Production
Cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic
Set up, operate, or tend machines to saw, cut, shear, slit, punch, crimp, notch, bend, or straighten metal or plastic material.
Median pay
$46,330
Growth to 2035
−10%
declining
Openings a year
13,200
Time to qualify*
6 months
* From a bachelor's degree in an unrelated field.
Pay
Cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic
Getting in
- Typical entry education
- High school diploma or equivalent
- On-the-job training
- Moderate-term on-the-job training
- Prior experience
- None
What the work is like
Dealing with the public
Unpleasant or angry people
Time pressure
Cost of a mistake
Freedom to make decisions
Repeating the same tasks
Time sitting
Time standing
Hazardous conditions
Cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic: 33% usually work over 40 hours a week
Core tasks
- Measure completed workpieces to verify conformance to specifications, using micrometers, gauges, calipers, templates, or rulers.
- Examine completed workpieces for defects, such as chipped edges or marred surfaces and sort defective pieces according to types of flaws.
- Read work orders or production schedules to determine specifications, such as materials to be used, locations of cutting lines, or dimensions and tolerances.
- Start machines, monitor their operations, and record operational data.
- Set up, operate, or tend machines to saw, cut, shear, slit, punch, crimp, notch, bend, or straighten metal or plastic material.
- Test and adjust machine speeds or actions, according to product specifications, using gauges and hand tools.
- Load workpieces, plastic material, or chemical solutions into machines.
- Turn controls to set cutting speeds, feed rates, or table angles for specified operations.
Also called: Die Setter · Fabrication Operator · Machine Operator · Machine Setter · Press Brake Operator · Press Operator · Punch Press Operator · Saw Operator
Outlook and AI
Cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic held 171,000 jobs in 2025. BLS projects 153,100 by 2035 (−10%, declining; all jobs: +3.5%).
Productivity change - share decreases as manufacturers are expected to use more CNC, automated, and programmable machinery to perform some functions or tasks previously done by these workers.
Compare with
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