Best Cities for Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastics

Cities ranked by purchasing power — where multiple machine tool 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	West VirginiaState	1.92	$76,080	$90,356	13%
2	Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TXMetro	1.75	$80,110	$82,418	24%
3	KentuckyState	1.32	$54,960	$62,102	21%
4	MissouriState	1.27	$53,160	$60,000	23%
5	Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MIMetro	1.19	$51,210	$56,151	29%
6	NebraskaState	1.18	$50,960	$55,694	25%
7	IowaState	1.16	$48,910	$54,832	23%
8	Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SCMetro	1.16	$52,530	$54,833	34%
9	KansasState	1.14	$48,450	$53,833	26%
10	North DakotaState	1.13	$49,190	$53,121	24%
11	IdahoState	1.11	$50,410	$52,238	29%
12	OklahomaState	1.11	$46,470	$52,508	25%
13	WisconsinState	1.10	$47,700	$51,679	27%
14	LouisianaState	1.09	$46,210	$51,287	27%
15	OhioState	1.09	$46,420	$51,350	27%
16	TexasState	1.09	$49,050	$51,308	34%
17	Kansas City, MO-KSMetro	1.09	$47,680	$51,379	32%
18	ArkansasState	1.08	$44,080	$51,078	24%
19	Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MDMetro	1.08	$53,860	$50,907	37%
20	AlabamaState	1.07	$43,800	$50,287	26%
21	IndianaState	1.06	$45,100	$49,834	28%
22	MinnesotaState	1.06	$48,980	$49,980	31%
23	North CarolinaState	1.06	$47,320	$50,127	33%
24	Columbus, OHMetro	1.06	$46,580	$49,818	33%
25	MichiganState	1.05	$45,920	$49,751	29%
26	PennsylvaniaState	1.05	$48,070	$49,557	32%
27	South CarolinaState	1.05	$45,740	$49,717	33%
28	Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WIMetro	1.05	$49,260	$49,508	36%
29	Pittsburgh, PAMetro	1.05	$45,770	$49,481	31%
30	South DakotaState	1.04	$44,700	$49,229	26%
31	VermontState	1.04	$50,450	$49,220	34%
32	VirginiaState	1.04	$50,600	$48,889	37%
33	Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TNMetro	1.02	$46,070	$47,890	41%
34	MarylandState	1.01	$51,780	$47,418	39%
35	TennesseeState	1.01	$43,630	$47,683	35%
36	WashingtonState	1.00	$50,540	$47,102	45%
37	MaineState	0.99	$46,710	$46,804	33%
38	Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MDMetro	0.99	$48,180	$46,551	40%
39	OregonState	0.98	$47,470	$46,087	40%
40	IllinoisState	0.97	$44,350	$45,534	35%
41	MassachusettsState	0.94	$48,230	$44,452	56%
42	New YorkState	0.94	$49,890	$44,347	44%
43	ColoradoState	0.93	$46,160	$43,795	48%
44	Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WAMetro	0.93	$47,470	$44,035	45%
45	Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WVMetro	0.93	$49,610	$43,980	48%
46	UtahState	0.92	$43,550	$43,463	41%
47	Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NHMetro	0.92	$49,150	$43,304	62%
48	ArizonaState	0.91	$43,090	$42,706	42%
49	MississippiState	0.91	$36,330	$42,842	30%
50	New HampshireState	0.91	$45,710	$43,123	42%
51	WyomingState	0.91	$40,000	$43,011	30%
52	San Antonio-New Braunfels, TXMetro	0.91	$39,340	$42,761	40%
53	Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WAMetro	0.91	$49,280	$43,115	54%
54	CaliforniaState	0.90	$46,810	$42,285	58%
55	GeorgiaState	0.88	$38,810	$41,552	44%
56	FloridaState	0.86	$41,220	$40,611	50%
57	NevadaState	0.85	$40,310	$40,230	43%
58	Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CAMetro	0.85	$46,810	$40,180	58%
59	ConnecticutState	0.84	$42,580	$39,572	44%
60	Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GAMetro	0.84	$38,370	$39,638	51%
61	Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FLMetro	0.84	$39,220	$39,817	53%
62	Rhode IslandState	0.82	$38,720	$38,527	47%
63	New JerseyState	0.81	$41,390	$38,042	52%
64	Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FLMetro	0.77	$39,510	$36,415	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).