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

Cities ranked by purchasing power — where rolling 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	1.62	$72,670	$81,469	16%
2	Pittsburgh, PAMetro	1.49	$69,150	$74,757	20%
3	PennsylvaniaState	1.38	$66,970	$69,041	23%
4	Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MIMetro	1.30	$59,660	$65,417	24%
5	VermontState	1.29	$66,240	$64,624	26%
6	MinnesotaState	1.23	$60,620	$61,857	25%
7	AlabamaState	1.22	$53,380	$61,286	22%
8	WashingtonState	1.18	$63,560	$59,236	36%
9	Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TXMetro	1.18	$57,280	$58,930	33%
10	Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MDMetro	1.18	$61,090	$59,024	31%
11	KentuckyState	1.14	$50,400	$56,949	23%
12	New HampshireState	1.14	$60,570	$57,142	31%
13	ConnecticutState	1.12	$60,610	$56,329	31%
14	MarylandState	1.12	$61,470	$56,291	33%
15	Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MDMetro	1.12	$59,310	$56,059	34%
16	IllinoisState	1.11	$54,180	$55,626	29%
17	LouisianaState	1.11	$49,920	$55,405	25%
18	WisconsinState	1.11	$51,370	$55,655	25%
19	OhioState	1.10	$50,030	$55,343	25%
20	ColoradoState	1.09	$57,500	$54,554	39%
21	OklahomaState	1.09	$48,330	$54,610	24%
22	New YorkState	1.08	$60,890	$54,124	36%
23	MissouriState	1.07	$47,390	$53,488	26%
24	ArkansasState	1.06	$45,890	$53,175	23%
25	TennesseeState	1.06	$48,540	$53,049	31%
26	South CarolinaState	1.05	$48,210	$52,402	31%
27	TexasState	1.04	$49,660	$51,946	33%
28	Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WAMetro	1.04	$56,110	$52,050	38%
29	North CarolinaState	1.02	$48,450	$51,324	32%
30	South DakotaState	1.01	$46,040	$50,705	25%
31	Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SCMetro	1.01	$48,740	$50,877	37%
32	Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TNMetro	1.01	$48,490	$50,405	39%
33	IndianaState	1.00	$45,430	$50,199	28%
34	NebraskaState	1.00	$45,800	$50,055	27%
35	Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WAMetro	1.00	$57,130	$49,983	46%
36	San Antonio-New Braunfels, TXMetro	0.99	$45,510	$49,467	34%
37	OregonState	0.98	$50,400	$48,932	38%
38	Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GAMetro	0.98	$47,730	$49,308	41%
39	GeorgiaState	0.96	$45,050	$48,233	38%
40	ArizonaState	0.95	$47,820	$47,393	38%
41	MichiganState	0.95	$44,090	$47,768	30%
42	UtahState	0.95	$47,540	$47,445	38%
43	North DakotaState	0.94	$43,480	$46,955	27%
44	FloridaState	0.92	$46,810	$46,118	44%
45	MississippiState	0.92	$39,320	$46,368	27%
46	VirginiaState	0.90	$46,450	$44,879	41%
47	KansasState	0.89	$40,260	$44,733	31%
48	Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NHMetro	0.89	$50,790	$44,749	60%
49	MassachusettsState	0.88	$47,830	$44,083	57%
50	CaliforniaState	0.87	$48,040	$43,397	57%
51	Kansas City, MO-KSMetro	0.87	$40,260	$43,384	38%
52	New JerseyState	0.86	$46,980	$43,180	46%
53	Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FLMetro	0.85	$41,750	$42,386	49%
54	Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CAMetro	0.82	$48,080	$41,270	57%
55	Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FLMetro	0.68	$36,960	$34,065	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).