Average Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, And Tenders, Metal And Plastic Salary in Ames, IA
Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, And Tenders, Metal And Plastic in Ames, IA earn a median annual salary of $49,670, which is +5.3% compared to the national median. There are 190 workers employed locally in this occupation.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, May 2025 estimates for Ames, IA (metro area).
Local wage range
- 10th
- $46,670
- 25th
- $49,670
- Median
- $49,670
- 75th
- $49,670
- 90th
- $57,510
All values are percentiles of annual wages.
This local range is the useful part of the page. The median tells you the center of the market in Ames, IA, while the percentile band shows how compressed or wide the local pay distribution actually is.
Cost-of-living context
Services: 83.0%
Rents: 69.2%
Comparable metros for this occupation
| Metro | Median annual wage | Compare | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $80,110 | Compare | 5,440 |
| Charleston, WV | $71,470 | Compare | 90 |
| Saginaw, MI | $65,610 | Compare | 130 |
| Oshkosh-Neenah, WI | $63,060 | Compare | 110 |
| Athens-Clarke County, GA | $62,600 | Compare | 170 |
| St. Louis, MO-IL | $62,090 | Compare | 4,480 |
The point of this table is not random nearby places. It is to show the other labor markets where this same occupation looks stronger or weaker on the same OEWS release.
Top occupations in Ames, IA
| Occupation | Median annual wage | LQ |
|---|---|---|
| Family Medicine Physicians | $248,000 | 1.44 |
| Chief Executives | $206,090 | 1.43 |
| Dentists, General | $163,950 | 0.92 |
| Pharmacists | $139,690 | 0.65 |
| Managers, All Other | $138,110 | 0.54 |
| Human Resources Managers | $137,390 | 0.74 |
| Architectural And Engineering Managers | $137,010 | 1.14 |
| Sales Managers | $133,150 | 0.46 |
Ames, IA has salary data for 247 occupations. The highest-paid occupation in this area is Family Medicine Physicians.
Trend for Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, And Tenders, Metal And Plastic in Ames, IA
Historical trend data is not yet available for this occupation in this area.
Outlook and page notes
Nationally, Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, And Tenders, Metal And Plastic are projected to change by -0.5% from 2024 to 2034, with 12,800 annual openings.
Use this page to answer three separate questions: what the occupation pays here, how large the local market is, and whether this market is unusually concentrated for the occupation.
For metro pages in particular, read long-term trend rows as directional until the area comparability layer is fully wired. OEWS area definitions can change over time, and that matters more at the metro level than at the state level.