SOC 51-4199 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS
Metal Workers and Plastic Workers, All Other — Kentucky
Kentucky
In Kentucky the median wage for Metal Workers and Plastic Workers, All Other reaches $61,320 a year.
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
- -9.5%
- Openings per year
- 1,700
- 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 Kentucky.
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 Kentucky the median wage for Metal Workers and Plastic Workers, All Other reaches $61,320 a year. That is 33.4% more than the national median of $45,950. Pay ranges from under $48,300 at the tenth percentile to more than $70,390 at the ninetieth, with the interquartile range running from $59,000 to $67,080.
Employment stands at 200, or 0.1 jobs per thousand held locally. Kentucky ranks number 4th out of 38 states by median pay for this occupation. Of the 699 occupations with published wages in this area, it sits 281st.
Percentile breakdown
| Percentile | Annual | vs US median |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $48,300 | +5.1% |
| 25th | $59,000 | +28.4% |
| Median (50th) | $61,320 | +33.4% |
| 75th | $67,080 | +46.0% |
| 90th | $70,390 | +53.2% |
| Mean | $60,310 | +31.3% |
What the pay is worth locally
Prices in Kentucky run 9.8% below the national average, so the median of $61,320 goes as far as $67,982 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way it compares to the national median at 47.9% above the national median in real terms.
Published median
$61,320as reported by BLSLocal price level
90.2US average = 100 · BEA 2024Adjusted for local prices
$67,982US average = 100 · BEA 2024Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest
Key takeaways
- Median pay is $61,320 a year, 33.4% above the national median.
- Published pay spans $48,300 to $70,390 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
- The area has 200 jobs in this occupation.
- It ranks 4th of 38 states for this occupation.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median wage for Metal Workers and Plastic Workers, All Other in Kentucky?
The median annual wage is $61,320, or $29.48 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 $45,950, so pay in Kentucky is 33.4% 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 Kentucky earns more than $70,390 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.
What is the starting range?
The tenth percentile wage is $48,300 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 200 jobs in this occupation in Kentucky. 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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