Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders Salary in Chicago, IL
Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area earn a median $59,020 a year — 17% more than the national median. After 2026 taxes, that is $46,826 take-home, or $3,902 a month.
Take-home pay calculator
Pre-filled with the median paper goods machine setters, operators, and tenders salary in Chicago, IL. Enter your own offer to see your paycheck.
- Federal income tax$4,902
- Social Security (6.2%)$3,659
- Medicare (1.45%)$856
- Illinois income tax$2,777
- Take-home pay$46,826
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 →
Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders pay by experience in Chicago, IL
| Percentile | Salary | Hourly | Take-home / yr | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile (entry level) | $39,800 | $19.13 | $32,334 | $2,694 |
| 25th percentile | $47,380 | $22.78 | $38,049 | $3,171 |
| Median (50th) | $59,020 | $28.38 | $46,826 | $3,902 |
| 75th percentile | $59,950 | $28.82 | $47,527 | $3,961 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $63,330 | $30.45 | $50,076 | $4,173 |
Wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Take-home: single filer, Illinois resident, 2026 tax rules.
What $59,020 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 paper goods machine setters, operators, and tenders's $46,826 take-home pay has the buying power of $45,201 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 1.6× the national concentration of paper goods machine setters, operators, and tenders jobs — a strong local market for this occupation.
Best-paying cities for paper goods machine setters, operators, and tenders, adjusted for cost of living
Chicago, IL ranks #1 of 2 metro areas once taxes and local prices are taken into account.
| # | Metro area | Median salary | Take-home | Real value* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chicago, IL | $59,020 | $46,826 | $45,201 |
| 2 | New York, NY | $46,410 | $37,561 | $33,369 |
*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: paper goods machine setters, operators, and tenders
Set up, operate, or tend paper goods machines that perform a variety of functions, such as converting, sawing, corrugating, banding, wrapping, boxing, stitching, forming, or sealing paper or paperboard sheets into 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
- -3.6% (declining)
Source: BLS Standard Occupational Classification and Employment Projections, 2025–35.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a paper goods machine setters, operators, and tenders make in Chicago, IL?
The median paper goods machine setters, operators, and tenders salary in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area is $59,020 a year, or about $28.38 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $47,380 and $59,950.
What is a paper goods machine setters, operators, and tenders’s take-home pay in Chicago, IL?
On the median $59,020 salary, a single filer living in Illinois takes home about $46,826 a year ($3,902 a month) after federal tax, Social Security, Medicare and $2,777 in Illinois taxes in 2026.
Is Chicago, IL a good place to work as a paper goods machine setters, operators, and tenders?
Pay here is 17% above the national median of $50,270. Local prices are 3.6% above the U.S. average, so the take-home pay buys what $45,201 would in a typical U.S. city. Chicago, IL ranks #1 of 2 metro areas for cost-of-living-adjusted pay in this job.
Can a paper goods 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) — 39% of a median paper goods machine setters, operators, and tenders’s monthly take-home pay. Financial planners usually suggest keeping rent under about 30%.
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