Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic Salary in the US
A lathe and turning machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic earns a national median of $50,620 a year (mean $52,490) — BLS OEWS May 2025, ranked #538 of 825.
How much does a lathe and turning machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic earn in the US?
A lathe and turning machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic in the United States earns a median of $50,620 a year (mean $52,490), per BLS OEWS May 2025. That is 1% below the US all-occupations median of $50,980. About 16,710 people work in this occupation (SOC 51-4034), ranked #538 of 825 by national median pay. Updated annually from BLS OEWS.
Median
$50,620
per year
Mean
$52,490
per year
Employment
16,710
US workers
National rank
#538
of 825 by median
What a lathe and turning machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic earns in the US
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS May 2025 national estimates, a lathe and turning machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic (SOC 51-4034) earns a median annual wage of $50,620 and a mean (average) of $52,490. The median is the midpoint — half of lathe and turning machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic earn more and half earn less — and is 1% below the US all-occupations median of $50,980. The mean is higher than the median when a minority of very high earners pull the average up.
Note: BLS top-codes any annual wage at or above $239,200/year, so occupations at that ceiling share the same figure.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the average salary for a lathe and turning machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic in the US?
- The BLS OEWS May 2025 national annual median wage for lathe and turning machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic is $50,620, and the mean (average) is $52,490. The median is the midpoint — half of lathe and turning machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic earn more and half earn less.
- How does lathe and turning machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic pay compare to the US average?
- At $50,620, a lathe and turning machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic earns 1% below the US all-occupations median of $50,980 (BLS OEWS May 2025). The all-occupations US median is $50,980.
- How many lathe and turning machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic are employed in the US?
- BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates about 16,710 lathe and turning machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic employed nationally (SOC 51-4034), across all industries.
- Where does this lathe and turning machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic salary data come from?
- From the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2025 national release — cross-industry, all-ownership estimates, SOC code 51-4034. As US federal government work it is public domain. GeraJobs publishes the figures verbatim; suppressed cells are shown as "—", never estimated.
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Find lathe and turning machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic jobs with salary ranges
GeraJobs lists live US vacancies with employer-stated salary ranges — see which lathe and turning machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic roles pay above the BLS benchmark.
Data source
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) · May 2025 national estimates · SOC 51-4034 · Public domain (U.S. federal government work)
Published verbatim by GeraJobs. Last updated: 2026-06-27. ← All US salaries