SOC 51-9196 · Cedar Rapids, IA metro

Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders Salary in Cedar Rapids, IA

The average salary for paper goods machine setters, operators, and tenders in Cedar Rapids, Iowa is $70,830 a year ($34.06 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $83,470: half of the 260 people in this job in the Cedar Rapids, IA metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 34% more than the U.S. average for this job ($52,840).

$70,830average per year

$34.06 / hourMedian $83,470Take-home ≈ $56,579

  • $39K10th
  • $52K25th
  • $83KMedian
  • $83K75th
  • $100K90th

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

260people in this job
+34%vs U.S. average
#1 of 2Iowa metros
89cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders pay range in Cedar Rapids

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $38,920 a year or less, while the top 10% make $100,430 or more. The middle half of paper goods machine setters, operators, and tenders in Cedar Rapids earn between $52,110 and $83,480.

  • $39K10th
  • $52K25th
  • $83KMedian
  • $83K75th
  • $100K90th

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

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$70,830$5,902$34.05
Median$83,470$6,956$40.13
Entry level (25th percentile)$52,110$4,342$25.05
Experienced (75th percentile)$83,480$6,957$40.13

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

Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders pay in Cedar Rapids vs. Iowa and the U.S.

Paper goods machine setters, operators, and tenders in Cedar Rapids earn 30% more than the Iowa average ($54,610) and 34% more than the U.S. average ($52,840). At the median the gap is +66% against the U.S. median of $50,270.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
Cedar Rapids$70,830$83,470$38,920$100,430260
Iowa$54,610$46,110$37,420$83,4801,010
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 Cedar Rapids

On the average salary of $70,830, a single filer in Cedar Rapids takes home about $56,579 a year, or $4,715 a month and $2,176 every two weeks. Taxes take 20% of gross pay.

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules). Iowa school district surtaxes (a percentage of state tax in some districts) are not included.

Iowa paycheck calculator: try your own salary

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

Prices in the Cedar Rapids area are 11% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 89.0), so the average $70,830 buys what about $79,617 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.7 times the median wage of all jobs in Cedar Rapids ($49,360). A typical home costs $244,344, or 3.4 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $70,830 is worth in another city

Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders salary in other Iowa cities

Cedar Rapids ranks 1st of 2 Iowa metro areas for this job, the best-paid in the state.

All Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders salaries in Iowa

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 Cedar Rapids: questions

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

$34.06 an hour on average, and $40.13 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

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

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $38,920 a year and the 25th percentile is $52,110, a fair guide to starting pay.

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

About $56,579 a year ($4,715 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $70,830. Iowa school district surtaxes (a percentage of state tax in some districts) are not included.

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

The average here is 34% more 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 Cedar Rapids, IA (16300). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 20.7%.
  • 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). Iowa school district surtaxes (a percentage of state tax in some districts) are not included.
  • Job concentration: location quotient 2.99, this job is 3.0 times as concentrated as in the U.S. overall.

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