SalaryExplorer

SOC 51-4081 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS

Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic — Raleigh

Raleigh-Cary, NC · 9 metro areas compared

$48,520 /year
$23.33per hour
600jobs in area
+2.8%vs US median

The median wage for Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic in Raleigh, NC is $48,520 per year, close to the national median of $47,180 for the same occupation.

Wage distribution · annual

Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners

US MEDIAN $47,18010TH$42,390MEDIAN$48,52075TH$53,49090TH$56,110

How pay has moved

$53,748$22,3832019202020212022202320242025$48,520
$27,610 in 2019 to $48,520 in 2025, +75.7% 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 decline

Change in jobs, 2024 to 2034
-0.5%
Openings per year
12,800
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 Raleigh-Cary, NC.

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

The median wage for Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic in Raleigh, NC is $48,520 per year, close to the national median of $47,180 for the same occupation. Half of workers earn between $47,540 and $53,490. Beyond that band, the tenth percentile sits at $42,390 and the ninetieth at $56,110.

Employment stands at 600, or 0.8 jobs per thousand held locally. Within the state, Charlotte records the highest median at $52,530. Of the 571 occupations with published wages in this area, it sits 382nd.

Percentile breakdown

Annual wages by percentile · Raleigh-Cary, NC · May 2025
PercentileAnnualvs US median
10th$42,390−10.2%
25th$47,540+0.8%
Median (50th)$48,520+2.8%
75th$53,490+13.4%
90th$56,110+18.9%
Mean$49,420+4.7%

Why the average earner is usually not a typical earner

Other metro areas in North Carolina

Median annual wage for Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic, by metro area
#Metro areaMedianJobsRelative
1Charlotte$52,5301,210
2Greensboro$52,380280
3Durham$46,36080
4Asheville$45,72070
5Burlington$45,31030
6Hickory$44,920130
7Winston-Salem$44,550120
8Rocky Mount$40,320100
9Greenville$35,79080

What the pay is worth locally

Prices in Raleigh sit close to the national average, so $48,520 is worth roughly its face value against pay elsewhere.

Published median

$48,520as reported by BLS

Local price level

98.2US average = 100 · BEA 2024

Adjusted for local prices

$49,409US average = 100 · BEA 2024

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

Key takeaways

  • Median pay is $48,520 a year, 2.8% above the national median.
  • Published pay spans $42,390 to $56,110 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
  • The area has 600 jobs in this occupation.
  • The highest-paying metro area covered is Charlotte, at $52,530.

Frequently asked questions

What is the median wage for Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic in Raleigh, NC?

The median annual wage is $48,520, or $23.33 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 $47,180, so pay in Raleigh, NC is 2.8% 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 Raleigh, NC earns more than $56,110 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.

What is the starting range?

The tenth percentile wage is $42,390 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 Charlotte, at $52,530 per year.

How many jobs are there in this occupation here?

The survey estimates 600 jobs in this occupation in Raleigh, NC. 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.