SOC 51-4072 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS
Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic — Lafayette
Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN · 8 metro areas compared
Median pay for this occupation in Lafayette, IN is $36,560 a year, trailing the national median of $44,350 by 17.6%.
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
- -3.8%
- Openings per year
- 15,900
- 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 Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN.
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 Lafayette, IN is $36,560 a year, trailing the national median of $44,350 by 17.6%. The middle half of workers in this occupation earn between $31,400 and $40,600. The lowest tenth earn under $31,400, while the highest tenth earn more than $46,370.
Within the state, Evansville records the highest median at $61,160. Of the 308 occupations with published wages in this area, it sits 265th.
Percentile breakdown
| Percentile | Annual | vs US median |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $31,400 | −29.2% |
| 25th | $31,400 | −29.2% |
| Median (50th) | $36,560 | −17.6% |
| 75th | $40,600 | −8.5% |
| 90th | $46,370 | +4.6% |
| Mean | $38,650 | −12.9% |
Other metro areas in Indiana
| # | Metro area | Median | Jobs | Relative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Evansville | $61,160 | 790 | |
| 2 | Fort Wayne | $46,420 | 400 | |
| 3 | Michigan City | $45,600 | 300 | |
| 4 | Elkhart | $43,880 | 530 | |
| 5 | Terre Haute | $43,880 | 60 | |
| 6 | Indianapolis | $39,880 | 1,480 | |
| 7 | Columbus | $38,420 | 330 | |
| 8 | South Bend | $37,650 | 420 |
What the pay is worth locally
Prices in Lafayette run 6.6% below the national average, so the median of $36,560 goes as far as $39,143 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way it compares to the national median at 11.7% below the national median in real terms.
Published median
$36,560as reported by BLSLocal price level
93.4US average = 100 · BEA 2024Adjusted for local prices
$39,143US average = 100 · BEA 2024Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest
Key takeaways
- Median pay is $36,560 a year, 17.6% below the national median.
- Published pay spans $31,400 to $46,370 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
- The highest-paying metro area covered is Evansville, at $61,160.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median wage for Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic in Lafayette, IN?
The median annual wage is $36,560, or $17.58 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 $44,350, so pay in Lafayette, IN is 17.6% lower. 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 Lafayette, IN earns more than $46,370 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.
What is the starting range?
The tenth percentile wage is $31,400 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 Evansville, at $61,160 per year.
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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