Last updated: 2025 BLS data · Page refreshed:
What does a Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic salary really buy you in Pennsylvania?
Pennsylvania is 3.8% cheaper than the US averageData: BLS OEWS 2025 + BEA Regional Price Parities 2022 • Updated 2026-05-19
Pennsylvania's Regional Price Parity (RPP) is 96.2, meaning prices are 3.8% lower the national average. A Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic earning $47,860 in Pennsylvania has the equivalent purchasing power of $49,750 in an average-cost US state.
Every dollar goes further in low-cost states. Here is how each salary percentile compares after adjusting for Pennsylvania's cost of living.
| Percentile | Nominal Salary | COL-Adjusted | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th Percentile (P10) | $35,380 | $36,777 | +$1,397 |
| 25th Percentile (P25) | $40,710 | $42,318 | +$1,608 |
| Median (P50) | $47,860 | $49,750 | +$1,890 |
| 75th Percentile (P75) | $58,780 | $61,101 | +$2,321 |
| 90th Percentile (P90) | $62,590 | $65,062 | +$2,472 |
A Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic in Pennsylvania earns $47,860 on paper, but low living costs mean your money goes 4% further — like earning $49,750 in an average-cost state. This makes Pennsylvania one of the best value states for this occupation.
With an RPP of 96.2, Pennsylvania is within a few percent of the national cost-of-living baseline. Salary adjustment for Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic is therefore minor — what you earn is close to what you'd keep in real purchasing power.
After applying Pennsylvania's RPP, the $47,860 median salary translates to $49,751 in real terms — a 4.0% gain. That difference can cover several months of expenses over a year for a Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic.
Pennsylvania sits at #17 of 49 states for Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic COL-adjusted salary — comfortably above the national midpoint.
Where does Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic salary stretch the furthest? Top 10 states ranked by COL-adjusted median salary.
Pennsylvania ranks #17 out of 49 states for Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic after cost-of-living adjustment.
How much do you actually take home? See Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic take-home pay in Pennsylvania after taxes →
A Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic in Pennsylvania earns a median salary of $47,860 per year. After adjusting for Pennsylvania's cost of living (RPP=96.2), the real purchasing power is $49,750 — a +4.0% difference.
Pennsylvania's cost of living is 3.8% lower than the national average according to the BEA Regional Price Parities (2022). The RPP index for Pennsylvania is 96.2 (US average = 100).
Regional Price Parities (RPPs) are price indexes published by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) that measure differences in price levels across states. They are expressed as a percentage of the national average (US = 100). Higher RPP means higher cost of living.
The adjusted salary is calculated as: Nominal Salary x (100 / RPP). For a Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic in Pennsylvania: $47,860 x (100 / 96.2) = $49,750. This represents what the salary would be worth in a state with average living costs.
From a purchasing power perspective, yes. A Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic in Pennsylvania enjoys 4.0% more buying power than the nominal salary suggests, because living costs are below the national average. However, other factors like job availability, career growth, and quality of life also matter.
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