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Earnings for machine operators can vary by size of the company, union or nonunion status, industry, and skill level and experience of the operator. Also, temporary employees, who are being hired in greater numbers, usually get paid less than company-employed workers. The median hourly earnings in 2002 for a variety of machine setters, operators, and tenders—metal and plastic were as follows:
| Model makers, metal and plastic |
$18.27 |
| Patternmakers, metal and plastic |
16.09 |
| Metal-refining furnace operators and tenders |
14.79 |
| Lay-out workers, metal and plastic |
14.79 |
| Lathe and turning machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic |
14.55 |
| Tool grinders, filers, and sharpeners |
14.14 |
| Milling and planing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic |
14.04 |
| Multiple machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic |
13.79 |
| Rolling machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic |
13.62 |
| Heat treating equipment setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic |
13.56 |
| Pourers and casters, metal |
13.40 |
| Drilling and boring machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic |
13.23 |
| Forging machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic |
12.64 |
| Grinding, lapping, polishing, and buffing machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic |
12.56 |
| Foundry mold and coremakers |
12.55 |
| Extruding and drawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic |
12.44 |
| Plating and coating machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic |
12.22 |
| Cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic |
11.81 |
| Molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic |
11.17 |
| All other metal workers and plastic workers |
13.65 |
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