Salary guide, May 2025
Press Brake Operator pay, United States
Manufacturing Headhunters uses the published BLS OEWS figures below. They describe the mapped occupation and area, not an individual offer.
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The median annual wage for Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic in the United States was $46,330 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of workers earned between $38,870 and $55,410.
Also searched as: CNC Press Brake Operator, Brake Press Setup Operator. These titles share this page because BLS reports them under one occupation.
Broader occupation · SOC 51-4031 Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
The Press Brake Operator title maps to the published occupation. BLS does not separate this process, credential, shift or plant-specific title from other work in the occupation.
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $35,760 | $38,870 | $46,330 | $55,410 | $65,510 |
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $17.19 | $18.69 | $22.27 | $26.64 | $31.50 |
BLS estimated 171,200 workers employed in this occupation in the United States.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. SOC 51-4031 Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic, U.S.. Official occupation data · Official area tables. Released 2026-05-15.
How does pay compare in the target metros?
| Metro | Median | 25th to 75th | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $39,440 | $36,130 to $45,880 | 610 | 0.2 |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | $43,030 | $38,150 to $47,250 | 500 | 0.32 |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | $40,800 | $36,580 to $46,560 | 440 | 0.28 |
| Raleigh-Cary, NC | $40,620 | $37,330 to $46,700 | 270 | 0.33 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $47,360 | $40,620 to $55,470 | 2,400 | 0.23 |
| Northern New Jersey within New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $47,360 | $40,620 to $55,470 | 2,400 | 0.23 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $43,950 | $37,480 to $47,610 | 4,440 | 1 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $50,770 | $43,610 to $61,400 | 6,320 | 1.27 |
Rank every metro for Press Brake Operator
What should you know about pay by manufacturing industry, United States?
Same BLS occupation, national estimates for each manufacturing industry (NAICS) BLS publishes, May 2025. Industry names are BLS labels.
- Motor Vehicle Manufacturing$66,280
- Computer and Peripheral Equipment Manufacturing$56,220
- Ship and Boat Building$51,840
- Paper Manufacturing$51,150
- Converted Paper Product Manufacturing$51,150
- Food Manufacturing$50,580
- Nonferrous Metal (except Aluminum) Production and Processing$50,160
- Other Food Manufacturing$48,190
- Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing$48,160
- Commercial and Service Industry Machinery Manufacturing$48,050
- Furniture and Related Product Manufacturing$48,000
- Furniture and Related Product Manufacturing (3371 and 3372 only)$48,000
- Steel Product Manufacturing from Purchased Steel$47,890
- Railroad Rolling Stock Manufacturing$47,840
- Coating, Engraving, Heat Treating, and Allied Activities$47,790
Bars show up to 15 industries with exact annual medians. The table lists every published industry.
| NAICS | Industry | Employment | 25th | Median | 75th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31-33 | Manufacturing | 150,750 | $39,150 | $46,530 | $56,350 |
| 332000 | Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing | 56,060 | $39,490 | $46,670 | $55,810 |
| 336000 | Transportation Equipment Manufacturing | 37,460 | $39,330 | $47,100 | $66,130 |
| 336300 | Motor Vehicle Parts Manufacturing | 27,220 | $38,700 | $45,350 | $57,350 |
| 3320A1 | Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3321, 3322, 3325, 3326, and 3329 only) | 26,710 | $38,980 | $46,140 | $53,380 |
| 3320A2 | Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3323 and 3324 only) | 22,210 | $40,430 | $47,340 | $57,590 |
| 333000 | Machinery Manufacturing | 14,890 | $40,500 | $46,760 | $54,480 |
| 326000 | Plastics and Rubber Products Manufacturing | 13,870 | $36,940 | $43,650 | $50,790 |
| 326100 | Plastics Product Manufacturing | 12,850 | $36,860 | $43,650 | $50,940 |
| 331000 | Primary Metal Manufacturing | 11,880 | $39,150 | $47,010 | $54,900 |
| 3330A1 | Machinery Manufacturing (3331, 3332, 3334, and 3339 only) | 9,980 | $41,580 | $47,210 | $55,270 |
| 332700 | Machine Shops; Turned Product; and Screw, Nut, and Bolt Manufacturing | 6,300 | $39,870 | $46,710 | $55,790 |
| 339000 | Miscellaneous Manufacturing | 5,890 | $38,280 | $43,820 | $50,340 |
| 339900 | Other Miscellaneous Manufacturing | 5,270 | $38,280 | $43,230 | $50,340 |
| 336100 | Motor Vehicle Manufacturing | 5,010 | $65,630 | $66,280 | $78,020 |
| 331300 | Alumina and Aluminum Production and Processing | 3,750 | $38,910 | $46,300 | $50,940 |
| 331200 | Steel Product Manufacturing from Purchased Steel | 3,640 | $41,910 | $47,890 | $57,510 |
| 333500 | Metalworking Machinery Manufacturing | 3,400 | $38,340 | $44,550 | $50,780 |
| 332710 | Machine Shops | 3,220 | $39,850 | $47,220 | $56,160 |
| 332720 | Turned Product and Screw, Nut, and Bolt Manufacturing | 3,070 | $39,870 | $46,470 | $54,240 |
| 337000 | Furniture and Related Product Manufacturing | 3,010 | $39,560 | $48,000 | $59,350 |
| 3370A1 | Furniture and Related Product Manufacturing (3371 and 3372 only) | 2,900 | $39,820 | $48,000 | $59,620 |
| 335000 | Electrical Equipment, Appliance, and Component Manufacturing | 2,760 | $40,030 | $46,550 | $54,760 |
| 336200 | Motor Vehicle Body and Trailer Manufacturing | 2,290 | $40,420 | $46,220 | $49,800 |
| 336400 | Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing | 2,160 | $42,380 | $48,160 | $61,090 |
| 331100 | Iron and Steel Mills and Ferroalloy Manufacturing | 1,700 | $37,300 | $47,220 | $55,510 |
| 331400 | Nonferrous Metal (except Aluminum) Production and Processing | 1,510 | $39,190 | $50,160 | $60,640 |
| 331500 | Foundries | 1,290 | $38,320 | $43,970 | $49,390 |
| 334000 | Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing | 1,280 | $37,130 | $42,450 | $50,480 |
| 326200 | Rubber Product Manufacturing | 1,010 | $37,600 | $43,380 | $50,230 |
| 335200 | Household Appliance Manufacturing | 980 | $41,060 | $47,000 | $56,650 |
| 322000 | Paper Manufacturing | 960 | $45,540 | $51,150 | $57,350 |
| 322200 | Converted Paper Product Manufacturing | 940 | $45,540 | $51,150 | $57,300 |
| 323000 | Printing and Related Support Activities | 930 | $44,030 | $46,720 | $52,090 |
| 323100 | Printing and Related Support Activities | 930 | $44,030 | $46,720 | $52,090 |
| 335900 | Other Electrical Equipment and Component Manufacturing | 860 | $40,170 | $47,480 | $54,760 |
| 332800 | Coating, Engraving, Heat Treating, and Allied Activities | 850 | $40,450 | $47,790 | $57,620 |
| 333300 | Commercial and Service Industry Machinery Manufacturing | 760 | $40,610 | $48,050 | $57,210 |
| 333600 | Engine, Turbine, and Power Transmission Equipment Manufacturing | 750 | $38,440 | $45,040 | $47,480 |
| 321000 | Wood Product Manufacturing | 710 | $37,090 | $43,710 | $52,670 |
| 327000 | Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing | 690 | $42,630 | $46,910 | $49,160 |
| 327000 | Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing | 690 | $42,630 | $46,910 | $49,160 |
| 334400 | Semiconductor and Other Electronic Component Manufacturing | 680 | $35,730 | $39,400 | $46,300 |
| 335300 | Electrical Equipment Manufacturing | 680 | $40,110 | $45,670 | $50,200 |
| 339100 | Medical Equipment and Supplies Manufacturing | 630 | $40,160 | $45,790 | $49,960 |
| 321900 | Other Wood Product Manufacturing | 520 | $34,440 | $45,240 | $52,480 |
| 334500 | Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing | 370 | $39,960 | $47,060 | $51,060 |
| 336900 | Other Transportation Equipment Manufacturing | 340 | $41,850 | $45,380 | $53,190 |
| 336600 | Ship and Boat Building | 320 | $46,340 | $51,840 | $59,140 |
| 335100 | Electric Lighting Equipment Manufacturing | 240 | $36,460 | $40,580 | $46,710 |
| 339910 | Jewelry and Silverware Manufacturing | 200 | $39,990 | $46,280 | $46,900 |
| 321200 | Veneer, Plywood, and Engineered Wood Product Manufacturing | 190 | $38,970 | $41,980 | $58,050 |
| 325000 | Chemical Manufacturing | 190 | $37,690 | $42,240 | $48,590 |
| 3250A1 | Chemical Manufacturing (3251, 3252, 3253, and 3259 only) | 190 | $37,690 | $42,240 | $48,590 |
| 311000 | Food Manufacturing | 130 | $48,190 | $50,580 | $52,260 |
| 336500 | Railroad Rolling Stock Manufacturing | 110 | $39,790 | $47,840 | $54,160 |
| 337900 | Other Furniture Related Product Manufacturing | 110 | $32,240 | $39,350 | $48,020 |
| 334100 | Computer and Peripheral Equipment Manufacturing | 90 | $47,660 | $56,220 | $63,420 |
| 334600 | Manufacturing and Reproducing Magnetic and Optical Media | 70 | $37,130 | $37,130 | $37,910 |
| 334200 | Communications Equipment Manufacturing | 60 | $40,600 | $45,210 | $55,310 |
| 311900 | Other Food Manufacturing | 50 | $48,190 | $48,190 | $48,190 |
| 314000 | Textile Product Mills | 40 | $35,060 | $37,060 | $39,920 |
| 314900 | Other Textile Product Mills | 40 | $35,060 | $36,740 | $39,320 |
What should you know about manufacturing pay mix?
For Press Brake Operator, write the straight-time rate separately from shift coverage and extra hours. OEWS includes base rate, guaranteed pay and production incentive pay. It excludes overtime premium, shift differentials and nonproduction bonuses. An attendance bonus is not a production bonus; confirm its purpose and treatment rather than adding every bonus to the BLS figure.
Skills-based pay steps affect the base rate when they are part of straight-time pay; BLS does not publish a separate rate for each plant's skill grade. Ask whether a tool allowance is expense reimbursement or wage pay. OEWS does not publish a separate tool-allowance component. Keep these items separate in the offer so the published wage is not mistaken for the whole package.
Pay mix here means how published medians for this one BLS occupation differ across manufacturing industries and against the all-industry median. It does not split pay into base, incentive or overtime. BLS wages are straight-time gross pay and exclude overtime, shift differentials and nonproduction bonuses.
What should you know about two BLS releases?
| Release period | 25th | Median | 75th |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2024 | $38,400 | $45,590 | $52,150 |
| May 2025 | $38,870 | $46,330 | $55,410 |
These are two separate BLS estimates from different survey panels. The workers and employers behind them differ, so the gap is not like-for-like pay for the same workers and is not a growth rate. We show no percentage change.
What should you know about supervisory and worker occupations?
BLS publishes these as separate occupations. Pay for one is not a pay step for the other.
- Supervisor occupation: Production Supervisor pay (SOC 51-1011)
Recruiter's read. Qualitative, not BLS data.
What should you know about material range?
Mild steel, stainless and aluminum bend differently. Thick plate needs different tonnage and care. We ask what range the candidate handled and how they adjusted. A person with only thin sheet may not suit heavy plate.
What should you know about questions?
Wages for the OEWS survey are straight-time, gross pay, exclusive of premium pay. Base rate; cost-of-living allowances; guaranteed pay; hazardous-duty pay; incentive pay, including commissions and production bonuses; and tips are included. Excluded are overtime pay, severance pay, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses, employer cost for supplementary benefits, and tuition reimbursements.
What is the median pay for a Press Brake Operator?
The median annual wage for Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic in the United States was $46,330 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of workers earned between $38,870 and $55,410. This is the broader occupation BLS publishes, not a figure for this exact title.
What does the 10th percentile mean here?
10% of workers in this occupation and area earned less than $35,760. 90% earned less than $65,510.
Does this include overtime or bonuses?
Wages for the OEWS survey are straight-time, gross pay, exclusive of premium pay. Base rate; cost-of-living allowances; guaranteed pay; hazardous-duty pay; incentive pay, including commissions and production bonuses; and tips are included. Excluded are overtime pay, severance pay, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses, employer cost for supplementary benefits, and tuition reimbursements.
Is this the pay for a Press Brake Operator at a plant?
The Press Brake Operator title maps to the published occupation. BLS does not separate this process, credential, shift or plant-specific title from other work in the occupation. These are occupation estimates across all industries, not an offer for a particular manufacturing title.
How many people work in this occupation?
BLS estimated 171,200 workers employed in this occupation in the United States.
What should you know about related?
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What does this data mean for your opening?
Press Brake Operators are essential for forming sheet metal components in various manufacturing settings. This job is part of the SOC 51-4031 group. The national median salary reached $46,330 in May 2025, up $740 from the $45,590 reported in May 2024. Manufacturing Headhunters observes that these figures do not incorporate additional pay for advanced CNC programming tasks or shift-based premiums.
Regional data reveals different pay structures in major manufacturing metros. The Detroit-Warren-Dearborn area reports a median of $50,460 with a location quotient of 5.56, reflecting a heavy industrial presence. These figures reflect the local labor market conditions. The BLS occupational grouping is broad and includes various machine setups, so these averages cover many levels of machine complexity.
National industry medians are provided for sector benchmarking. Motor Vehicle Manufacturing shows a national median of $66,280. Computer and Peripheral Equipment Manufacturing reports $56,220. Ship and Boat Building stands at $51,840. These figures are for the national sector as a whole, not local metro averages. These industry rows clarify the higher compensation potential in certain sectors, but they do not account for differences in individual machine capabilities. The BLS data remains the baseline for these broad occupational categories.
Which pay questions should you settle before hiring?
What does the middle band width represent?
The middle band width of $16,540 represents the earnings gap between the 25th and 75th percentiles. It defines the range for the middle half of the workforce.
Is there a difference in duties for this occupation?
The occupation code covers many roles, from simple press operation to advanced CNC brake programming. Plant duties often differ significantly despite the shared code.
What is excluded from the BLS wage figures?
The BLS figures are limited to base wages. They exclude overtime pay, performance bonuses, and other forms of non-cash compensation.
Related recruiting or pay page · Related wage comparison 1 · Data methodology · Related wage comparison 3 · Related wage comparison 4