Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic Salary in Los Angeles, CA
Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic in the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area earn a median $48,640 a year — 5% more than the national median. After 2026 taxes, that is $39,662 take-home, or $3,305 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 Los Angeles, CA. Enter your own offer to see your paycheck.
- Federal income tax$3,657
- Social Security (6.2%)$3,016
- Medicare (1.45%)$705
- California income tax$968
- CA State Disability Insurance (SDI)$632
- Take-home pay$39,662
Marginal rate: 12% federal + 6.00% state
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 Los Angeles, CA
| Percentile | Salary | Hourly | Take-home / yr | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile (entry level) | $38,060 | $18.30 | $31,755 | $2,646 |
| 25th percentile | $44,270 | $21.28 | $36,415 | $3,035 |
| Median (50th) | $48,640 | $23.38 | $39,662 | $3,305 |
| 75th percentile | $59,480 | $28.60 | $47,581 | $3,965 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $69,190 | $33.26 | $54,283 | $4,524 |
Wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Take-home: single filer, California resident, 2026 tax rules.
What $48,640 buys in Los Angeles, CA
Prices in Los Angeles, CA are 13.6% higher than the U.S. average (housing costs are 1.70× the national average). Adjusted for local prices, a median cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic's $39,662 take-home pay has the buying power of $34,924 in a typical American city.
Rents: HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2026 (40th-percentile gross rent incl. utilities). Price levels: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.
Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic jobs are less concentrated in Los Angeles, CA than nationally (location quotient 0.51), so openings may be scarcer.
Best-paying cities for cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic, adjusted for cost of living
Los Angeles, CA ranks #10 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 |
| 10 | Los Angeles, CA | $48,640 | $39,662 | $34,924 |
*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.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic make in Los Angeles, CA?
The median cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic salary in the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area is $48,640 a year, or about $23.38 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $44,270 and $59,480.
What is a cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic’s take-home pay in Los Angeles, CA?
On the median $48,640 salary, a single filer living in California takes home about $39,662 a year ($3,305 a month) after federal tax, Social Security, Medicare and $1,600 in California taxes in 2026.
Is Los Angeles, CA a good place to work as a cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic?
Pay here is 5% above the national median of $46,330. Local prices are 13.6% above the U.S. average, so the take-home pay buys what $34,924 would in a typical U.S. city. Los Angeles, CA ranks #10 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 Los Angeles, CA?
HUD’s fair market rent for a one-bedroom in Los Angeles, CA is $2,245 a month ($2,755 for two bedrooms) — 68% 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%.
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