Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic pay in North Carolina
$45,980avg. a year
$22.11 an hour · 3,940 employed
Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic in North Carolina earn an average of $45,980 a year. That is $2,450 (5%) less than the U.S. average of $48,430. The best-paying metro area is Winston-Salem, NC at $53,570.
$43,400Median pay
$22.11Average hourly
+30%Avg. pay since 2020
#36Of 49 states
Top-paying North Carolina metro areas
Average pay for cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic by metro area. Swipe to see all 12.
1390 jobs
Winston-Salem, NC
$53,570
$25.76 an hour
21,440 jobs
Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC
$48,890
$23.51 an hour
380 jobs
Asheville, NC
$48,370
$23.26 an hour
4150 jobs
Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC
$47,990
$23.07 an hour
5120 jobs
Durham-Chapel Hill, NC
$47,100
$22.64 an hour
640 jobs
Wilmington, NC
$43,840
$21.08 an hour
7270 jobs
Raleigh-Cary, NC
$43,270
$20.80 an hour
8180 jobs
Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC
$43,020
$20.68 an hour
970 jobs
Burlington, NC
$42,900
$20.62 an hour
10400 jobs
Greensboro-High Point, NC
$42,180
$20.28 an hour
1180 jobs
Goldsboro, NC
$40,710
$19.57 an hour
12110 jobs
Rocky Mount, NC
$39,810
$19.14 an hour
Why people trust JobPayFacts
Official government dataEvery number comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage survey of employers, not self-reported salaries.
Every state and city830 jobs across all 50 states, D.C. and 199 large metro areas.
Updated every yearNew figures each spring when BLS releases them. This site uses May 2025 data.
Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic pay in North Carolina, charted
Pay over time
North Carolina, annual wage, May of each year
AverageMedian
Where North Carolina cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic work
Employment by metro area, May 2025
Average pay by state
May 2025 · North Carolina highlighted · tap a state
AKMEWIVTNHWAIDMTNDMNILMINYMAORNVWYSDIAINOHPANJCTRICAUTCONEMOKYWVVAMDDEAZNMKSARTNNCSCDCOKLAMSALGAHITXFL
Under $46k$46k–$48k$48k–$50k$50k+North Carolina
North Carolina vs. neighbors
Average pay, May 2025
| Area | Avg. pay | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| United States | $48,430 | $23.28 |
| North Carolina | $45,980 | $22.11 |
| Virginia | $48,270 | $23.21 |
| Georgia | $47,040 | $22.62 |
| South Carolina | $45,540 | $21.90 |
| Tennessee | $43,980 | $21.14 |
Related jobs in North Carolina
- Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers$53,720
- Machinists$54,880
- Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$43,880
- Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$49,070
- Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$50,690
- Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$47,010
Average pay, North Carolina, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS
Questions and answers
How much do cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic make in North Carolina?
The average is $45,980 a year, and the median is $43,400. That is $2,450 (5%) less than the U.S. average of $48,430.
What is the hourly wage in North Carolina?
$22.11 an hour on average; the median is $20.86.
Where in North Carolina do they earn the most?
Winston-Salem, NC ($53,570), followed by Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC ($48,890). The lowest average among 12 metro areas with data is Rocky Mount, NC ($39,810).
How does North Carolina rank?
North Carolina ranks #36 of 49 states (including D.C.) with published data for this job, by average pay.
Sources and notes. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 (trend: May 2020–May 2025), occupation code 51-4031. State rank compares average pay across states with published data. Metro figures cover metropolitan statistical areas; a metro area can cross state lines. See also the national cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic page. Wages are gross pay before taxes and don't include overtime premiums, tips, bonuses or benefits; self-employed workers aren't included. Year-to-year changes can partly reflect survey method changes, so treat the trend as a guide. How we use the data. JobPayFacts isn't affiliated with BLS.