Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic pay in Pennsylvania

$49,670avg. a year
$23.88 an hour · 8,890 employed

Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic in Pennsylvania earn an average of $49,670 a year. That is $1,240 (3%) more than the U.S. average of $48,430. The best-paying metro area is Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA at $55,380.

$47,860Median pay
$23.88Average hourly
+26%Avg. pay since 2020
#16Of 49 states

Top-paying Pennsylvania metro areas

Average pay for cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic by metro area. Swipe to see all 16.

1750 jobs
Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA
$55,380
$26.63 an hour
2610 jobs
Reading, PA
$53,900
$25.92 an hour
3730 jobs
Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ
$53,270
$25.61 an hour
41,840 jobs
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD
$51,070
$24.55 an hour
570 jobs
Chambersburg, PA
$50,710
$24.38 an hour
6560 jobs
Lancaster, PA
$49,860
$23.97 an hour
71,600 jobs
Pittsburgh, PA
$48,120
$23.14 an hour
8580 jobs
York-Hanover, PA
$48,060
$23.11 an hour
960 jobs
Gettysburg, PA
$46,780
$22.49 an hour
10280 jobs
Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA
$46,680
$22.44 an hour
11150 jobs
Williamsport, PA
$45,880
$22.06 an hour
1290 jobs
Lebanon, PA
$45,010
$21.64 an hour
13500 jobs
Erie, PA
$44,480
$21.38 an hour
1430 jobs
Altoona, PA
$42,940
$20.64 an hour
1540 jobs
State College, PA
$41,660
$20.03 an hour
1640 jobs
Johnstown, PA
$37,610
$18.08 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.
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Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic pay in Pennsylvania, charted

Pay over time

Pennsylvania, annual wage, May of each year
AverageMedian

Where Pennsylvania 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 · Pennsylvania highlighted · tap a state
AKMEWIVTNHWAIDMTNDMNILMINYMAORNVWYSDIAINOHPANJCTRICAUTCONEMOKYWVVAMDDEAZNMKSARTNNCSCDCOKLAMSALGAHITXFL
Under $46k$46k–$48k$48k–$50k$50k+Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania vs. neighbors

Average pay, May 2025
AreaAvg. payHourly
United States$48,430$23.28
Pennsylvania$49,670$23.88
New York$50,330$24.20
New Jersey$47,670$22.92
Maryland$47,280$22.73
Ohio$46,370$22.30
West Virginia$45,130$21.70

Questions and answers

How much do cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic make in Pennsylvania?

The average is $49,670 a year, and the median is $47,860. That is $1,240 (3%) more than the U.S. average of $48,430.

What is the hourly wage in Pennsylvania?

$23.88 an hour on average; the median is $23.01.

Where in Pennsylvania do they earn the most?

Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA ($55,380), followed by Reading, PA ($53,900). The lowest average among 16 metro areas with data is Johnstown, PA ($37,610).

How does Pennsylvania rank?

Pennsylvania ranks #16 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.