Median pay for paper goods machine setters, operators, and tenders in each state, from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025). Nationally the median is $50,270 a year across about 96,100 jobs. More about this career.
By state
Listed alphabetically to start; MajorPays does not rank states. Click a column heading to sort; shift-click more headings to sort by several columns as a group.
| State | Median pay | 10th to 90th percentile | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $52,290 | $36,670–$79,660 | 3,800 |
| Arizona | $49,160 | $37,300–$58,270 | 1,190 |
| Arkansas | $48,630 | $35,870–$61,770 | 2,060 |
| California | $48,730 | $37,450–$65,210 | 5,570 |
| Florida | $48,910 | $37,390–$74,990 | 1,360 |
| Georgia | $50,160 | $35,140–$75,900 | 5,650 |
| Illinois | $56,400 | $39,830–$62,810 | 5,360 |
| Indiana | $48,780 | $36,070–$60,800 | 2,580 |
| Iowa | $46,110 | $37,420–$83,480 | 1,010 |
| Kentucky | $58,050 | $46,450–$76,610 | 2,670 |
| Louisiana | $58,230 | $44,480–$79,730 | 1,150 |
| Massachusetts | $48,840 | $38,600–$65,220 | 1,920 |
| Michigan | $50,540 | $38,950–$66,750 | 3,000 |
| Minnesota | $58,150 | $40,250–$74,310 | 1,960 |
| Missouri | $47,560 | $37,370–$59,400 | 1,540 |
| New Jersey | $45,950 | $35,330–$62,920 | 3,210 |
| New York | $52,800 | $35,830–$68,510 | 3,280 |
| North Carolina | $47,940 | $35,480–$63,410 | 4,800 |
| Ohio | $47,450 | $38,570–$60,680 | 4,640 |
| Oklahoma | $63,640 | $39,480–$79,410 | 1,390 |
| Pennsylvania | $51,780 | $37,910–$70,000 | 7,410 |
| South Carolina | $50,040 | $37,560–$79,320 | 2,460 |
| Tennessee | $46,920 | $31,550–$60,170 | 3,490 |
| Texas | $47,830 | $36,490–$66,200 | 3,740 |
| Utah | $60,790 | $45,880–$73,270 | 1,350 |
| Virginia | $49,900 | $36,950–$78,210 | 2,370 |
| Washington | $59,410 | $44,640–$74,410 | 2,170 |
| Wisconsin | $58,050 | $45,740–$70,240 | 8,510 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025, state estimates (employees only; self-employed workers are not included); price-level adjustment uses the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parities (where 100 is the U.S. average; MajorPays' calculation). Wages are for an occupation in a state as a whole and vary widely by employer, experience, industry and place within the state. MajorPays selected and reorganized these figures; neither agency has approved or endorsed this presentation. See Data sources for each dataset's terms.