Die Setter Salary: United States
At Skilled Trades Headhunters, this is what we do all day: recruit skilled trades professionals.
The median annual wage for Die Setter in the United States was $46,330 in May 2025 (BLS). The middle half of workers earned between $38,870 and $55,410.
Broader occupation Our title "Die Setter" is reported by BLS as SOC 51-4031 Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic. BLS groups Die Setter within Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic; it does not publish this niche title or credential level separately.
Annual wages
Die Setter, the United States, annual wages: 10% earned less than $35,760, half earned less than the median of $46,330, 90% earned less than $65,510 (BLS, May 2025).
| Measure | Annual wage | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $35,760 | 10% of workers in this occupation and area earned less than this. |
| 25th percentile | $38,870 | 25% earned less than this. |
| Median (50th) | $46,330 | Half earned less, half earned more. |
| 75th percentile | $55,410 | 75% earned less than this. |
| 90th percentile | $65,510 | 90% earned less than this. |
| Mean | $48,430 | Arithmetic average of reported wages. |
Hourly wages
Die Setter, the United States, hourly wages: 10% earned less than $17.19, half earned less than the median of $22.27, 90% earned less than $31.50 (BLS, May 2025).
| Measure | Hourly wage | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $17.19 per hour | 10% of workers in this occupation and area earned less than this. |
| 25th percentile | $18.69 per hour | 25% earned less than this. |
| Median (50th) | $22.27 per hour | Half earned less, half earned more. |
| 75th percentile | $26.64 per hour | 75% earned less than this. |
| 90th percentile | $31.50 per hour | 90% earned less than this. |
| Mean | $23.28 per hour | Arithmetic average of reported wages. |
Employment: BLS estimates 171,200 workers in this occupation nationally.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. SOC 51-4031 Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic, National.
What BLS wages include. Base pay plus any guaranteed or production-based incentive pay. They leave out overtime, discretionary bonus, benefits, per diem and relocation.
BLS definitions, verbatim
wages
Base rate; cost-of-living allowances; guaranteed pay; hazardous-duty pay; incentive pay, including commissions and production bonuses; and tips are included. Excluded are overtime pay, severance pay, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses, employer cost for supplementary benefits, and tuition reimbursements.
hours
Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly wages by 2,080 hours; for occupations where hourly wages are not published, annual wages were taken directly from the reported survey data.
Target metros
| Metro | Median | 25th to 75th percentile | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $39,440 | $36,130 to $45,880 | 610 | 0.2 |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | $43,030 | $38,150 to $47,250 | 500 | 0.32 |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | $40,800 | $36,580 to $46,560 | 440 | 0.28 |
| Raleigh-Cary, NC | $40,620 | $37,330 to $46,700 | 270 | 0.33 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $47,360 | $40,620 to $55,470 | 2,400 | 0.23 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $47,360 | $40,620 to $55,470 | 2,400 | 0.23 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $43,950 | $37,480 to $47,610 | 4,440 | 1 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | $43,420 | $37,230 to $47,650 | 3,810 | 1.05 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $50,770 | $43,610 to $61,400 | 6,320 | 1.27 |
How does Die Setter pay differ by industry?
These are national industry estimates for SOC 51-4031, not local offers or separate estimates for the niche title. Industry names are exactly as BLS publishes them.
| Industry | NAICS | Median | Basis | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Construction | 23 | $46,670 | Annual | 670 |
| Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction | 237000 | $47,100 | Annual | Not published by BLS |
| Specialty Trade Contractors | 238000 | $45,750 | Annual | 620 |
| Foundation, Structure, and Building Exterior Contractors | 238100 | $44,440 | Annual | 330 |
| Building Equipment Contractors | 238200 | $49,290 | Annual | 180 |
| Building Finishing Contractors | 238300 | $64,180 | Annual | 30 |
| Other Specialty Trade Contractors | 238900 | $51,800 | Annual | 90 |
| Food Manufacturing | 311000 | $50,580 | Annual | 130 |
| Other Food Manufacturing | 311900 | $48,190 | Annual | 50 |
| Manufacturing | 31-33 | $46,530 | Annual | 150,750 |
| Textile Product Mills | 314000 | $37,060 | Annual | 40 |
| Other Textile Product Mills | 314900 | $36,740 | Annual | 40 |
| Wood Product Manufacturing | 321000 | $43,710 | Annual | 710 |
| Veneer, Plywood, and Engineered Wood Product Manufacturing | 321200 | $41,980 | Annual | 190 |
| Other Wood Product Manufacturing | 321900 | $45,240 | Annual | 520 |
| Paper Manufacturing | 322000 | $51,150 | Annual | 960 |
| Converted Paper Product Manufacturing | 322200 | $51,150 | Annual | 940 |
| Printing and Related Support Activities | 323000 | $46,720 | Annual | 930 |
| Printing and Related Support Activities | 323100 | $46,720 | Annual | 930 |
| Chemical Manufacturing | 325000 | $42,240 | Annual | 190 |
| Chemical Manufacturing (3251, 3252, 3253, and 3259 only) | 3250A1 | $42,240 | Annual | 190 |
| Plastics and Rubber Products Manufacturing | 326000 | $43,650 | Annual | 13,870 |
| Plastics Product Manufacturing | 326100 | $43,650 | Annual | 12,850 |
| Rubber Product Manufacturing | 326200 | $43,380 | Annual | 1,010 |
| Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing | 327000 | $46,910 | Annual | 690 |
| Primary Metal Manufacturing | 331000 | $47,010 | Annual | 11,880 |
| Iron and Steel Mills and Ferroalloy Manufacturing | 331100 | $47,220 | Annual | 1,700 |
| Steel Product Manufacturing from Purchased Steel | 331200 | $47,890 | Annual | 3,640 |
| Alumina and Aluminum Production and Processing | 331300 | $46,300 | Annual | 3,750 |
| Nonferrous Metal (except Aluminum) Production and Processing | 331400 | $50,160 | Annual | 1,510 |
| Foundries | 331500 | $43,970 | Annual | 1,290 |
| Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing | 332000 | $46,670 | Annual | 56,060 |
| Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3321, 3322, 3325, 3326, and 3329 only) | 3320A1 | $46,140 | Annual | 26,710 |
| Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3323 and 3324 only) | 3320A2 | $47,340 | Annual | 22,210 |
| Machine Shops; Turned Product; and Screw, Nut, and Bolt Manufacturing | 332700 | $46,710 | Annual | 6,300 |
| Coating, Engraving, Heat Treating, and Allied Activities | 332800 | $47,790 | Annual | 850 |
| Machinery Manufacturing | 333000 | $46,760 | Annual | 14,890 |
| Machinery Manufacturing (3331, 3332, 3334, and 3339 only) | 3330A1 | $47,210 | Annual | 9,980 |
| Commercial and Service Industry Machinery Manufacturing | 333300 | $48,050 | Annual | 760 |
| Metalworking Machinery Manufacturing | 333500 | $44,550 | Annual | 3,400 |
| Engine, Turbine, and Power Transmission Equipment Manufacturing | 333600 | $45,040 | Annual | 750 |
| Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing | 334000 | $42,450 | Annual | 1,280 |
| Computer and Peripheral Equipment Manufacturing | 334100 | $56,220 | Annual | 90 |
| Communications Equipment Manufacturing | 334200 | $45,210 | Annual | 60 |
| Semiconductor and Other Electronic Component Manufacturing | 334400 | $39,400 | Annual | 680 |
| Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing | 334500 | $47,060 | Annual | 370 |
| Manufacturing and Reproducing Magnetic and Optical Media | 334600 | $37,130 | Annual | 70 |
| Electrical Equipment, Appliance, and Component Manufacturing | 335000 | $46,550 | Annual | 2,760 |
| Electric Lighting Equipment Manufacturing | 335100 | $40,580 | Annual | 240 |
| Household Appliance Manufacturing | 335200 | $47,000 | Annual | 980 |
| Electrical Equipment Manufacturing | 335300 | $45,670 | Annual | 680 |
| Other Electrical Equipment and Component Manufacturing | 335900 | $47,480 | Annual | 860 |
| Transportation Equipment Manufacturing | 336000 | $47,100 | Annual | 37,460 |
| Motor Vehicle Manufacturing | 336100 | $66,280 | Annual | 5,010 |
| Motor Vehicle Body and Trailer Manufacturing | 336200 | $46,220 | Annual | 2,290 |
| Motor Vehicle Parts Manufacturing | 336300 | $45,350 | Annual | 27,220 |
| Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing | 336400 | $48,160 | Annual | 2,160 |
| Railroad Rolling Stock Manufacturing | 336500 | $47,840 | Annual | 110 |
| Ship and Boat Building | 336600 | $51,840 | Annual | 320 |
| Other Transportation Equipment Manufacturing | 336900 | $45,380 | Annual | 340 |
| Furniture and Related Product Manufacturing | 337000 | $48,000 | Annual | 3,010 |
| Furniture and Related Product Manufacturing (3371 and 3372 only) | 3370A1 | $48,000 | Annual | 2,900 |
| Other Furniture Related Product Manufacturing | 337900 | $39,350 | Annual | 110 |
| Miscellaneous Manufacturing | 339000 | $43,820 | Annual | 5,890 |
| Medical Equipment and Supplies Manufacturing | 339100 | $45,790 | Annual | 630 |
| Other Miscellaneous Manufacturing | 339900 | $43,230 | Annual | 5,270 |
| Warehousing and Storage | 493000 | $49,340 | Annual | 270 |
| Warehousing and Storage | 493100 | $49,340 | Annual | 270 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 54 | $47,510 | Annual | 280 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 541000 | $47,510 | Annual | 280 |
| Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services | 541300 | $49,060 | Annual | 170 |
| Advertising, Public Relations, and Related Services | 541800 | $39,560 | Annual | 60 |
| Repair and Maintenance | 811000 | $46,900 | Annual | 140 |
| Commercial and Industrial Machinery and Equipment (except Automotive and Electronic) Repair and Maintenance | 811300 | $46,340 | Annual | 120 |
Industry estimates are national. Do not combine an industry median with a local percentile to invent an industry-specific local rate.
Which related roles have a different BLS occupation?
A supervisory occupation is not an experience percentile for the craft. Compare the actual responsibilities and the published SOC.
Machine Shop Supervisor (51-1011)Which metros publish the highest and lowest medians?
This ranking uses the May 2025 annual median for Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic. It is not adjusted for living costs. A metro is a BLS statistical area, not just the city limits. Top-coded or suppressed medians are not ranked.
| Metro | Median | Employment | Location quotient | Trade median / all-occupations median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flint, MI | $78,600 | 380 | 2.55 | 1.71 |
| Rome, GA | $63,740 | 200 | 4.07 | 1.49 |
| Oshkosh-Neenah, WI | $62,250 | 560 | 5.38 | 1.15 |
| Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN | $60,230 | 3,100 | 4.1 | 1.25 |
| Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ | $60,080 | 730 | 1.76 | 1.23 |
| Bellingham, WA | $59,380 | 30 | 0.32 | 1.03 |
| Lewiston-Auburn, ME | $59,300 | 60 | 1.07 | 1.20 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $58,580 | 410 | 0.33 | 0.70 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $58,240 | 640 | 0.36 | 0.93 |
| Mankato, MN | $57,850 | 60 | 0.99 | 1.17 |
| Idaho Falls, ID | $36,940 | 60 | 0.68 | 0.79 |
| Brownsville-Harlingen, TX | $36,610 | 100 | 0.56 | 1.00 |
| Twin Falls, ID | $36,510 | 70 | 1.2 | 0.80 |
| Corpus Christi, TX | $36,370 | 150 | 0.73 | 0.80 |
| Shreveport-Bossier City, LA | $35,730 | 110 | 0.61 | 0.80 |
| El Paso, TX | $35,410 | 280 | 0.75 | 0.90 |
| Columbus, GA-AL | $35,390 | 50 | 0.41 | 0.81 |
| McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX | $33,840 | 60 | 0.19 | 0.94 |
| Valdosta, GA | $33,820 | 70 | 1.15 | 0.86 |
| San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas, PR | $24,090 | 170 | 0.23 | 0.82 |
The wage ratio is simple arithmetic: this occupation's median divided by the all-occupations median in the same area and unit. It is not a cost-of-living measure. Location quotient describes the concentration of employment, not relative pay. Neither predicts what a particular candidate will accept.
What do these published wages mean for an offer?
Skilled Trades Headhunters reads the May 2025 figures for Die Setter in National as an offer reference, not a quote for a particular candidate. For Die Setter in National, the published median for SOC 51-4031, Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic, is $46,330 per year. The middle half of the Die Setter in National wage distribution runs from $38,870 to $55,410, a width of $16,540 per year; that spread shows how much published pay varies within the occupation and area, without assigning experience levels.
For the national Die Setter comparison, commercial-vehicle manufacturers-Warren-Dearborn, MI reports $50,460 per year while Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN reports $50,770 per year; these are the largest-employment metros with published medians for the occupation, rather than neighboring places to a national estimate. The United States Die Setter figure pools markets with different work scopes and schedules, so use the area table before setting a local offer.
The highest published medians among the selected national industry rows for Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic, read alongside Die Setter in National, are Motor Vehicle Manufacturing at $66,280 per year (NAICS 336100); Building Finishing Contractors at $64,180 per year (NAICS 238300); Computer and Peripheral Equipment Manufacturing at $56,220 per year (NAICS 334100). Those Die Setter in National industry comparisons are national cross-sections, not local industry estimates; BLS does not give us a metro-by-industry wage cut here, and overlapping industry groups should not be added together.
The Die Setter in National median was $45,590 per year in May 2024, compared with $46,330 in May 2025, a published difference of $740. That Die Setter in National comparison is between separate BLS releases, not the raise paid to the same workers or a projection of next year's offer. Read the $45,590 and $46,330 Die Setter in National estimates with both dates visible, because the employers and workers represented by the survey can change.
Before offering $46,330 per year for Die Setter in National, separate on-call duties, overtime, travel reimbursement, tool replacement and any truck allowance separately; prevailing wage and union requirements must be checked against the actual assignment. The Die Setter in National BLS comparison includes ordinary wages and qualifying incentive pay, but leaves overtime, discretionary bonuses, benefits and relocation outside this wage figure. A candidate's take-home pay and the employer's total cost for Die Setter in National can therefore differ from the median without either number being an error.
The mapping for Die Setter in National is broader: BLS groups Die Setter within Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic; it does not publish this niche title or credential level separately. For a Die Setter in National opening, establish the equipment, license requirements and responsibility before deciding which people the pay range should attract. A broader occupation can combine jobs that a Die Setter in National buyer would screen separately, which is why the badge and SOC remain beside the figures.
Questions about this occupation and area
What does the middle-half band tell a Die Setter in National buyer?
Die Setter in National has a published middle-half band of $38,870 to $55,410, a width of $16,540 per year, with median $46,330. An offer inside that Die Setter in National band is not automatically competitive for every scope; match the required work and the separate pay terms first.
Which areas should I compare before hiring Die Setter in National?
commercial-vehicle manufacturers-Warren-Dearborn, MI and Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN are the largest-employment comparison markets used for Die Setter in National. Comparing those Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic tables with the $46,330 Die Setter in National median does not measure commuting costs or predict what a particular applicant will accept.
Are the industry figures local to Die Setter in National?
Die Setter in National uses national industry rows for SOC 51-4031, not local sector-specific wages. Motor Vehicle Manufacturing leads the selected sortable rows at $66,280 per year, but that national industry figure is not a quoted offer for Die Setter in National.
What changed between the releases for Die Setter in National?
Die Setter in National moved from $45,590 in May 2024 to $46,330 in May 2025. These Die Setter in National published medians do not describe an individual raise or establish a future wage trend.
What changed since May 2024
SOC 51-4031. Published annual median: $45,590 (May 2024) and $46,330 (May 2025). These are two BLS releases, not a projection.