City, MO-KS | $48,220 | 4% below national |
| 100 | Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $48,150 | 4% below national |
| 101 | Florence, SC | $48,140 | 4% below national |
| 102 | North Arkansas nonmetropolitan area | $48,090 | 4% below national |
| 103 | Fort Wayne, IN | $48,080 | 4% below national |
| 104 | Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC | $48,050 | 4% below national |
| 105 | Providence-Warwick, RI-MA | $47,970 | 5% below national |
| 106 | Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | $47,760 | 5% below national |
| 107 | Northern Indiana nonmetropolitan area | $47,680 | 5% below national |
| 108 | Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN | $47,650 | 5% below national |
| 109 | Central Indiana nonmetropolitan area | $47,610 | 5% below national |
| 110 | Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $47,510 | 5% below national |
| 111 | Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $47,420 | 6% below national |
| 112 | Janesville-Beloit, WI | $47,320 | 6% below national |
| 113 | Spartanburg, SC | $47,310 | 6% below national |
| 114 | Jackson, MS | $47,210 | 6% below national |
| 115 | Worcester, MA | $47,200 | 6% below national |
| 116 | Cleveland, OH | $47,050 | 6% below national |
| 117 | Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH | $47,010 | 6% below national |
| 118 | Pittsburgh, PA | $47,010 | 6% below national |
| 119 | Greensboro-High Point, NC | $46,990 | 7% below national |
| 120 | Asheville, NC | $46,940 | 7% below national |
| 121 | Knoxville, TN | $46,920 | 7% below national |
| 122 | Macon-Bibb County, GA | $46,910 | 7% below national |
| 123 | Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC | $46,840 | 7% below national |
| 124 | Fresno, CA | $46,800 | 7% below national |
| 125 | Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR | $46,530 | 7% below national |
| 126 | Connecticut nonmetropolitan area | $46,520 | 7% below national |
| 127 | New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $46,410 | 8% below national |
| 128 | West Northwestern Ohio nonmetropolitan area | $46,400 | 8% below national |
| 129 | Springfield, MA | $46,350 | 8% below national |
| 130 | Joplin, MO-KS | $46,180 | 8% below national |
| 131 | Clarksville, TN-KY | $46,150 | 8% below national |
| 132 | Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | $46,130 | 8% below national |
| 133 | Upper East Mississippi nonmetropolitan area | $46,070 | 8% below national |
| 134 | Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | $45,960 | 9% below national |
| 135 | Jackson, TN | $45,900 | 9% below national |
| 136 | Ann Arbor, MI | $45,800 | 9% below national |
| 137 | Southwest Minnesota nonmetropolitan area | $45,770 | 9% below national |
| 138 | Central North Carolina nonmetropolitan area | $45,750 | 9% below national |
| 139 | Springfield, MO | $45,440 | 10% below national |
| 140 | Toledo, OH | $45,370 | 10% below national |
| 141 | Canton-Massillon, OH | $45,260 | 10% below national |
| 142 | Decatur, AL | $45,050 | 10% below national |
| 143 | Springfield, OH | $45,000 | 10% below national |
| 144 | Altoona, PA | $44,890 | 11% below national |
| 145 | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $44,760 | 11% below national |
| 146 | Eastern Ohio nonmetropolitan area | $44,750 | 11% below national |
| 147 | Hattiesburg, MS | $44,450 | 12% below national |
| 148 | Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV | $44,340 | 12% below national |
| 149 | Lincoln, NE | $44,130 | 12% below national |
| 150 | Northeastern Pennsylvania nonmetropolitan area | $43,830 | 13% below national |
| 151 | South Central Tennessee nonmetropolitan area | $43,550 | 13% below national |
| 152 | Elkhart-Goshen, IN | $43,420 | 14% below national |
| 153 | Southeast Iowa nonmetropolitan area | $40,420 | 20% below national |
| 154 | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $40,350 | 20% below national |
| 155 | Lebanon, PA | $40,010 | 20% below national |
| 156 | Oklahoma City, OK | $39,520 | 21% below national |
| 157 | Roanoke, VA | $39,040 | 22% below national |
| 158 | Winston-Salem, NC | $38,730 | 23% below national |
| 159 | Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA | $38,590 | 23% below national |
| 160 | Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA | $38,210 | 24% below national |
| 161 | Salinas, CA | $38,140 | 24% below national |
| 162 | El Paso, TX | $37,800 | 25% below national |
| 163 | Vineland, NJ | $37,450 | 26% below national |
| 164 | Central East New York nonmetropolitan area | $37,370 | 26% below national |
| 165 | Northwest Alabama nonmetropolitan area | $36,670 | 27% below national |
| 166 | Kansas nonmetropolitan area | $36,610 | 27% below national |
| 167 | Morristown, TN | $36,330 | 28% below national |
| 168 | Dalton, GA | $35,560 | 29% below national |
| 169 | North Georgia nonmetropolitan area | $34,120 | 32% below national |
| 170 | North Central Tennessee nonmetropolitan area | $33,750 | 33% below national |
| 171 | North Missouri nonmetropolitan area | $33,340 | 34% below national |
| 172 | San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas, PR | $30,530 | 39% below national |
Similar Occupations in the Same Category
Other roles in SOC major group 51 (production) with comparable pay and career paths.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders make? ▼
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What to do with this data
How to use Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders pay figures in a real decision
- For an experienced offer, anchor on the 75th percentile (about $60,180/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: Oklahoma leads at $63,640/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.
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.