What are the main factors that influence a Plastic Injection Operator's salary?

The primary factors are: 1) Experience Level, 2) Geographic Location, 3) Education/Skills, 4) Company Size & Industry

How does experience change A Plastic Injection Operator's salary?

A Plastic Injection Operator's salary grows with experience: an Injection Molding Machine Operator I (0-1 years)earns $43,016, an Plastic Injection Operator (1-3 years)earns $48,581, an Injection Molding Machine Operator III (3-5 years)earns $56,695,

What are the highest paying states for a Plastic Injection Operator?

Plastic Injection Operator salary varies significantly by state. The top 3 highest paying states for Plastic Injection Operator roles are District of Columbia $58,092, California $57,871, Massachusetts $57,100. These tech hubs typically pay 10-15% above the national average.

How much do different types of Plastic Injection Operator roles make?

Salaries for Plastic Injection Operator level roles vary by specialization: Plastic Injection Mold Designer: $69,365; Plastic Injection Mold Maker: $63,710; Plastic Injection Molding Operator III: $56,600; Injection Molding Machine Operator III: $56,576; Plastic Injection Mold Operator: $52,467.

How do different companies affect a Plastic Injection Operator's salary?

Company size, industry, and compensation structure create significant salary variations for Plastic Injection Operator roles. Large, established industry leaders like C R Bard Inc ($128,509) and Henry Schein Canada ($124,697) offer base salaries 35-40% above the national average. In contrast, smaller firms or startups may offer closer to $82,041.

Plastic Injection Operator Salary in the United States

How much does a Plastic Injection Operator make in the United States?

As of May 18, 2021, the average salary for a Plastic Injection Operator in the United States is $52,467 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $25.

However, a Plastic Injection Operator's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:

Top Earners (90th percentile): $65,456
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $46,799 to $59,266
Entry-Level (10th percentile): $41,638

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Plastic Injection Operator Salaries by Percentile

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$59,266	$4,939	$1,140	$28
Average	$52,467	$4,372	$1,009	$25
25th Percentile	$46,799	$3,900	$900	$22

You may get higher pay by adjusting the following factors:

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Check out Plastic Injection Operator Job Openings in the United States

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Key Factors That Influence Plastic Injection Operator Salaries

A Plastic Injection Operator's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors. Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location, education and company size can directly affect your earning potential.

How Do Plastic Injection Operator Salaries Vary from State to State?

Your salary can change significantly depending on where you work. States with a higher cost of living and strong industrial sectors often pay more to attract Plastic Injection Operators. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:

District of Columbia: $58,092.
California: $57,871.
Massachusetts: $57,100.

District of Columbia $58,092 California $57,871 Massachusetts $57,100 Washington $56,890 New Jersey $56,869 Alaska $56,796 Connecticut $56,072 New York $55,778

Hawaii $54,839 Rhode Island $54,398 Maryland $54,099 Minnesota $53,690 Colorado $53,532 Illinois $53,480 Oregon $53,281 Delaware $53,134

New Hampshire $53,041 Virginia $52,835 Pennsylvania $52,231 Nevada $51,927 North Dakota $51,827 Michigan $51,670 Wisconsin $51,612 Vermont $51,497

Texas $51,177 Maine $51,156 Arizona $51,124 Ohio $51,087 Georgia $50,605 Indiana $50,363 Wyoming $50,316 Utah $50,243

Iowa $50,211 Kansas $49,959 Louisiana $49,886 North Carolina $49,860 Missouri $49,849 Florida $49,645 Montana $49,534 Nebraska $49,429

Kentucky $49,372 South Carolina $49,162 Tennessee $49,031 Idaho $48,978 New Mexico $48,595 Oklahoma $48,511 Alabama $48,202 South Dakota $47,682

Arkansas $47,399 West Virginia $47,247 Mississippi $46,790

Top Paying Cities for Plastic Injection Operators

Salaries can also vary between different cities. Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay. Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:

San Jose: $66,177
San Francisco: $65,526
Oakland: $64,073

San Jose, CA $66,177

San Francisco, CA $65,526

Oakland, CA $64,073

New York, NY $60,804

Queens Village, NY $60,411

Paramus, NJ $59,991

Passaic, NJ $59,939

Bergenfield, NJ $59,886

Stamford, CT $59,808

Huntington, NY $59,755

Newark, NJ $59,414

Bridgeport, CT $59,309

New Brunswick, NJ $59,136

Vallejo, CA $59,026

Middlesex, NJ $58,994

Somerset, NJ $58,947

Petaluma, CA $58,826

Santa Cruz, CA $58,622

Boston, MA $58,517

Monterey, CA $58,254

Fairbanks, AK $58,218

Los Angeles, CA $58,118

Washington, DC $58,092

Seattle, WA $57,997

Santa Rosa, CA $57,987

Juneau, AK $57,835

Orange, CA $57,662

Anchorage, AK $57,567

Anaheim, CA $57,530

Santa Ana, CA $57,452

Nassau, NY $57,420

Long Beach, CA $57,399

Danbury, CT $57,384

Santa Maria, CA $57,205

Everett, WA $57,195

Bremerton, WA $56,938

Trenton, NJ $56,838

Sacramento, CA $56,817

San Diego, CA $56,791

Brockton, MA $56,770

Tacoma, WA $56,749

Santa Barbara, CA $56,675

Lowell, MA $56,465

New Suffolk, NY $56,444

Nashua, NH $56,381

Lompoc, CA $56,297

Ventura, CA $56,245

Stockton, CA $56,229

New Haven, CT $56,124

Atlantic City, NJ $55,988

Hartford, CT $55,872

Modesto, CA $55,846

Poughkeepsie, NY $55,731

New Britain, CT $55,705

Kennewick, WA $55,631

Olympia, WA $55,631

New London, CT $55,621

Norwich, CT $55,605

Lawrence, MA $55,579

Bakersfield, CA $55,432

New Bedford, MA $55,358

Riverside, CA $55,358

Richland, WA $55,306

Portsmouth, NH $55,264

Vineland, NJ $55,253

San Bernardino, CA $55,211

Boulder, CO $55,064

Worcester, MA $55,022

Portland, OR $54,975

Saint Paul, MN $54,912

Minneapolis, MN $54,912

Philadelphia, PA $54,839

Honolulu, HI $54,561

Springfield, MA $54,377

Providence, RI $54,372

Chicago, IL $54,220

Bellingham, WA $54,157

Baltimore, MD $54,099

Chico, CA $53,968

Wilmington, DE $53,879

Pittsfield, MA $53,826

Manchester, NH $53,727

Spokane, WA $53,496

Denver, CO $53,490

Albany, NY $53,244

Troy, NY $53,223

Schenectady, NY $53,113

Burlington, VT $52,997

Portland, ME $52,814

Salem, OR $52,772

Yakima, WA $52,761

Ann Arbor, MI $52,745

Rochester, MN $52,598

Reno, NV $52,572

Fresno, CA $52,572

Milwaukee, WI $52,525

Detroit, MI $52,473

Allentown, PA $52,457

Carson City, NV $52,452

Houston, TX $52,373

Colorado Springs, CO $52,368

Syracuse, NY $52,341

Eugene, OR $52,242

Gary, IN $52,179

Bismarck, ND $52,179

Galveston, TX $52,179

Springfield, OR $52,137

Medford, OR $52,011

Fort Collins, CO $51,990

Austin, TX $51,948

Mesa, AZ $51,838

Phoenix, AZ $51,827

Dallas, TX $51,811

Reading, PA $51,780

Saint Cloud, MN $51,759

Concord, NH $51,712

Madison, WI $51,691

Utica, NY $51,549

Raleigh, NC $51,507

Las Vegas, NV $51,502

Rochester, NY $51,465

Des Moines, IA $51,460

Atlanta, GA $51,376

Battle Creek, MI $51,360

Salt Lake City, UT $51,345

Lancaster, PA $51,266

Champaign, IL $51,255

Harrisburg, PA $51,192

Durham, NC $51,145

Kansas City, MO $51,140

Kansas City, KS $51,129

Fort Worth, TX $51,124

Boca Raton, FL $51,103

Cleveland, OH $51,098

Columbus, OH $51,087

Pittsburgh, PA $51,082

Richmond, VA $51,061

Indianapolis, IN $51,051

Cincinnati, OH $50,983

Petersburg, VA $50,904

Lansing, MI $50,788

Billings, MT $50,788

Huntsville, AL $50,788

Lebanon, PA $50,783

Pueblo, CO $50,778

Dayton, OH $50,778

Appleton, WI $50,762

Buffalo, NY $50,741

Racine, WI $50,715

Charlotte, NC $50,710

Saint Louis, MO $50,694

Springfield, IL $50,673

York, PA $50,662

Elkhart, IN $50,662

Gastonia, NC $50,657

Benton Harbor, MI $50,657

Beaumont, TX $50,626

Lorain, OH $50,615

Toledo, OH $50,594

Binghamton, NY $50,568

Rock Hill, SC $50,563

Rockford, IL $50,537

Elyria, OH $50,510

Fargo, ND $50,510

Flagstaff, AZ $50,474

Fort Lauderdale, FL $50,442

Miami, FL $50,411

Duluth, MN $50,327

Bangor, ME $50,258

Cedar Rapids, IA $50,201

Louisville, KY $50,175

Grand Rapids, MI $50,164

Hialeah, FL $50,159

Casper, WY $50,085

Scranton, PA $50,022

New Orleans, LA $50,007

Virginia Beach, VA $50,001

Akron, OH $49,975

Peoria, IL $49,907

Sarasota, FL $49,896

Green Bay, WI $49,860

Baton Rouge, LA $49,833

Charleston, SC $49,823

Nashville, TN $49,807

Jamestown, NY $49,797

Davenport, IA $49,797

Tucson, AZ $49,771

Cheyenne, WY $49,755

Saint Petersburg, FL $49,739

Tampa, FL $49,729

Omaha, NE $49,718

Evansville, IN $49,697

Port Arthur, TX $49,697

Bradenton, FL $49,676

Santa Fe, NM $49,582

Orlando, FL $49,529

Clearwater, FL $49,471

La Crosse, WI $49,361

Canton, OH $49,361

Grand Forks, ND $49,346

Tulsa, OK $49,330

Albuquerque, NM $49,330

Newport News, VA $49,325

High Point, NC $49,309

Ogden, UT $49,288

Corpus Christi, TX $49,246

Laramie, WY $49,214

Norfolk, VA $49,214

Rock Island, IL $49,183

Saginaw, MI $49,172

Jacksonville, FL $49,167

Salisbury, NC $49,157

Memphis, TN $49,146

Moline, IL $49,120

Fort Myers, FL $49,104

Waterloo, IA $49,036

Spartanburg, SC $48,983

Lincoln, NE $48,957

Fort Wayne, IN $48,947

Birmingham, AL $48,889

Cedar Falls, IA $48,879

Provo, UT $48,873

Springfield, OH $48,868

San Antonio, TX $48,858

Greensboro, NC $48,837

South Bend, IN $48,831

Winston Salem, NC $48,826

Boise, ID $48,810

Savannah, GA $48,774

Muskegon, MI $48,679

Lima, OH $48,616

Lake Charles, LA $48,595

Anderson, IN $48,585

Lexington, KY $48,569

Augusta, GA $48,553

Greenville, SC $48,553

Wichita, KS $48,506

Tuscaloosa, AL $48,506

Columbia, SC $48,459

Bloomington, IN $48,328

Roanoke, VA $48,296

Asheville, NC $48,228

Knoxville, TN $48,139

Shreveport, LA $48,134

Wilmington, NC $48,065

Frankfort, KY $47,966

Oklahoma City, OK $47,929

Chillicothe, OH $47,908

Longview, TX $47,903

Topeka, KS $47,887

Mobile, AL $47,808

Terre Haute, IN $47,787

Erie, PA $47,782

Altoona, PA $47,756

Melbourne, FL $47,740

Amarillo, TX $47,719

Killeen, TX $47,703

Fayetteville, AR $47,661

Sioux Falls, SD $47,625

Chattanooga, TN $47,593

Idaho Falls, ID $47,588

Gainesville, FL $47,478

Portsmouth, OH $47,451

Little Rock, AR $47,441

Lynchburg, VA $47,441

Youngstown, OH $47,420

Lafayette, LA $47,420

Temple, TX $47,399

Daytona Beach, FL $47,388

Clarksville, TN $47,383

Pensacola, FL $47,378

Hopkinsville, KY $47,221

Charleston, WV $47,215

Florence, SC $47,189

Sioux City, IA $47,158

Macon, GA $47,005

Tallahassee, FL $47,000

Fayetteville, NC $46,990

Wichita Falls, TX $46,979

Waco, TX $46,979

Pine Bluff, AR $46,958

Vincennes, IN $46,859

Lubbock, TX $46,838

Great Falls, MT $46,806

Alamogordo, NM $46,801

Abilene, TX $46,759

Rapid City, SD $46,691

Monroe, LA $46,691

Albany, GA $46,659

Huntington, WV $46,654

Jackson, MS $46,649

Greenville, MS $46,643

Parkersburg, WV $46,591

Montgomery, AL $46,580

Johnstown, PA $46,570

Springfield, MO $46,528

Biloxi, MS $46,502

Sumter, SC $46,392

Columbus, GA $46,386

Twin Falls, ID $46,355

Pascagoula, MS $46,287

Kingsport, TN $46,150

Gulfport, MS $46,135

Alexandria, LA $45,961

Fort Smith, AR $45,830

El Paso, TX $45,689

Helena, MT $45,620

Las Cruces, NM $45,452

Harlingen, TX $45,306

Pocatello, ID $45,258

Florence, AL $45,243

Brownsville, TX $45,232

Dothan, AL $45,148

Mcallen, TX $45,122

Columbus, MS $44,734

Altus, OK $44,492

Lawton, OK $44,393

Pierre, SD $44,204

What Skills Can Increase a Plastic Injection Operator's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

Troubleshooting (Mentioned in 7.05% Job Postings): Troubleshooting is a form of problem solving, often applied to repair failed products or processes on a machine or a system. It is a logical, systematic search for the source of a problem in order to solve it, and make the product or process operational again. Troubleshooting is needed to identify the symptoms. Determining the most likely cause is a process of elimination—eliminating potential causes of a problem. Finally, troubleshooting requires confirmation that the solution restores the product or process to its working state. In general, troubleshooting is the identification or diagnosis of "trouble" in the management flow of a system caused by a failure of some kind. The problem is initially described as symptoms of malfunction, and troubleshooting is the process of determining and remedying the causes of these symptoms. A system can be described in terms of its expected, desired or intended behavior (usually, for artificial systems, its purpose). Events or inputs to the system are expected to generate specific results or outputs. (For example, selecting the "print" option from various computer applications is intended to result in a hardcopy emerging from some specific device). Any unexpected or undesirable behavior is a symptom. Troubleshooting is the process of isolating the specific cause or causes of the symptom. Frequently the symptom is a failure of the product or process to produce any results. (Nothing was printed, for example). Corrective action can then be taken to prevent further failures of a similar kind.
Repairing (Mentioned in 2.85% Job Postings): To put something that is damaged, broken, or not working correctly, back into good condition or make it work again.
Hydraulics (Mentioned in 1.57% Job Postings): Hydraulics is a technology and applied science using engineering, chemistry, and other sciences involving the mechanical properties and use of liquids.

See More Skills

Skills	Demand Percentage
Troubleshooting	7.05%
Repairing	2.85%
Hydraulics	1.57%

What skills can make your compensation higher?

Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay. Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on a Plastic Injection Operator's salary.

Continuous Improvement: Can increase your salary by up to 2%.
Leadership: Can increase your salary by up to 2%.
ISO: Can increase your salary by up to 2%.

Skill	Salary	Salary % Increase
Continuous Improvement	$53,517	2%
Leadership	$53,517	2%
ISO	$53,517	2%
Problem Solving	$53,517	2%
Hydraulics	$52,992	1%
Communication Skills	$52,992	1%

Get Latest Data

How Education impacts a Plastic Injection Operator's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Plastic Injection Operators enter the field with a No Diploma degree, higher education can lead to more specialized and higher-paying roles.

According to our 100% employer-reported salary data, the median salary for a Plastic Injection Operator with a No Diploma is between $47,100 and $50,532).

Plastic Injection Operator Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Plastic Injection Operator

No Diploma 10.0%

High School 66.7%

Associates 16.7%

Bachelors 6.7%

Masters 0.0%

Doctorate 0.0%

view as table

Degree Level	% of user with this level of education
No Diploma	10.0%
High School	66.7%
Associates	16.7%
Bachelors	6.7%
Masters	0.0%
Doctorate	0.0%

view as graph

Plastic Injection Operator Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Plastic Injection Operator's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting. Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role. Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.

Last Updated on May 18, 2021

$46,799

Average $52,467/year

$59,266

$3,900

Average $4,372/month

$4,939

$900

Average $1,009/week

$1,140

$22

Average $25/hour

$28

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$59,266	$4,939	$1,140	$28
Average	$52,467	$4,372	$1,009	$25
25th Percentile	$46,799	$3,900	$900	$22

Salaries of jobs related to Plastic Injection Operator

Salary Trends for Plastic Injection Operator

Salaries for a Plastic Injection Operator can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary increased from $42,155 in 2023 to around $42,192 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Plastic Injection Operator salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Plastic Injection Operator Over Time

2022

$???

2023

$42,155

2024

$42,307

2025

$42,192

2026

$???

2027

$???

Year	Average Annual Salary
2022	View More
2023	$42,155
2024	$42,307
2025	$42,192
2026	View More
2027	View More

Most common benefits for Plastic Injection Operator

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Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?

Salary.com provides salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons using data from employer job postings and third-party sources.

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