Mixing and Blending Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders Salary in Chicago, IL
Mixing and Blending Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area earn a median $50,230 a year — 3% more than the national median. After 2026 taxes, that is $40,198 take-home, or $3,350 a month.
Take-home pay calculator
Pre-filled with the median mixing and blending machine setters, operators, and tenders salary in Chicago, IL. Enter your own offer to see your paycheck.
- Federal income tax$3,848
- Social Security (6.2%)$3,114
- Medicare (1.45%)$728
- Illinois income tax$2,342
- Take-home pay$40,198
Marginal rate: 12% federal + 4.95% state
The Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro spans Illinois, Indiana. Pick the state you live in — state income tax follows your residence.
Got an offer somewhere else? Compare it with this one after taxes and rent →
Mixing and Blending Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders pay by experience in Chicago, IL
| Percentile | Salary | Hourly | Take-home / yr | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile (entry level) | $39,220 | $18.86 | $31,897 | $2,658 |
| 25th percentile | $45,740 | $21.99 | $36,813 | $3,068 |
| Median (50th) | $50,230 | $24.15 | $40,198 | $3,350 |
| 75th percentile | $62,380 | $29.99 | $49,359 | $4,113 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $73,800 | $35.48 | $57,240 | $4,770 |
Wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Take-home: single filer, Illinois resident, 2026 tax rules.
What $50,230 buys in Chicago, IL
Prices in Chicago, IL are 3.6% higher than the U.S. average (housing costs are 1.12× the national average). Adjusted for local prices, a median mixing and blending machine setters, operators, and tenders's $40,198 take-home pay has the buying power of $38,803 in a typical American city.
Rents: HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2026 (40th-percentile gross rent incl. utilities). Price levels: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.
Chicago, IL has 2.4× the national concentration of mixing and blending machine setters, operators, and tenders jobs — a strong local market for this occupation.
Best-paying cities for mixing and blending machine setters, operators, and tenders, adjusted for cost of living
Chicago, IL ranks #2 of 2 metro areas once taxes and local prices are taken into account.
| # | Metro area | Median salary | Take-home | Real value* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York, NY | $56,780 | $45,334 | $40,274 |
| 2 | Chicago, IL | $50,230 | $40,198 | $38,803 |
*Take-home pay divided by the BEA price level, so every city is measured in U.S.-average dollars. See all 2 metros →
About the job: mixing and blending machine setters, operators, and tenders
Set up, operate, or tend machines to mix or blend materials, such as chemicals, tobacco, liquids, color pigments, or explosive ingredients.
- Typical education
- High school diploma or equivalent
- Work experience
- None required
- On-the-job training
- Moderate-term on-the-job training
- Job outlook, 2025–35
- -6.1% (declining)
Source: BLS Standard Occupational Classification and Employment Projections, 2025–35.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a mixing and blending machine setters, operators, and tenders make in Chicago, IL?
The median mixing and blending machine setters, operators, and tenders salary in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area is $50,230 a year, or about $24.15 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $45,740 and $62,380.
What is a mixing and blending machine setters, operators, and tenders’s take-home pay in Chicago, IL?
On the median $50,230 salary, a single filer living in Illinois takes home about $40,198 a year ($3,350 a month) after federal tax, Social Security, Medicare and $2,342 in Illinois taxes in 2026.
Is Chicago, IL a good place to work as a mixing and blending machine setters, operators, and tenders?
Pay here is 3% above the national median of $48,990. Local prices are 3.6% above the U.S. average, so the take-home pay buys what $38,803 would in a typical U.S. city. Chicago, IL ranks #2 of 2 metro areas for cost-of-living-adjusted pay in this job.
Can a mixing and blending machine setters, operators, and tenders afford rent in Chicago, IL?
HUD’s fair market rent for a one-bedroom in Chicago, IL is $1,534 a month ($1,743 for two bedrooms) — 46% of a median mixing and blending machine setters, operators, and tenders’s monthly take-home pay. Financial planners usually suggest keeping rent under about 30%.
Related jobs in Chicago, IL
- First-Line Supervisor of Production and Operating Workers — $76,500
- Chemical Equipment Operator and Tender — $61,250
- Tool and Die Maker — $61,180
- Machinist — $59,520
- Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders — $59,020
- Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers — $52,650
- Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic — $50,770
- Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders — $48,910
- Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operator — $48,660
- Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers — $48,230
- Food Batchmaker — $47,660
- Printing Press Operator — $46,580