Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders pay in Kentucky

$58,480avg. a year
$28.12 an hour · 2,670 employed

Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders in Kentucky earn an average of $58,480 a year. That is $5,640 (11%) more than the U.S. average of $52,840. The best-paying metro area is Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN at $56,610.

$58,050Median pay
$28.12Average hourly
+38%Avg. pay since 2020
#6Of 43 states

Top-paying Kentucky metro areas

Average pay for paper goods machine setters, operators, and tenders by metro area. Swipe to see all 4.

1440 jobs
Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN
$56,610
$27.22 an hour
2220 jobs
Bowling Green, KY
$55,680
$26.77 an hour
31,410 jobs
Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN
$51,830
$24.92 an hour
4160 jobs
Clarksville, TN-KY
$48,150
$23.15 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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Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders pay in Kentucky, charted

Pay over time

Kentucky, annual wage, May of each year
AverageMedian

Where Kentucky paper goods machine setters, operators, and tenders work

Employment by metro area, May 2025

Average pay by state

May 2025 · Kentucky highlighted · tap a state
AKMEWIVTNHWAIDMTNDMNILMINYMAORNVWYSDIAINOHPANJCTRICAUTCONEMOKYWVVAMDDEAZNMKSARTNNCSCDCOKLAMSALGAHITXFL
Under $49k$49k–$52k$52k–$55k$55k+Kentucky

Kentucky vs. neighbors

Average pay, May 2025
AreaAvg. payHourly
United States$52,840$25.40
Kentucky$58,480$28.12
Illinois$54,030$25.98
Virginia$52,620$25.30
Ohio$50,350$24.21
Indiana$49,710$23.90
Missouri$49,550$23.82

Questions and answers

How much do paper goods machine setters, operators, and tenders make in Kentucky?

The average is $58,480 a year, and the median is $58,050. That is $5,640 (11%) more than the U.S. average of $52,840.

What is the hourly wage in Kentucky?

$28.12 an hour on average; the median is $27.91.

Where in Kentucky do they earn the most?

Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN ($56,610), followed by Bowling Green, KY ($55,680). The lowest average among 4 metro areas with data is Clarksville, TN-KY ($48,150).

How does Kentucky rank?

Kentucky ranks #6 of 43 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 51-9196. 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 paper goods machine setters, operators, and tenders 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.