Best Cities for Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenderss

Cities ranked by purchasing power — where cutting and slicing machine setters, operators, and tenderss get the most value from their salary after accounting for cost of living. A score above 1.00 means better than national average.

How we calculate this: City Score = (Local Salary ÷ National Median) ÷ (Local Cost ÷ National Avg Cost). A score of 1.20 means 20% better purchasing power than average.

#	Location	Score	Raw Salary	Adjusted Salary	Rent/Income
1	Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WIMetro	1.35	$62,620	$62,935	28%
2	MinnesotaState	1.28	$58,260	$59,449	26%
3	MissouriState	1.23	$50,930	$57,483	24%
4	IowaState	1.19	$49,600	$55,605	23%
5	ArkansasState	1.18	$47,320	$54,832	22%
6	KentuckyState	1.17	$48,180	$54,441	24%
7	MontanaState	1.15	$51,540	$53,465	26%
8	OhioState	1.15	$48,400	$53,540	26%
9	Kansas City, MO-KSMetro	1.15	$49,850	$53,718	31%
10	NebraskaState	1.13	$48,300	$52,787	26%
11	WisconsinState	1.12	$48,040	$52,048	27%
12	South CarolinaState	1.11	$47,410	$51,533	32%
13	Columbus, OHMetro	1.11	$48,270	$51,626	32%
14	IllinoisState	1.10	$49,740	$51,068	32%
15	IndianaState	1.10	$46,150	$50,994	27%
16	North DakotaState	1.10	$47,480	$51,274	25%
17	VermontState	1.09	$52,220	$50,946	33%
18	KansasState	1.07	$44,760	$49,733	28%
19	OregonState	1.07	$51,180	$49,689	37%
20	Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WAMetro	1.07	$53,680	$49,796	40%
21	MaineState	1.06	$49,200	$49,299	32%
22	South DakotaState	1.06	$44,980	$49,537	26%
23	ColoradoState	1.05	$51,750	$49,099	43%
24	MississippiState	1.05	$41,590	$49,045	26%
25	Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MIMetro	1.05	$44,620	$48,925	33%
26	IdahoState	1.04	$46,840	$48,539	31%
27	MichiganState	1.04	$44,620	$48,342	30%
28	PennsylvaniaState	1.04	$46,850	$48,299	33%
29	Pittsburgh, PAMetro	1.04	$44,670	$48,292	32%
30	TennesseeState	1.03	$44,030	$48,120	34%
31	New HampshireState	1.02	$50,290	$47,443	38%
32	Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GAMetro	1.02	$45,790	$47,304	42%
33	GeorgiaState	1.01	$44,130	$47,248	38%
34	WashingtonState	1.01	$50,430	$46,999	45%
35	ArizonaState	1.00	$46,780	$46,363	38%
36	North CarolinaState	1.00	$43,770	$46,367	36%
37	Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SCMetro	1.00	$44,790	$46,754	40%
38	Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TNMetro	0.99	$44,320	$46,071	42%
39	Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MDMetro	0.99	$47,660	$46,048	40%
40	AlabamaState	0.98	$39,740	$45,626	29%
41	LouisianaState	0.98	$41,170	$45,694	31%
42	Rhode IslandState	0.98	$45,950	$45,721	39%
43	UtahState	0.98	$45,510	$45,419	39%
44	Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TXMetro	0.98	$44,360	$45,638	43%
45	Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WAMetro	0.98	$52,180	$45,652	51%
46	West VirginiaState	0.97	$37,920	$45,036	27%
47	New JerseyState	0.96	$48,600	$44,669	44%
48	AlaskaState	0.95	$46,240	$44,334	35%
49	New YorkState	0.95	$49,680	$44,160	45%
50	TexasState	0.95	$42,210	$44,153	39%
51	San Antonio-New Braunfels, TXMetro	0.94	$40,250	$43,750	39%
52	NevadaState	0.93	$43,470	$43,383	40%
53	VirginiaState	0.93	$44,790	$43,275	42%
54	OklahomaState	0.92	$37,910	$42,836	31%
55	Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MDMetro	0.91	$44,820	$42,363	45%
56	CaliforniaState	0.89	$46,110	$41,653	59%
57	ConnecticutState	0.89	$44,530	$41,385	42%
58	Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WVMetro	0.89	$46,600	$41,312	51%
59	MarylandState	0.88	$44,820	$41,044	45%
60	MassachusettsState	0.87	$43,790	$40,359	62%
61	FloridaState	0.86	$40,540	$39,941	51%
62	Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NHMetro	0.84	$44,320	$39,048	69%
63	Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CAMetro	0.83	$44,870	$38,515	61%
64	Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FLMetro	0.83	$38,230	$38,812	54%
65	Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FLMetro	0.82	$41,270	$38,037	59%
66	New MexicoState	0.76	$32,770	$35,620	38%

Data Sources: Salary: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS). Cost of Living: BEA Regional Price Parities (2024). Rent: HUD Fair Market Rents (FY2025).