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Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic in Pennsylvania
Thinking about a career as a Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic in Pennsylvania? Here’s what the data says. Set up, operate, or tend plating machines to coat metal or plastic products with chromium, zinc, copper, cadmium, nickel, or other metal to protect or decorate surfaces. Typically, the product being coated is immersed in molten metal or an electrolytic solution. Excludes “Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders” (51-9124).
What do Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic Make in Pennsylvania?
For plating machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic working in Pennsylvania, the median annual wage is $42,920 per year (or about $20.63/hour).Pay can range from $31,430 at the 10th percentile to $57,730 at the 90th percentile.
| Wage Statistic | Annual | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $31,430 | $15.11 |
| 25th percentile | $35,440 | $17.04 |
| Median (50th) | $42,920 | $20.63 |
| 75th percentile | $53,340 | $25.65 |
| 90th percentile | $57,730 | $27.76 |
Location quotient — how concentrated this career is in Pennsylvania relative to the national average — is 1.03.
National Wage Comparison
Nationally, plating machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic earn a median of $62,852 per year ($30.22/hour), lower than the Pennsylvania median.
Employment Outlook
There are roughly 875,015 plating machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic nationwide. In Pennsylvania alone, about 1,260 people work in this role. That puts the state above the typical state, which employs around 420 plating machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic.
Top Pennsylvania Metros for Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
The metro areas below employ the most plating machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic in Pennsylvania.
| Metro Area | Number Employed | Annual Median Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Pittsburgh, PA | 320 | $39,280 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 230 | $47,110 |
| Erie, PA | 130 | $34,740 |
| York-Hanover, PA | 80 | $37,210 |
| Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ | 50 | $46,130 |
| Lancaster, PA | 50 | $37,630 |
Top States for Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic Employment
View the states that employ the most plating machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic work.
| State | Number Employed |
|---|---|
| California | 5,580 |
| Michigan | 3,460 |
| Texas | 2,380 |
| Indiana | 1,920 |
| Illinois | 1,880 |
| Ohio | 1,640 |
| Pennsylvania | 1,260 |
| Tennessee | 1,060 |
| Massachusetts | 1,020 |
| New York | 1,000 |
| Wisconsin | 890 |
| Minnesota | 720 |
| Connecticut | 660 |
| Georgia | 660 |
| Arizona | 620 |
| South Carolina | 580 |
| Kentucky | 560 |
| North Carolina | 490 |
| New Jersey | 440 |
| Florida | 420 |
Highest-Paying States for Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
The highest-paying states for plating machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic.
| State | Annual Median Salary |
|---|---|
| Washington | $50,840 |
| Oklahoma | $48,800 |
| Mississippi | $48,790 |
| Oregon | $46,780 |
| New Hampshire | $46,740 |
| Colorado | $46,500 |
| Minnesota | $46,430 |
| California | $46,370 |
| Utah | $46,280 |
| Massachusetts | $45,530 |
Skills
Top plating machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic skills, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Knowledge Areas
Important knowledge areas for this occupation, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Abilities
Key abilities for plating machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Daily Tasks
Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic typically:
- Immerse workpieces in coating solutions or liquid metal or plastic for specified times.
- Adjust dials to regulate flow of current and voltage supplied to terminals to control plating processes.
- Inspect coated or plated areas for defects, such as air bubbles or uneven coverage.
- Set up, operate, or tend plating or coating machines to coat metal or plastic products with chromium, zinc, copper, cadmium, nickel, or other metal to protect or decorate surfaces.
- Observe gauges to ensure that machines are operating properly, making adjustments or stopping machines when problems occur.
- Remove objects from solutions at periodic intervals and observe objects to verify conformance to specifications.
- Maintain production records.
- Remove excess materials or impurities from objects, using air hoses or grinding machines.
- Examine completed objects to determine thicknesses of metal deposits, or measure thicknesses by using instruments such as micrometers.
- Rinse coated objects in cleansing liquids and dry them with cloths, centrifugal driers, or by tumbling in sawdust-filled barrels.
- Determine sizes and compositions of objects to be plated, and amounts of electrical current and time required.
- Test machinery to ensure that it is operating properly.
Work Activities
- Handling and Moving Objects
- Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
- Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings
- Making Decisions and Solving Problems
- Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events
- Controlling Machines and Processes
- Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials
- Judging the Qualities of Objects, Services, or People
- Getting Information
- Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment
- Training and Teaching Others
- Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards
Tools & Technology
Common tools and software used in this occupation include: Hot technologies: Autodesk AutoCAD
Related Careers
Other careers like plating machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic include:
- Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
- Rolling Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
- Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
- Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
- Pourers and Casters, Metal
- Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
Also Known As
Alodize Machine Operator, Anode Machine Operator, Anodic Operator, Anodic Treater, Anodize Machine Operator, Anodizer, Anodizing Line Operator, Anodizing Operator, Anodizing Technician, Automatic Metal Spraying Machine Operator, Barrel Plater, Black Oxide Coating Equipment Tender, Bronze Plater, Browning Processor, Bullet Lubricating Machine Operator.
References
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — https://www.bls.gov/oes/
- O*NET Online — https://www.onetonline.org/
- BLS Employment Projections — https://www.bls.gov/emp/
- O*NET-SOC code: 51-4193.00
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