Best Cities for Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastics

Cities ranked by purchasing power — where plating 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	IowaState	1.81	$70,910	$79,496	16%
2	MississippiState	1.40	$52,090	$61,427	21%
3	ArkansasState	1.35	$51,140	$59,258	21%
4	OklahomaState	1.27	$49,330	$55,740	24%
5	WashingtonState	1.23	$58,000	$54,054	39%
6	NebraskaState	1.19	$48,010	$52,470	26%
7	OhioState	1.18	$46,790	$51,759	27%
8	Columbus, OHMetro	1.18	$48,610	$51,989	32%
9	Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WAMetro	1.16	$58,400	$51,094	45%
10	MissouriState	1.13	$44,080	$49,752	28%
11	Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TNMetro	1.13	$47,630	$49,511	39%
12	Kansas City, MO-KSMetro	1.12	$45,540	$49,073	34%
13	South CarolinaState	1.10	$44,560	$48,435	34%
14	Pittsburgh, PAMetro	1.10	$44,590	$48,205	32%
15	Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FLMetro	1.10	$47,740	$48,467	43%
16	WisconsinState	1.09	$44,350	$48,050	29%
17	MinnesotaState	1.08	$46,730	$47,684	33%
18	PennsylvaniaState	1.07	$45,590	$47,000	34%
19	UtahState	1.07	$46,940	$46,846	38%
20	Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WIMetro	1.07	$46,760	$46,995	38%
21	Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MDMetro	1.07	$48,690	$47,043	39%
22	ArizonaState	1.06	$47,110	$46,690	38%
23	OregonState	1.06	$48,050	$46,650	40%
24	Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SCMetro	1.06	$44,840	$46,806	40%
25	IdahoState	1.05	$44,470	$46,083	32%
26	North CarolinaState	1.05	$43,540	$46,123	36%
27	FloridaState	1.04	$46,460	$45,773	44%
28	MaineState	1.04	$45,720	$45,812	34%
29	ColoradoState	1.03	$47,930	$45,474	46%
30	Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WAMetro	1.02	$48,250	$44,759	45%
31	San Antonio-New Braunfels, TXMetro	1.01	$41,010	$44,576	38%
32	New HampshireState	0.99	$46,300	$43,679	41%
33	KansasState	0.98	$38,770	$43,078	32%
34	TennesseeState	0.98	$39,510	$43,180	38%
35	IndianaState	0.97	$38,680	$42,740	33%
36	MassachusettsState	0.97	$46,150	$42,535	59%
37	CaliforniaState	0.96	$46,760	$42,240	58%
38	San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CAMetro	0.96	$50,870	$42,321	74%
39	Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WVMetro	0.96	$47,410	$42,030	51%
40	GeorgiaState	0.95	$39,160	$41,927	43%
41	VirginiaState	0.95	$43,380	$41,913	44%
42	Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NHMetro	0.95	$47,310	$41,683	65%
43	Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MIMetro	0.94	$37,820	$41,469	39%
44	MichiganState	0.93	$37,600	$40,737	36%
45	TexasState	0.93	$39,060	$40,858	43%
46	New YorkState	0.92	$45,510	$40,453	49%
47	Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GAMetro	0.92	$39,190	$40,486	49%
48	Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TXMetro	0.92	$39,420	$40,556	48%
49	Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FLMetro	0.92	$43,840	$40,406	56%
50	Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CAMetro	0.91	$46,420	$39,845	59%
51	IllinoisState	0.90	$38,620	$39,651	41%
52	KentuckyState	0.89	$34,680	$39,186	33%
53	Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MDMetro	0.89	$41,610	$39,329	48%
54	AlabamaState	0.88	$33,730	$38,726	34%
55	MarylandState	0.88	$42,030	$38,489	48%
56	Rhode IslandState	0.87	$38,580	$38,388	47%
57	LouisianaState	0.86	$34,040	$37,780	37%
58	NevadaState	0.85	$37,460	$37,385	47%
59	New JerseyState	0.85	$40,800	$37,500	53%
60	ConnecticutState	0.79	$37,220	$34,591	51%

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