SOC 51-4023 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS
Rolling Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic — Illinois
Illinois · 2 metro areas compared
Median pay for this occupation in Illinois comes to $54,180 a year, ahead of the national median of $50,140 by 8.1%.
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
- -8.3%
- Openings per year
- 1,900
- 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 Illinois.
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 Illinois comes to $54,180 a year, ahead of the national median of $50,140 by 8.1%. The middle half of workers in this occupation earn between $47,610 and $62,590. The lowest tenth earn under $37,360, while the highest tenth earn more than $62,980.
Employment stands at 550, or 0.1 jobs per thousand held locally. Among the 39 states with published data for this occupation, Illinois ranks 11th by median wage. Rockford leads the state's metro areas for this occupation, at $55,270. Set against every other occupation measured in the same area, it ranks 469th of 747 by median pay.
Percentile breakdown
| Percentile | Annual | vs US median |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $37,360 | −25.5% |
| 25th | $47,610 | −5.0% |
| Median (50th) | $54,180 | +8.1% |
| 75th | $62,590 | +24.8% |
| 90th | $62,980 | +25.6% |
| Mean | $53,580 | +6.9% |
Highest-paying metro areas in Illinois
What the pay is worth locally
Prices in Illinois sit close to the national average, so $54,180 is worth roughly its face value against pay elsewhere.
Published median
$54,180as reported by BLSLocal price level
100.0US average = 100 · BEA 2024Adjusted for local prices
$54,180US average = 100 · BEA 2024Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest
Key takeaways
- Median pay is $54,180 a year, 8.1% above the national median.
- Published pay spans $37,360 to $62,980 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
- The area has 550 jobs in this occupation.
- It ranks 11th of 39 states for this occupation.
- The highest-paying metro area covered is Rockford, at $55,270.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median wage for Rolling Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic in Illinois?
The median annual wage is $54,180, or $26.05 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 $50,140, so pay in Illinois is 8.1% 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 Illinois earns more than $62,980 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.
What is the starting range?
The tenth percentile wage is $37,360 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 Rockford, at $55,270 per year.
How many jobs are there in this occupation here?
The survey estimates 550 jobs in this occupation in Illinois. 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.
Explore related data