SalariesWhat the occupation covers
Set up, operate, or tend plating machines to coat metal or plastic products with chromium, zinc, copper, cadmium, nickel, or other metal to protect or decorate surfaces. Typically, the product being coated is immersed in molten metal or an electrolytic solution. Excludes “Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders” (51-9124).
Official definition from the Standard Occupational Classification, code 51-4193.
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 | $33,790 | $2,816 | $650 | $16.25 |
| Lowest 25% earn less than | $37,260 | $3,105 | $717 | $17.91 |
| Median (half earn less, half more) | $43,960 | $3,663 | $845 | $21.14 |
| Top 25% earn more than | $49,600 | $4,133 | $954 | $23.85 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $60,370 | $5,031 | $1,161 | $29.02 |
* 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 Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic is $43,960, which is 14% lower. Among the 105 occupations of the field Production, it ranks number 72 by median pay. With 32,410 jobs, it makes up about 2.1 of every 10,000 jobs in the country.
Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic pay by state
The highest median pay was in Iowa ($70,910), Washington ($58,000) and Mississippi ($52,090). The lowest was in Alabama ($33,730), Louisiana ($34,040) and Kentucky ($34,680). The most jobs were in California (5,600), Michigan (3,330) and Illinois (2,380). The occupation is most concentrated in Rhode Island, where its share of all jobs is 4.3 times the national share.
No state matches.
| State | Jobs | Median a year | Average a year | Median an hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iowa | 440 | $70,910 | $59,160 | $34.09 |
| Washington | 410 | $58,000 | $59,100 | $27.89 |
| Mississippi | 60 | $52,090 | $50,690 | $25.04 |
| Arkansas | 230 | $51,140 | $52,750 | $24.59 |
| Oklahoma | 180 | $49,330 | $51,950 | $23.71 |
| Oregon | 310 | $48,050 | $51,420 | $23.10 |
| Nebraska | 400 | $48,010 | $48,870 | $23.08 |
| Colorado | 190 | $47,930 | $49,750 | $23.04 |
| Arizona | 640 | $47,110 | $45,920 | $22.65 |
| Utah | 180 | $46,940 | $52,190 | $22.57 |
| Ohio | 1,810 | $46,790 | $48,460 | $22.49 |
| California | 5,600 | $46,760 | $47,610 | $22.48 |
| Minnesota | 560 | $46,730 | $48,650 | $22.47 |
| Florida | 530 | $46,460 | $45,220 | $22.34 |
| New Hampshire | 60 | $46,300 | $47,420 | $22.26 |
| Massachusetts | 860 | $46,150 | $45,930 | $22.19 |
| Maine | 170 | $45,720 | $47,440 | $21.98 |
| Pennsylvania | 1,740 | $45,590 | $47,190 | $21.92 |
| New York | 830 | $45,510 | $47,200 | $21.88 |
| South Carolina | 470 | $44,560 | $45,210 | $21.43 |
| Idaho | 60 | $44,470 | $44,380 | $21.38 |
| Wisconsin | 940 | $44,350 | $46,280 | $21.32 |
| Missouri | 150 | $44,080 | $43,010 | $21.19 |
| North Carolina | 710 | $43,540 | $43,530 | $20.93 |
| Virginia | 270 | $43,380 | $43,810 | $20.86 |
| Maryland | 60 | $42,030 | $48,050 | $20.21 |
| New Jersey | 380 | $40,800 | $41,920 | $19.62 |
| Tennessee | 1,660 | $39,510 | $41,470 | $18.99 |
| Georgia | 660 | $39,160 | $49,250 | $18.83 |
| Texas | 2,090 | $39,060 | $40,460 | $18.78 |
| Kansas | 360 | $38,770 | $42,480 | $18.64 |
| Indiana | 1,250 | $38,680 | $43,370 | $18.60 |
| Illinois | 2,380 | $38,620 | $41,990 | $18.57 |
| Rhode Island | 450 | $38,580 | $43,700 | $18.55 |
| Michigan | 3,330 | $37,600 | $40,490 | $18.08 |
| Nevada | 60 | $37,460 | $40,440 | $18.01 |
| Connecticut | 620 | $37,220 | $43,750 | $17.89 |
| Kentucky | 630 | $34,680 | $38,630 | $16.67 |
| Louisiana | 100 | $34,040 | $36,400 | $16.36 |
| Alabama | 400 | $33,730 | $35,210 | $16.22 |
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
- Furniture Finishers$44,540 a year
- Woodworkers, All Other$44,530 a year
- Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$44,350 a year
- Cleaning, Washing, and Metal Pickling Equipment Operators and Tenders$43,530 a year
- Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing$43,380 a year
- Etchers and Engravers$43,310 a year
Common questions
How much do Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic earn in the United States?
The median pay was $43,960 a year in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $33,790 and the highest-paid 10% more than $60,370.
How many people work as Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic?
About 32,410 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.