The median annual wage for Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic in Ames, IA is $51,010 (May 2024 BLS OES). The mean (average) is $49,640.
Pay spans roughly $39,750 at the 10th percentile to $57,160 at the 90th, so experience and specialisation move this figure a lot. At the median that is about $24.52 per hour. An estimated 50 people work as cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic in Ames, IA.
| Median (annual) | $51,010 |
| Mean (annual) | $49,640 |
| Median (hourly) | $24.52 |
| 10th percentile | $39,750 |
| 90th percentile | $57,160 |
| Employment | 50 |
Updated 2026-07-23.
Source: BLS OES May 2024 — bls.gov/oes. Checked 2026-07-23.