SalaryExplorer

SOC 51-9041 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS

Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders — Maine

Maine

$57,990 /year
$27.88per hour
140jobs in area
+26.7%vs US median

In Maine the median wage for Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders reaches $57,990 a year.

Wage distribution · annual

Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners

US MEDIAN $45,76010TH$36,92025TH$44,600MEDIAN$57,99075TH$61,45090TH$73,390

How pay has moved

$63,428$30,8032019202020212022202320242025$57,990
$36,500 in 2019 to $57,990 in 2025, +58.9% before inflation. BLS states that OEWS estimates are not designed for comparison across years: the occupational classification, the sampling frame and the survey method have all changed inside this window. Read the direction, not the exact difference.

The next ten years

Projected to grow about as fast as average

Change in jobs, 2024 to 2034
+2.0%
Openings per year
5,200
Typical entry-level education
High school diploma or equivalent
On-the-job training
Moderate-term on-the-job training

Includes jobs opened by workers leaving the occupation, not only new positions.

Projections are published nationally only. This is the outlook for the occupation across the United States, not a measurement for Maine.

Projections are based on 2024 employment and run to 2034. The wages above are from the May 2025 survey, a separate BLS programme on a different release cycle, so the two are not two views of one dataset.

Salary overview

In Maine the median wage for Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders reaches $57,990 a year. That is 26.7% more than the national median of $45,760. The middle half of workers in this occupation earn between $44,600 and $61,450. The lowest tenth earn under $36,920, while the highest tenth earn more than $73,390.

Employment stands at 140, or 0.2 jobs per thousand held locally. Among the 45 states with published data for this occupation, Maine ranks 1st by median wage. Set against every other occupation measured in the same area, it ranks 343rd of 634 by median pay.

Percentile breakdown

Annual wages by percentile · Maine · May 2025
PercentileAnnualvs US median
10th$36,920−19.3%
25th$44,600−2.5%
Median (50th)$57,990+26.7%
75th$61,450+34.3%
90th$73,390+60.4%
Mean$55,230+20.7%

Why the average earner is usually not a typical earner

What the pay is worth locally

Prices in Maine run 2.9% below the national average, so the median of $57,990 goes as far as $59,722 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way it compares to the national median at 30.5% above the national median in real terms.

Published median

$57,990as reported by BLS

Local price level

97.1US average = 100 · BEA 2024

Adjusted for local prices

$59,722US average = 100 · BEA 2024

Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest

Key takeaways

  • Median pay is $57,990 a year, 26.7% above the national median.
  • Published pay spans $36,920 to $73,390 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
  • The area has 140 jobs in this occupation.
  • It ranks 1st of 45 states for this occupation.

Frequently asked questions

What is the median wage for Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders in Maine?

The median annual wage is $57,990, or $27.88 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 $45,760, so pay in Maine is 26.7% 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 Maine earns more than $73,390 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.

What is the starting range?

The tenth percentile wage is $36,920 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.

How many jobs are there in this occupation here?

The survey estimates 140 jobs in this occupation in Maine. 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.

Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders in Maine Earn $57,990 — 26.7% Above the US Median (2025) | Salary Explorer