SalariesWhat the occupation covers
Set up, operate, or tend paper goods machines that perform a variety of functions, such as converting, sawing, corrugating, banding, wrapping, boxing, stitching, forming, or sealing paper or paperboard sheets into products.
Official definition from the Standard Occupational Classification, code 51-9196.
The pay range
Pay differs a lot inside one occupation, with experience, employer and place. The table shows where the lines fall.
| Share of workers | A year | A month* | A week* | An hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lowest 10% earn less than | $37,300 | $3,108 | $717 | $17.93 |
| Lowest 25% earn less than | $44,920 | $3,743 | $864 | $21.60 |
| Median (half earn less, half more) | $50,270 | $4,189 | $967 | $24.17 |
| Top 25% earn more than | $60,180 | $5,015 | $1,157 | $28.93 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $70,320 | $5,860 | $1,352 | $33.81 |
* Month and week are the yearly figure divided by 12 and by 52, worked out here for convenience. BLS publishes the yearly and hourly figures.
How it compares
The median for all occupations in the United States was $50,980 a year. The median for Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders is $50,270, which is about the same. Among the 105 occupations of the field Production, it ranks number 34 by median pay. With 96,130 jobs, it makes up about 6.2 of every 10,000 jobs in the country.
Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders pay by state
The highest median pay was in Oklahoma ($63,640), Maine ($61,780) and Utah ($60,790). The lowest was in Puerto Rico ($30,530), Kansas ($45,840) and New Jersey ($45,950). The most jobs were in Wisconsin (8,510), Pennsylvania (7,410) and Georgia (5,650). The occupation is most concentrated in Wisconsin, where its share of all jobs is 4.7 times the national share.
No state matches.
| State | Jobs | Median a year | Average a year | Median an hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oklahoma | 1,390 | $63,640 | $58,480 | $30.60 |
| Maine | 740 | $61,780 | $60,780 | $29.70 |
| Utah | 1,350 | $60,790 | $58,230 | $29.23 |
| Washington | 2,170 | $59,410 | $58,970 | $28.56 |
| Louisiana | 1,150 | $58,230 | $61,080 | $28.00 |
| Minnesota | 1,960 | $58,150 | $57,470 | $27.96 |
| Kentucky | 2,670 | $58,050 | $58,480 | $27.91 |
| Wisconsin | 8,510 | $58,050 | $56,430 | $27.91 |
| Idaho | 480 | $57,950 | $60,810 | $27.86 |
| Oregon | 680 | $56,810 | $58,860 | $27.31 |
| Illinois | 5,360 | $56,400 | $54,030 | $27.11 |
| New Mexico | 100 | $53,930 | $52,170 | $25.93 |
| New York | 3,280 | $52,800 | $52,840 | $25.39 |
| Alabama | 3,800 | $52,290 | $55,280 | $25.14 |
| Pennsylvania | 7,410 | $51,780 | $53,220 | $24.89 |
| Michigan | 3,000 | $50,540 | $53,580 | $24.30 |
| New Hampshire | 230 | $50,200 | $53,990 | $24.13 |
| Georgia | 5,650 | $50,160 | $52,110 | $24.12 |
| South Carolina | 2,460 | $50,040 | $54,490 | $24.06 |
| Virginia | 2,370 | $49,900 | $52,620 | $23.99 |
| Arizona | 1,190 | $49,160 | $47,450 | $23.63 |
| Colorado | 240 | $48,940 | $51,690 | $23.53 |
| Florida | 1,360 | $48,910 | $51,980 | $23.51 |
| Massachusetts | 1,920 | $48,840 | $52,120 | $23.48 |
| Indiana | 2,580 | $48,780 | $49,710 | $23.45 |
| California | 5,570 | $48,730 | $51,600 | $23.43 |
| Rhode Island | 240 | $48,710 | $45,800 | $23.42 |
| Arkansas | 2,060 | $48,630 | $50,660 | $23.38 |
| Connecticut | 650 | $48,530 | $53,910 | $23.33 |
| Delaware | 160 | $48,110 | $46,950 | $23.13 |
| Nebraska | 300 | $47,980 | $47,010 | $23.07 |
| North Carolina | 4,800 | $47,940 | $48,430 | $23.05 |
| Texas | 3,740 | $47,830 | $48,900 | $23.00 |
| Maryland | 480 | $47,780 | $48,640 | $22.97 |
| Nevada | 380 | $47,780 | $49,080 | $22.97 |
| Missouri | 1,540 | $47,560 | $49,550 | $22.87 |
| Ohio | 4,640 | $47,450 | $50,350 | $22.81 |
| Mississippi | 960 | $47,380 | $51,890 | $22.78 |
| Tennessee | 3,490 | $46,920 | $47,120 | $22.56 |
| South Dakota | 130 | $46,910 | $45,160 | $22.55 |
| Iowa | 1,010 | $46,110 | $54,610 | $22.17 |
| New Jersey | 3,210 | $45,950 | $47,890 | $22.09 |
| Kansas | 420 | $45,840 | $45,740 | $22.04 |
| Puerto Rico | 240 | $30,530 | $32,600 | $14.68 |
Sorted by median pay, highest first. "Not published" means BLS did not release that figure for the state, usually because too few employers were surveyed. "$239,200 or more" is the highest value BLS reports in the state tables.
Similar occupations by pay
- Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters$51,330 a year
- Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operators$50,690 a year
- Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$50,620 a year
- Rolling Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$50,140 a year
- Tool Grinders, Filers, and Sharpeners$50,060 a year
- Patternmakers, Wood$49,630 a year
Common questions
How much do Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders earn in the United States?
The median pay was $50,270 a year in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $37,300 and the highest-paid 10% more than $70,320.
How many people work as Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders?
About 96,130 jobs in the United States in May 2025, not counting the self-employed.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Checked in November 2026. Figures are for employees, before tax, and leave out overtime pay and benefits. They are official statistics, not advice or a pay offer; see bls.gov/oes for the original tables.