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Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic Salary in Indiana: Cost of Living Adjusted (2025)

Last updated: 2025 BLS data · Page refreshed:

What does a Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic salary really buy you in Indiana?

Indiana is 8.2% cheaper than the US average

Data: BLS OEWS 2025 + BEA Regional Price Parities 2022 • Updated 2026-05-19

Nominal Salary
$49,420
Median annual (2025)
+8.9%
Real Purchasing Power
$53,834
COL-adjusted (RPP=91.8)

Indiana Cost of Living Index

Indiana's Regional Price Parity (RPP) is 91.8, meaning prices are 8.2% lower the national average. A Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic earning $49,420 in Indiana has the equivalent purchasing power of $53,834 in an average-cost US state.

IN: 91.8
Cheapest (~85) US Avg (100) Priciest (~115)

Salary Breakdown: Nominal vs. COL-Adjusted

Every dollar goes further in low-cost states. Here is how each salary percentile compares after adjusting for Indiana's cost of living.

Percentile Nominal Salary COL-Adjusted Difference
10th Percentile (P10) $37,890 $41,274 +$3,384
25th Percentile (P25) $42,290 $46,067 +$3,777
Median (P50) $49,420 $53,834 +$4,414
75th Percentile (P75) $56,970 $62,058 +$5,088
90th Percentile (P90) $60,620 $66,034 +$5,414
Key Insight

A Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic in Indiana earns $49,420 on paper, but low living costs mean your money goes 9% further — like earning $53,834 in an average-cost state. This makes Indiana one of the best value states for this occupation.

What the Cost-of-Living Data Says

Indiana Runs Well Below National Cost

RPP 91.8

Indiana's Regional Price Parity (RPP) of 91.8 means a basket of goods and services costs about 8.2% less than the national average. For a Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic, every dollar earned effectively buys more here than in a 100-RPP state.

Meaningful Purchasing-Power Shift

+8.9%

After applying Indiana's RPP, the $49,420 median salary translates to $53,834 in real terms — a 8.9% gain. That difference can cover several months of expenses over a year for a Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic.

Top-Quartile Adjusted Earnings in Indiana

#10 / 46

Ranked on COL-adjusted median pay for Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic, Indiana places #10 of 46 states — top quartile. Either nominal wages run high, cost of living runs low, or both.

Best States for Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic (After Cost of Living)

Where does Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic salary stretch the furthest? Top 10 states ranked by COL-adjusted median salary.

$58,595
RPP 104.7
2. Vermont
$58,575
RPP 101.1
$58,307
RPP 89.8
$57,909
RPP 86.6
$56,613
RPP 94.2
$56,386
RPP 88.0
$55,928
RPP 89.4
$54,420
RPP 92.3
9. Alabama
$54,316
RPP 87.8
10. Indiana
$53,834
RPP 91.8

Indiana ranks #10 out of 46 states for Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic after cost-of-living adjustment.

How much do you actually take home? See Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic take-home pay in Indiana after taxes →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the real salary for a Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic in Indiana after cost of living?

A Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic in Indiana earns a median salary of $49,420 per year. After adjusting for Indiana's cost of living (RPP=91.8), the real purchasing power is $53,834 — a +8.9% difference.

Is Indiana expensive to live in?

Indiana's cost of living is 8.2% lower than the national average according to the BEA Regional Price Parities (2022). The RPP index for Indiana is 91.8 (US average = 100).

What are Regional Price Parities (RPP)?

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.

How is the cost-of-living adjusted salary calculated?

The adjusted salary is calculated as: Nominal Salary x (100 / RPP). For a Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic in Indiana: $49,420 x (100 / 91.8) = $53,834. This represents what the salary would be worth in a state with average living costs.

Is it better to be a Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic in Indiana financially?

From a purchasing power perspective, yes. A Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic in Indiana enjoys 8.9% 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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