SOC 51-9196 · Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ metro

Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders Salary in Phoenix, AZ

The average salary for paper goods machine setters, operators, and tenders in Phoenix, Arizona is $47,800 a year ($22.98 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $49,160: half of the 1,120 people in this job in the Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 10% less than the U.S. average for this job ($52,840).

$47,800average per year

$22.98 / hourMedian $49,160Take-home ≈ $39,786

  • $37K10th
  • $42K25th
  • $49KMedian
  • $51K75th
  • $58K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

1,120people in this job
-10%vs U.S. average
103cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders pay range in Phoenix

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $37,300 a year or less, while the top 10% make $58,300 or more. The middle half of paper goods machine setters, operators, and tenders in Phoenix earn between $42,070 and $50,880.

  • $37K10th
  • $42K25th
  • $49KMedian
  • $51K75th
  • $58K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$47,800$3,983$22.98
Median$49,160$4,097$23.63
Entry level (25th percentile)$42,070$3,506$20.23
Experienced (75th percentile)$50,880$4,240$24.46

*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year. Hourly to annual salary.

Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders pay in Phoenix vs. Arizona and the U.S.

Paper goods machine setters, operators, and tenders in Phoenix earn about the same as the Arizona average ($47,450) and 10% less than the U.S. average ($52,840). At the median the gap is -2% against the U.S. median of $50,270.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
Phoenix$47,800$49,160$37,300$58,3001,120
Arizona$47,450$49,160$37,300$58,2701,190
United States$52,840$50,270$37,300$70,32096,130

State and U.S. rows: BLS statewide and national estimates, May 2025, which include rural areas.

Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders salary after taxes in Phoenix

On the average salary of $47,800, a single filer in Phoenix takes home about $39,786 a year, or $3,316 a month and $1,530 every two weeks. Taxes take 17% of gross pay.

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules).

Arizona paycheck calculator: try your own salary

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Is Phoenix a good place for paper goods machine setters, operators, and tenders? Pay vs. cost of living

Prices in the Phoenix area are 3% above the U.S. average (BEA price parity 103.3), so the average $47,800 buys what about $46,266 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.0 times the median wage of all jobs in Phoenix ($51,380). A typical home costs $448,352, or 9.4 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $47,800 is worth in another city

Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders salary in nearby metro areas

Highest-paying cities for paper goods machine setters, operators, and tenders

Cedar Rapids, IA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($70,830).

Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders salary by city

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Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders salary in Phoenix: questions

How much do paper goods machine setters, operators, and tenders make an hour in Phoenix?

$22.98 an hour on average, and $23.63 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level paper goods machine setters, operators, and tenders salary in Phoenix?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $37,300 a year and the 25th percentile is $42,070, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the paper goods machine setters, operators, and tenders take-home pay in Phoenix?

About $39,786 a year ($3,316 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $47,800.

Do paper goods machine setters, operators, and tenders earn more in Phoenix than elsewhere?

The average here is 10% less than the U.S. average for this job ($52,840).

Sources and how to read this page

  • Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 51-9196; area Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ (38060). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 3.1%.
  • U.S. and statewide figures: BLS OEWS national and state estimates, May 2025, every employer including rural areas.
  • Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
  • Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
  • Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules).
  • Job concentration: location quotient 0.77, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.77).

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