SOC 51-4022 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS
Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic — Wisconsin
Wisconsin · 1 metro areas compared
Median pay for this occupation in Wisconsin comes to $60,310 a year, ahead of the national median of $49,030 by 23.0%.
Wage distribution · annual
Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners
How pay has moved
The next ten years
Projected to decline
- Change in jobs, 2024 to 2034
- -18.9%
- Openings per year
- 600
- 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 Wisconsin.
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
Median pay for this occupation in Wisconsin comes to $60,310 a year, ahead of the national median of $49,030 by 23.0%. Pay ranges from under $48,460 at the tenth percentile to more than $63,360 at the ninetieth, with the interquartile range running from $53,340 to $60,500.
Employment stands at 80, or 0.0 jobs per thousand held locally. Wisconsin ranks number 5th out of 32 states by median pay for this occupation. Within the state, Milwaukee records the highest median at $60,500. Of the 728 occupations with published wages in this area, it sits 361st.
Percentile breakdown
| Percentile | Annual | vs US median |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $48,460 | −1.2% |
| 25th | $53,340 | +8.8% |
| Median (50th) | $60,310 | +23.0% |
| 75th | $60,500 | +23.4% |
| 90th | $63,360 | +29.2% |
| Mean | $56,810 | +15.9% |
Highest-paying metro areas in Wisconsin
| # | Metro area | Median | Jobs | Relative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Milwaukee | $60,500 | 60 |
What the pay is worth locally
Prices in Wisconsin run 5.9% below the national average, so the median of $60,310 goes as far as $64,091 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way it compares to the national median at 30.7% above the national median in real terms.
Published median
$60,310as reported by BLSLocal price level
94.1US average = 100 · BEA 2024Adjusted for local prices
$64,091US average = 100 · BEA 2024Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest
Key takeaways
- Median pay is $60,310 a year, 23.0% above the national median.
- Published pay spans $48,460 to $63,360 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
- The area has 80 jobs in this occupation.
- It ranks 5th of 32 states for this occupation.
- The highest-paying metro area covered is Milwaukee, at $60,500.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median wage for Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic in Wisconsin?
The median annual wage is $60,310, or $29.00 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 $49,030, so pay in Wisconsin is 23.0% 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 Wisconsin earns more than $63,360 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.
What is the starting range?
The tenth percentile wage is $48,460 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 Milwaukee, at $60,500 per year.
How many jobs are there in this occupation here?
The survey estimates 80 jobs in this occupation in Wisconsin. 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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