Best Cities for Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastics

Cities ranked by purchasing power — where extruding and drawing 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	Pittsburgh, PAMetro	1.38	$60,820	$65,751	23%
2	Rhode IslandState	1.28	$61,350	$61,045	29%
3	ArkansasState	1.22	$50,150	$58,111	21%
4	VermontState	1.21	$59,220	$57,776	29%
5	NebraskaState	1.20	$52,360	$57,224	24%
6	KentuckyState	1.18	$50,000	$56,497	23%
7	North CarolinaState	1.18	$53,330	$56,494	29%
8	AlabamaState	1.15	$47,690	$54,753	24%
9	South DakotaState	1.15	$49,620	$54,648	23%
10	IndianaState	1.14	$49,420	$54,608	26%
11	WisconsinState	1.14	$50,230	$54,420	26%
12	South CarolinaState	1.12	$49,040	$53,304	31%
13	IowaState	1.11	$47,240	$52,960	24%
14	LouisianaState	1.11	$47,930	$53,196	26%
15	MinnesotaState	1.11	$51,830	$52,888	30%
16	PennsylvaniaState	1.11	$51,150	$52,732	30%
17	West VirginiaState	1.11	$44,510	$52,862	23%
18	Kansas City, MO-KSMetro	1.10	$48,680	$52,457	32%
19	GeorgiaState	1.09	$48,410	$51,831	35%
20	MississippiState	1.09	$44,220	$52,146	24%
21	MissouriState	1.09	$46,050	$51,975	27%
22	TennesseeState	1.09	$47,550	$51,967	32%
23	KansasState	1.08	$46,270	$51,411	27%
24	Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SCMetro	1.08	$49,450	$51,618	36%
25	Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WIMetro	1.08	$51,510	$51,769	34%
26	OhioState	1.07	$46,340	$51,261	27%
27	Columbus, OHMetro	1.06	$47,090	$50,364	33%
28	Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GAMetro	1.05	$48,570	$50,176	40%
29	Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TXMetro	1.05	$48,590	$49,990	39%
30	IllinoisState	1.04	$48,520	$49,815	32%
31	New MexicoState	1.04	$45,670	$49,641	28%
32	WyomingState	1.04	$45,950	$49,409	26%
33	Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MIMetro	1.04	$45,250	$49,616	32%
34	ColoradoState	1.02	$51,110	$48,491	43%
35	MichiganState	1.02	$45,140	$48,906	30%
36	UtahState	1.02	$49,000	$48,902	37%
37	OregonState	1.01	$49,650	$48,204	39%
38	TexasState	1.01	$45,890	$48,002	36%
39	Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TNMetro	1.01	$46,420	$48,254	40%
40	New HampshireState	0.99	$50,210	$47,368	38%
41	New JerseyState	0.99	$51,180	$47,040	42%
42	ConnecticutState	0.98	$50,230	$46,682	37%
43	MaineState	0.98	$46,550	$46,643	33%
44	Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MDMetro	0.98	$48,370	$46,734	40%
45	MassachusettsState	0.97	$50,370	$46,424	54%
46	DelawareState	0.96	$46,140	$45,683	35%
47	Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NHMetro	0.95	$51,220	$45,128	60%
48	Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FLMetro	0.94	$44,210	$44,883	47%
49	ArizonaState	0.93	$45,000	$44,599	40%
50	Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MDMetro	0.93	$46,730	$44,168	43%
51	Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WAMetro	0.93	$47,630	$44,184	45%
52	San Antonio-New Braunfels, TXMetro	0.93	$40,790	$44,337	38%
53	NevadaState	0.92	$44,210	$44,122	39%
54	OklahomaState	0.92	$38,820	$43,864	30%
55	VirginiaState	0.92	$45,220	$43,691	42%
56	WashingtonState	0.92	$47,230	$44,017	48%
57	Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WVMetro	0.92	$49,420	$43,812	48%
58	New YorkState	0.91	$48,930	$43,493	45%
59	MarylandState	0.90	$46,730	$42,793	43%
60	Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WAMetro	0.89	$48,520	$42,450	54%
61	CaliforniaState	0.87	$45,880	$41,445	59%
62	Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CAMetro	0.83	$46,010	$39,494	59%
63	FloridaState	0.82	$39,730	$39,143	52%
64	IdahoState	0.75	$34,700	$35,959	41%
65	Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FLMetro	0.71	$36,890	$34,000	66%

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