Salary data is based on the Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA metropolitan area and applied to Des Moines using local cost-of-living adjustments.

Plating Machine Setters Salaries in Des Moines, IA

Average Base Pay

$39,067/yr

8% below national average

Monthly

$3,256

Hourly

$19

Cost Index

Plating Machine Setters in Des Moines, IA earn an average of $39,067 per year, with most salaries falling between $31,254 and $46,880 depending on experience, employer, and specialization. At 8% below the national average, Des Moines offers a more modest rate for this role, in part reflecting a local cost of living index of 79. For professionals evaluating a move or negotiating an offer, the headline salary is only part of the picture—what matters most is how far that income actually goes once taxes, rent, and daily expenses are factored in. The sections below break that down in full for Des Moines.

Salary Range

The chart below shows the full compensation spectrum for this role, from entry-level to senior positions. The highlighted center bars represent the 25th–75th percentile band where most professionals are paid.

$29K
Low

$39K
Median

$49K
High

25th percentile: $33K75th percentile: $45K

About Plating Machine Setters

Manufacturing Engineers develop, implement, and improve manufacturing processes that transform raw materials and components into finished products efficiently, safely, and to quality standards. They design and commission production lines, select manufacturing equipment, develop process parameters and work instructions, and troubleshoot production problems. In new product introduction, manufacturing engineers collaborate with product design teams from early development to ensure that product designs are manufacturable—flagging design features that are difficult or costly to produce and proposing design changes that improve producibility. They conduct process validation studies demonstrating that processes consistently produce output within specifications, write manufacturing process documentation, and develop operator training materials. Process improvement is continuous: manufacturing engineers collect and analyze production data, identify sources of scrap, yield loss, and cycle time inefficiency, and implement lean manufacturing improvements including 5S, standardized work, and error-proofing (poka-yoke). In regulated industries such as medical devices or pharmaceuticals, they manage process validation per FDA and ISO requirements.

What Plating Machine Setters Do

Design and implement manufacturing processes for new or existing products
Select, specify, and commission manufacturing equipment and tooling
Develop process parameters, work instructions, and operator training materials
Conduct process capability studies and manufacturing process validation
Troubleshoot production quality and efficiency problems
Collaborate with product design on design for manufacturability
Lead lean manufacturing improvement projects (5S, kaizen, standard work)
Manage process documentation and engineering change control

Key Skills & Qualifications

Manufacturing process design and optimization
CAD software for fixture and tooling design
Statistical process control (SPC) and process capability analysis
Lean manufacturing tools (5S, Kanban, SMED, poka-yoke)
Design for manufacturability and assembly (DFM/DFA)
Process validation methodology (IQ/OQ/PQ)
PLC and automation fundamentals
Engineering change management and document control

Career Path

Manufacturing Engineer I
Manufacturing Engineer II
Senior Manufacturing Engineer
Lead Manufacturing Engineer / Process Engineering Manager
Director of Manufacturing Engineering

Plating Machine Setters Market in Des Moines, IA

Salary Competitiveness

Des Moines currently pays 8% below the national median for Plating Machine Setters. This gap can reflect a lower regional cost base, thinner employer density, or a surplus of qualified candidates relative to open roles—factors worth factoring into any offer negotiation or relocation calculation.

Cost of Living Impact

Des Moines's cost of living runs below the national average, which works in favor of this salary. Essential monthly expenses account for approximately 90% of take-home pay—a ratio that leaves meaningful room for savings, debt reduction, and discretionary spending compared with higher-cost metros.

Effective Purchasing Power

Despite a competitive gross salary, a Plating Machine Setters earning $39,067 in Des Moines operates in a tight purchasing-power band once taxes and local cost of living are applied. Careful planning around housing, transportation, and discretionary spending is essential to avoid running negative disposable income month to month.

vs. National Avg

-8%

Cost Pressure

90%

Purchasing Power

Tight

Take-Home Pay Calculator

Enter any gross salary to see how federal and state taxes affect your actual take-home pay, broken down by year, month, and week. Results use an estimated effective tax rate of 27% based on this location and income level.

Annual Salary

Take-home (73%)Taxes (27%)

Annual Net

$28,519

Monthly

$2,377

Weekly

$548

Eff. Tax Rate

27%

A gross salary of $39,067 for a Plating Machine Setters in Des Moines translates to roughly $2,377 in monthly take-home pay after estimated federal and state taxes. Set against monthly living costs of $2,133—covering housing, food, transportation, utilities, and healthcare—that leaves approximately $244 per month in disposable income. That margin, not the gross number, is what determines whether you can comfortably cover rent, build savings, and afford discretionary spending in Des Moines's current market.

How far does this salary go in Des Moines?

Cost of Living in Des Moines

Estimated monthly expenses for a single person in Des Moines, benchmarked against US regional price indices for housing, food, transportation, utilities, and healthcare.

Cost Index

Below Avg — US average is 100. Based on a single person (1-bed apartment).

🏠Housing / Rent$1,150/mo

🍔Food & Groceries$435/mo

🚗Transportation$115/mo

💡Utilities$155/mo

🏥Healthcare$278/mo

Monthly$2,133

Annual$25,596

Disposable Income$244

Financial Reality Check

This section compares estimated monthly take-home pay against typical living costs in Des Moines to show your real disposable income—the amount remaining after essential bills are paid each month.

Monthly Take-Home

$2,377

Living Costs

$2,133

Disposable

$244

Cost Index

Lifestyle

Tight

With a monthly take-home of $2,377, your estimated living costs in Des Moines are $2,133 ($25,596/yr). This leaves $244 per month in disposable income, indicating a tight standard of living. Des Moines's cost of living is 21% below the national average.

Overall, a Plating Machine Setters earning $39,067 in Des Moines falls into a tight lifestyle tier and will need to budget carefully—essential costs consume a significant share of take-home pay, leaving limited room for savings or emergencies. With a cost index of 79, Des Moines is 21% more affordable than the national average, which extends your purchasing power. Regardless of tier, prioritizing retirement contributions, an emergency fund of three to six months' expenses, and incremental debt reduction will yield the greatest long-term financial stability—especially as living costs in Des Moines continue to evolve.