Does the highest-paying state also leave you best off?

Not necessarily. Hawaii has the highest headline BLS median for a molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic at $77,560, but after state tax and cost of living it ranks #1 of 49 on real pay (index 145.7). That gap is exactly what the Gera US Real Pay Index reveals.

GeraJobs / US Real Pay Index / Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic

Best States to Be a Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic

After 2025 state income tax and 2024 cost of living, a molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic salary goes furthest in Hawaii — a $77,560 BLS median worth $66,571 in real terms (Gera US Real Pay Index 145.7).

Which US states are best for a molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic after cost of living and tax?

For a molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic, the Gera US Real Pay Index ranks Hawaii #1: a $77,560 BLS median becomes $66,571 in cost-of-living-and-tax-adjusted terms (index 145.7). New Jersey ranks last ($36,091, index 79.0). Real BLS OEWS May 2025 across 49 states; re-dated annually.

Source:U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)·As of May 2025 state estimates · updated annually · last refreshed 19 June 2026

Gera US Real Pay Index

Hawaii ranks #1 of 49 states for a molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic. Index 100 = the average state; 145.7 means pay goes 45.7% further after tax and cost of living.

How this is calculated

145.7

Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic — real pay by state (best first)

#	State	BLS median	State tax	Cost (RPP)	Real pay	Index
1	Hawaii	$77,560	$4,364	110.0	$66,571	145.7
2	Maine	$59,230	$2,383	97.0	$58,575	128.2
3	Maryland	$63,460	$2,682	105.0	$57,907	126.8
4	North Dakota	$47,780	—	89.0	$53,710	117.6
5	Nebraska	$48,500	$1,426	90.1	$52,245	114.4
6	Kentucky	$47,110	$1,754	90.2	$50,307	110.1
7	Oklahoma	$45,680	$1,632	87.8	$50,144	109.8
8	Arkansas	$44,790	$1,538	86.9	$49,751	108.9
9	Iowa	$45,220	$1,678	87.8	$49,613	108.6
10	Nevada	$49,590	—	100.0	$49,600	108.6
11	Minnesota	$49,590	$1,883	98.6	$48,374	105.9
12	Ohio	$44,830	$450	92.8	$47,836	104.7
13	Missouri	$44,120	$1,193	90.8	$47,268	103.5
14	South Carolina	$45,270	$1,199	93.7	$47,009	102.9
15	Pennsylvania	$46,760	$1,436	97.6	$46,452	101.7
16	West Virginia	$42,500	$1,188	89.5	$46,161	101.1
17	Indiana	$44,290	$1,299	93.3	$46,064	100.8
18	Kansas	$43,050	$1,603	90.1	$46,018	100.7
19	South Dakota	$40,750	—	88.6	$46,000	100.7
20	Arizona	$46,930	$698	100.7	$45,921	100.5
21	Wisconsin	$44,230	$1,192	94.1	$45,739	100.1
22	New Hampshire	$47,610	—	104.2	$45,706	100.1
23	Colorado	$48,200	$1,461	103.1	$45,355	99.3
24	Utah	$46,750	$2,127	98.9	$45,136	98.8
25	Washington	$48,290	—	107.0	$45,125	98.8
26	Mississippi	$39,730	$943	87.0	$44,607	97.7
27	New Mexico	$41,990	$886	92.2	$44,576	97.6
28	Vermont	$44,530	$1,073	98.0	$44,363	97.1
29	Montana	$43,340	$1,419	94.6	$44,293	97.0
30	Connecticut	$46,240	$1,156	103.6	$43,513	95.3
31	Delaware	$45,220	$1,833	99.8	$43,471	95.2
32	Illinois	$45,500	$2,111	100.0	$43,407	95.0
33	Idaho	$42,690	$1,311	95.5	$43,332	94.9
34	Georgia	$43,250	$1,684	96.3	$43,166	94.5
35	Virginia	$45,370	$1,809	101.1	$43,085	94.3
36	Louisiana	$38,650	$785	88.2	$42,928	94.0
37	North Carolina	$41,630	$1,227	94.3	$42,833	93.8
38	Texas	$41,140	—	97.1	$42,387	92.8
39	Tennessee	$38,820	—	91.9	$42,255	92.5
40	Alabama	$39,010	$1,686	88.8	$42,021	92.0
41	California	$47,240	$931	110.7	$41,826	91.6
42	Oregon	$46,200	$3,239	103.4	$41,565	91.0
43	Wyoming	$38,160	—	92.7	$41,169	90.1
44	Rhode Island	$42,020	$976	102.3	$40,129	87.8
45	Michigan	$39,490	$1,432	96.2	$39,555	86.6
46	New York	$44,500	$1,843	107.9	$39,527	86.5
47	Massachusetts	$42,570	$1,909	105.8	$38,448	84.2
48	Florida	$38,440	—	103.4	$37,171	81.4
49	New Jersey	$39,950	$681	108.8	$36,091	79.0

"Real pay" = BLS median − 2025 state income tax, divided by the state's 2024 BEA cost of living (US = 100). Only the 49 states for which BLS publishes a median for this occupation are ranked; suppressed cells are excluded, never set to zero.

Where does your salary go furthest?

Enter a salary and a state. We adjust for 2025 state income tax and the 2024 BEA cost of living to show your real, purchasing-power-equivalent pay — then rank every state.

Gross annual salary (USD)Compare against state

In Hawaii, a $77,560 salary is worth about $62,781 in cost-of-living-and-tax-adjusted terms.

State income tax $8,532 (≈ top marginal 11.00% (upper bound)) · take-home $69,028 · BEA cost of living 110.0 (US = 100).

The same salary goes furthest in South Dakota — worth $87,553, a $24,772 gain over Hawaii.

#	State	Real value	Cost (RPP)
1	South Dakota	$87,553	88.6
2	Arkansas	$85,735	86.9
3	Louisiana	$85,292	88.2
4	Mississippi	$85,273	87.0
5	Iowa	$85,017	87.8
6	North Dakota	$85,007	89.0
7	Tennessee	$84,424	91.9
8	Oklahoma	$84,100	87.8
9	Wyoming	$83,676	92.7
10	Alabama	$82,954	88.8
11	Kentucky	$82,585	90.2
12	West Virginia	$82,485	89.5

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Estimate only. State income tax is approximated from each state's 2025 flat rate (or top marginal rate as an upper bound for graduated states) and ignores federal tax, deductions and credits. The pre-published occupation and state pages use exact 2025 bracket math. Cost of living is the 2024 BEA Regional Price Parity (All Items).

Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic — real pay FAQ

What is the best state to be a molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic?: By the Gera US Real Pay Index, Hawaii is the best state for a molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic: a BLS median of $77,560 is worth $66,571 after the 2025 state income tax ($4,364) and the 2024 BEA cost-of-living adjustment (RPP 110.0), an index of 145.7 where the average state is 100.
Does the highest-paying state also leave you best off?: Not necessarily. Hawaii has the highest headline BLS median for a molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic at $77,560, but after state tax and cost of living it ranks #1 of 49 on real pay (index 145.7). That gap is exactly what the Gera US Real Pay Index reveals.
Where does a molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic salary go least far?: New Jersey ranks last of 49 states for a molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic: a $39,950 BLS median is worth only $36,091 after tax and cost of living (index 79.0). Higher local prices and/or income tax less far than the national average erode the headline pay.

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Related on GeraJobs

Gera US Real Pay Index — all states ranked — and how the index is calculated.
Methodology — the exact BLS + BEA + tax computation.
Browse US jobs with salary ranges — roles hiring now.

Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) (May 2025 state estimates, US federal public domain); U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis — Regional Price Parities (All Items), by state (2024 (US = 100)); Tax Foundation — 2025 State Individual Income Tax Rates and Brackets. The Gera US Real Pay Index for a molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic is computed by GeraJobs from these figures; no figure is modelled or interpolated.