SOC 51-4031 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS
Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic — Indiana
Indiana · 10 metro areas compared
The median wage for Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic in Indiana is $46,980 per year, close to the national median of $46,330 for the same occupation.
Wage distribution · annual
Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners
Salary overview
The median wage for Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic in Indiana is $46,980 per year, close to the national median of $46,330 for the same occupation. Pay ranges from under $36,960 at the tenth percentile to more than $73,840 at the ninetieth, with the interquartile range running from $40,630 to $56,350.
The area has 9,680 jobs in this occupation, which works out to 3.0 of every thousand jobs. Among the 49 states with published data for this occupation, Indiana ranks 21st by median wage. Lafayette leads the state's metro areas for this occupation, at $52,710. Set against every other occupation measured in the same area, it ranks 523rd of 753 by median pay.
Percentile breakdown
| Percentile | Annual | vs US median |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $36,960 | −20.2% |
| 25th | $40,630 | −12.3% |
| Median (50th) | $46,980 | +1.4% |
| 75th | $56,350 | +21.6% |
| 90th | $73,840 | +59.4% |
| Mean | $49,900 | +7.7% |
Highest-paying metro areas in Indiana
| # | Metro area | Median | Jobs | Relative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lafayette | $52,710 | 260 | |
| 2 | Columbus | $47,880 | 260 | |
| 3 | Evansville | $47,790 | 190 | |
| 4 | Indianapolis | $46,740 | 1,550 | |
| 5 | South Bend | $46,270 | 380 | |
| 6 | Muncie | $46,010 | 140 | |
| 7 | Elkhart | $45,620 | 790 | |
| 8 | Michigan City | $44,410 | 90 | |
| 9 | Bloomington | $44,130 | 70 | |
| 10 | Kokomo | $44,080 | 30 |
What the pay is worth locally
Prices in Indiana run 6.7% below the national average, so the median of $46,980 goes as far as $50,354 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way it compares to the national median at 8.7% above the national median in real terms.
Published median
$46,980as reported by BLSLocal price level
93.3US average = 100 · BEA 2024Adjusted for local prices
$50,354US average = 100 · BEA 2024Key takeaways
- Median pay is $46,980 a year, 1.4% above the national median.
- Published pay spans $36,960 to $73,840 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
- The area has 9,680 jobs in this occupation.
- It ranks 21st of 49 states for this occupation.
- The highest-paying metro area covered is Lafayette, at $52,710.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median wage for Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic in Indiana?
The median annual wage is $46,980, or $22.59 per hour, as of May 2025. Half of the workers in this occupation earn more than that and half earn less.
Is that higher than the national average?
The national median for this occupation is $46,330, so pay in Indiana is 1.4% higher. These figures are medians, not averages: half of workers fall on each side.
What do the top earners make?
The top tenth of this occupation in Indiana earns more than $73,840 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.
What is the starting range?
The tenth percentile wage is $36,960 per year. The survey measures wages actually paid rather than experience level, so this reflects the lowest-paid tenth rather than entry-level pay specifically.
Which area nearby pays the most?
The highest median for this occupation among the metro areas covered is in Lafayette, at $52,710 per year.
How many jobs are there in this occupation here?
The survey estimates 9,680 jobs in this occupation in Indiana. Self-employed workers are not included.
Source and methodology
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 Wages are for wage-and-salary workers; self-employed workers are not included. Salary Explorer is an independent project. It is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics or any government agency. Full methodology.
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