Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic Salary in Grand Rapids, MI
Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic in the Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI metro area earn a median $37,760 a year — 15% less than the national median. After 2026 taxes, that is $31,166 take-home, or $2,597 a month.
Take-home pay calculator
Pre-filled with the median molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic salary in Grand Rapids, MI. Enter your own offer to see your paycheck.
- Federal income tax$2,351
- Social Security (6.2%)$2,341
- Medicare (1.45%)$548
- Michigan income tax$1,354
- Take-home pay$31,166
Marginal rate: 12% federal + 4.25% state
Living in Grand Rapids? City residents also pay Grand Rapids’s city income tax — about $566 a year on this salary — which lowers take-home pay to $30,600 ($2,550 a month). Choose “Grand Rapids” 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 →
Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic pay by experience in Grand Rapids, MI
| Percentile | Salary | Hourly | Take-home / yr | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile (entry level) | $35,420 | $17.03 | $29,385 | $2,449 |
| 25th percentile | $36,690 | $17.64 | $30,352 | $2,529 |
| Median (50th) | $37,760 | $18.15 | $31,166 | $2,597 |
| 75th percentile | $46,260 | $22.24 | $37,635 | $3,136 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $58,400 | $28.08 | $46,873 | $3,906 |
Wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Take-home: single filer, Michigan resident, 2026 tax rules.
What $37,760 buys in Grand Rapids, MI
Prices in Grand Rapids, MI are 4.5% lower than the U.S. average (housing costs are 13% below the national average). Adjusted for local prices, a median molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic's $31,166 take-home pay has the buying power of $32,619 in a typical American city.
Rents: HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2026 (40th-percentile gross rent incl. utilities). Price levels: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.
Grand Rapids, MI has 5.5× the national concentration of molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic jobs — a strong local market for this occupation.
Best-paying cities for molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic, adjusted for cost of living
Grand Rapids, MI ranks #3 of 5 metro areas once taxes and local prices are taken into account.
| # | Metro area | Median salary | Take-home | Real value* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chicago, IL | $45,590 | $36,700 | $35,426 |
| 2 | Los Angeles, CA | $47,960 | $39,165 | $34,487 |
| 3 | Grand Rapids, MI | $37,760 | $31,166 | $32,619 |
| 4 | Detroit, MI | $39,790 | $32,711 | $32,614 |
| 5 | New York, NY | $43,500 | $35,380 | $31,432 |
*Take-home pay divided by the BEA price level, so every city is measured in U.S.-average dollars. See all 5 metros →
About the job: molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic
Set up, operate, or tend metal or plastic molding, casting, or coremaking machines to mold or cast metal or thermoplastic parts or products.
- 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
- -3.4% (declining)
Source: BLS Standard Occupational Classification and Employment Projections, 2025–35.
Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic salaries elsewhere in Michigan
- Detroit, MI — $39,790
Frequently asked questions
How much does a molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic make in Grand Rapids, MI?
The median molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic salary in the Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI metro area is $37,760 a year, or about $18.15 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $36,690 and $46,260.
What is a molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic’s take-home pay in Grand Rapids, MI?
On the median $37,760 salary, a single filer living in Michigan takes home about $31,166 a year ($2,597 a month) after federal tax, Social Security, Medicare and $1,354 in Michigan taxes in 2026.
Is Grand Rapids, MI a good place to work as a molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic?
Pay here is 15% below the national median of $44,350. Local prices are 4.5% below the U.S. average, so the take-home pay buys what $32,619 would in a typical U.S. city. Grand Rapids, MI ranks #3 of 5 metro areas for cost-of-living-adjusted pay in this job.
Can a molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic afford rent in Grand Rapids, MI?
HUD’s fair market rent for a one-bedroom in Grand Rapids, MI is $1,242 a month ($1,479 for two bedrooms) — 48% of a median molding, coremaking, and casting 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 Grand Rapids, MI
- First-Line Supervisor of Production and Operating Workers — $66,330
- Machinist — $50,110
- Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers — $48,920
- Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing — $47,720
- Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic — $42,050
- Packaging and Filling Machine Operator and Tender — $41,890
- Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers — $40,430
- Miscellaneous Assembler and Fabricator — $39,120