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What does a Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic salary really buy you in Utah?
Utah is 5.5% cheaper than the US averageData: BLS OEWS 2025 + BEA Regional Price Parities 2022 • Updated 2026-05-19
Utah's Regional Price Parity (RPP) is 94.5, meaning prices are 5.5% lower the national average. A Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic earning $46,750 in Utah has the equivalent purchasing power of $49,470 in an average-cost US state.
Every dollar goes further in low-cost states. Here is how each salary percentile compares after adjusting for Utah's cost of living.
| Percentile | Nominal Salary | COL-Adjusted | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th Percentile (P10) | $37,570 | $39,756 | +$2,186 |
| 25th Percentile (P25) | $42,370 | $44,835 | +$2,465 |
| Median (P50) | $46,750 | $49,470 | +$2,720 |
| 75th Percentile (P75) | $59,020 | $62,455 | +$3,435 |
| 90th Percentile (P90) | $72,970 | $77,216 | +$4,246 |
A Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic in Utah earns $46,750 on paper, but low living costs mean your money goes 6% further — like earning $49,470 in an average-cost state. This makes Utah one of the best value states for this occupation.
With an RPP of 94.5, Utah is within a few percent of the national cost-of-living baseline. Salary adjustment for Molding, Coremaking, and Casting 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 Utah's RPP, the $46,750 median salary translates to $49,471 in real terms — a 5.8% gain. That difference can cover several months of expenses over a year for a Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic.
Ranked on COL-adjusted median pay for Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic, Utah places #12 of 49 states — top quartile. Either nominal wages run high, cost of living runs low, or both.
Where does Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic salary stretch the furthest? Top 10 states ranked by COL-adjusted median salary.
Utah ranks #12 out of 49 states for Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic after cost-of-living adjustment.
How much do you actually take home? See Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic take-home pay in Utah after taxes →
A Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic in Utah earns a median salary of $46,750 per year. After adjusting for Utah's cost of living (RPP=94.5), the real purchasing power is $49,470 — a +5.8% difference.
Utah's cost of living is 5.5% lower than the national average according to the BEA Regional Price Parities (2022). The RPP index for Utah is 94.5 (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 Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic in Utah: $46,750 x (100 / 94.5) = $49,470. This represents what the salary would be worth in a state with average living costs.
From a purchasing power perspective, yes. A Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic in Utah enjoys 5.8% 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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