Production
Rolling machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic
Set up, operate, or tend machines to roll steel or plastic forming bends, beads, knurls, rolls, or plate, or to flatten, temper, or reduce gauge of material.
Median pay
$50,140
Growth to 2035
−8%
declining
Openings a year
1,900
Time to qualify*
6 months
* From a bachelor's degree in an unrelated field.
Pay
Rolling 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
Calculate your switch to rolling machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic
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
Rolling machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic: 40% usually work over 40 hours a week
Core tasks
- Monitor machine cycles and mill operation to detect jamming and to ensure that products conform to specifications.
- Adjust and correct machine set-ups to reduce thicknesses, reshape products, and eliminate product defects.
- Start operation of rolling and milling machines to flatten, temper, form, and reduce sheet metal sections and to produce steel strips.
- Examine, inspect, and measure raw materials and finished products to verify conformance to specifications.
- Read rolling orders, blueprints, and mill schedules to determine setup specifications, work sequences, product dimensions, and installation procedures.
- Manipulate controls and observe dial indicators to monitor, adjust, and regulate speeds of machine mechanisms.
- Set distance points between rolls, guides, meters, and stops, according to specifications.
- Calculate draft space and roll speed for each mill stand to plan rolling sequences and specified dimensions and tempers.
Also called: Breakdown Mill Operator · Calender Operator · Cold Mill Operator · Machine Operator · Mill Operator · Rolling Mill Operator · Roughing Mill Operator · Temper Mill Operator
Outlook and AI
Rolling machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic held 25,300 jobs in 2025. BLS projects 23,200 by 2035 (−8%, 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
- Rolling machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic vs. Cutting and slicing machine setters, operators, and tenders
- Rolling machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic vs. Cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic
- Rolling machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic vs. Grinding, lapping, polishing, and buffing machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic
- Rolling machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic vs. Milling and planing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic
- Rolling machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic vs. Woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawing
- Rolling machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic vs. Grinding and polishing workers, hand
- Rolling machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic vs. Multiple machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic
- Rolling machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic vs. Lathe and turning machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic
- Rolling machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic vs. Tool grinders, filers, and sharpeners
- Rolling machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic vs. Machine feeders and offbearers