Best Cities for Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastics

Cities ranked by purchasing power — where cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics 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	Kansas City, MO-KSMetro	1.23	$52,840	$56,940	29%
2	Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MIMetro	1.19	$50,460	$55,329	29%
3	MissouriState	1.18	$48,310	$54,526	26%
4	IowaState	1.17	$48,240	$54,081	24%
5	NebraskaState	1.15	$48,690	$53,213	26%
6	WisconsinState	1.15	$49,270	$53,380	26%
7	ArkansasState	1.14	$45,580	$52,816	23%
8	Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WAMetro	1.14	$57,110	$52,978	38%
9	North DakotaState	1.13	$48,400	$52,268	24%
10	IndianaState	1.12	$46,980	$51,912	27%
11	KansasState	1.12	$46,840	$52,044	27%
12	KentuckyState	1.12	$45,760	$51,706	25%
13	MaineState	1.12	$51,820	$51,924	30%
14	OregonState	1.12	$53,680	$52,117	36%
15	MinnesotaState	1.10	$49,770	$50,786	31%
16	West VirginiaState	1.10	$43,070	$51,152	23%
17	Pittsburgh, PAMetro	1.10	$46,940	$50,746	30%
18	AlabamaState	1.09	$43,830	$50,321	26%
19	IllinoisState	1.09	$48,990	$50,298	32%
20	MontanaState	1.09	$48,490	$50,301	28%
21	South DakotaState	1.09	$46,060	$50,727	25%
22	WyomingState	1.09	$46,890	$50,419	25%
23	MichiganState	1.08	$46,120	$49,967	29%
24	OhioState	1.08	$45,230	$50,033	28%
25	PennsylvaniaState	1.06	$47,860	$49,340	32%
26	TennesseeState	1.06	$44,780	$48,940	34%
27	Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WIMetro	1.06	$48,710	$48,955	36%
28	San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CAMetro	1.05	$58,580	$48,735	64%
29	ColoradoState	1.04	$50,790	$48,188	44%
30	GeorgiaState	1.04	$45,080	$48,266	38%
31	South CarolinaState	1.04	$44,420	$48,283	34%
32	Columbus, OHMetro	1.04	$44,890	$48,011	35%
33	Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WAMetro	1.04	$54,920	$48,049	48%
34	MississippiState	1.03	$40,650	$47,936	26%
35	NevadaState	1.03	$47,690	$47,595	37%
36	Rhode IslandState	1.03	$48,170	$47,930	37%
37	WashingtonState	1.03	$51,160	$47,679	45%
38	Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GAMetro	1.03	$46,310	$47,841	42%
39	Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SCMetro	1.03	$45,760	$47,766	39%
40	Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TNMetro	1.02	$45,650	$47,453	41%
41	Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MDMetro	1.02	$49,000	$47,343	39%
42	AlaskaState	1.01	$49,010	$46,989	33%
43	UtahState	1.01	$46,670	$46,577	38%
44	ArizonaState	1.00	$46,610	$46,194	39%
45	OklahomaState	1.00	$40,930	$46,249	28%
46	Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MDMetro	1.00	$49,000	$46,314	41%
47	North CarolinaState	0.99	$43,400	$45,975	36%
48	VirginiaState	0.99	$47,300	$45,700	40%
49	LouisianaState	0.98	$40,870	$45,361	31%
50	New HampshireState	0.98	$48,110	$45,387	40%
51	Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TXMetro	0.98	$43,950	$45,216	43%
52	San Antonio-New Braunfels, TXMetro	0.97	$41,530	$45,141	38%
53	TexasState	0.96	$42,720	$44,686	39%
54	CaliforniaState	0.94	$48,450	$43,767	56%
55	MarylandState	0.94	$47,320	$43,333	43%
56	Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FLMetro	0.94	$43,030	$43,685	48%
57	ConnecticutState	0.93	$46,280	$43,011	41%
58	New MexicoState	0.93	$39,430	$42,859	32%
59	VermontState	0.92	$43,560	$42,498	39%
60	MassachusettsState	0.91	$45,760	$42,175	59%
61	New JerseyState	0.91	$45,680	$41,985	47%
62	Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NHMetro	0.91	$48,080	$42,361	64%
63	New YorkState	0.90	$46,930	$41,716	47%
64	Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CAMetro	0.90	$48,640	$41,751	56%
65	Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WVMetro	0.90	$46,950	$41,622	51%
66	DelawareState	0.89	$41,640	$41,228	39%
67	IdahoState	0.89	$39,580	$41,016	36%
68	FloridaState	0.84	$39,440	$38,857	52%
69	Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FLMetro	0.78	$39,440	$36,350	62%

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