Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic Salary in Detroit, MI
Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic in the Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI metro area earn a median $50,460 a year — 9% more than the national median. After 2026 taxes, that is $40,831 take-home, or $3,403 a month.
Take-home pay calculator
Pre-filled with the median cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic salary in Detroit, MI. Enter your own offer to see your paycheck.
- Federal income tax$3,875
- Social Security (6.2%)$3,129
- Medicare (1.45%)$732
- Michigan income tax$1,894
- Take-home pay$40,831
Marginal rate: 12% federal + 4.25% state
Living in Detroit? City residents also pay Detroit’s city income tax — about $1,211 a year on this salary — which lowers take-home pay to $39,620 ($3,302 a month). Choose “Detroit” under City income tax in the calculator. Suburban residents usually don’t pay it.
Got an offer somewhere else? Compare it with this one after taxes and rent →
Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic pay by experience in Detroit, MI
| Percentile | Salary | Hourly | Take-home / yr | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile (entry level) | $36,720 | $17.65 | $30,375 | $2,531 |
| 25th percentile | $39,870 | $19.17 | $32,772 | $2,731 |
| Median (50th) | $50,460 | $24.26 | $40,831 | $3,403 |
| 75th percentile | $75,820 | $36.45 | $59,198 | $4,933 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $79,970 | $38.45 | $61,941 | $5,162 |
Wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Take-home: single filer, Michigan resident, 2026 tax rules.
What $50,460 buys in Detroit, MI
Prices in Detroit, MI are 0.3% higher than the U.S. average (housing costs are 5% below the national average). Adjusted for local prices, a median cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic's $40,831 take-home pay has the buying power of $40,709 in a typical American city.
Rents: HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2026 (40th-percentile gross rent incl. utilities). Price levels: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.
Detroit, MI has 5.6× the national concentration of cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic jobs — a strong local market for this occupation.
Best-paying cities for cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic, adjusted for cost of living
Detroit, MI ranks #3 of 11 metro areas once taxes and local prices are taken into account.
| # | Metro area | Median salary | Take-home | Real value* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Louisville, KY | $60,230 | $48,584 | $52,200 |
| 2 | Cleveland, OH | $46,300 | $38,891 | $41,408 |
| 3 | Detroit, MI | $50,460 | $40,831 | $40,709 |
| 4 | Chicago, IL | $50,770 | $40,605 | $39,196 |
| 5 | Minneapolis, MN | $48,710 | $39,530 | $37,711 |
| 6 | Atlanta, GA | $46,310 | $37,609 | $37,588 |
| 7 | Houston, TX | $43,420 | $37,068 | $37,583 |
| 8 | Dallas, TX | $43,950 | $37,494 | $36,370 |
*Take-home pay divided by the BEA price level, so every city is measured in U.S.-average dollars. See all 11 metros →
About the job: cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic
Set up, operate, or tend machines to saw, cut, shear, slit, punch, crimp, notch, bend, or straighten metal or plastic material.
- 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
- -10.5% (declining)
Source: BLS Standard Occupational Classification and Employment Projections, 2025–35.
Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic salaries elsewhere in Michigan
- Grand Rapids, MI — $42,050
Frequently asked questions
How much does a cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic make in Detroit, MI?
The median cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic salary in the Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI metro area is $50,460 a year, or about $24.26 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $39,870 and $75,820.
What is a cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic’s take-home pay in Detroit, MI?
On the median $50,460 salary, a single filer living in Michigan takes home about $40,831 a year ($3,403 a month) after federal tax, Social Security, Medicare and $1,894 in Michigan taxes in 2026.
Is Detroit, MI a good place to work as a cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic?
Pay here is 9% above the national median of $46,330. Local prices are 0.3% above the U.S. average, so the take-home pay buys what $40,709 would in a typical U.S. city. Detroit, MI ranks #3 of 11 metro areas for cost-of-living-adjusted pay in this job.
Can a cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic afford rent in Detroit, MI?
HUD’s fair market rent for a one-bedroom in Detroit, MI is $1,128 a month ($1,413 for two bedrooms) — 33% of a median cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic’s monthly take-home pay. Financial planners usually suggest keeping rent under about 30%.
Related jobs in Detroit, MI
- First-Line Supervisor of Production and Operating Workers — $75,490
- Tool and Die Maker — $73,120
- Engine and Other Machine Assembler — $64,820
- Machinist — $59,310
- Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers — $51,810
- Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic — $51,210
- Miscellaneous Assembler and Fabricator — $49,240
- Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operator — $46,880
- Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers — $45,400
- Electrical, Electronic, and Electromechanical Assemblers, Except Coil Winders, Tapers, and Finishers — $45,170
- Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders — $44,220
- Production Workers, All Other — $39,870