What You Need to Know About Cutting and Slicing Machine Setter, Operator, or Tender
Job Description: Set up, operate, or tend machines that cut or slice materials, such as glass, stone, cork, rubber, tobacco, food, paper, or insulating material.
Daily Life Of a Cutting & Slicing Machine Operator
- Mark cutting lines or identifying information on stock, using marking pencils, rulers, or scribes.
- Wash stones, using water hoses.
- Stack and sort cut material for packaging, further processing, or shipping, according to types and sizes of material.
- Turn cranks or press buttons to activate winches that move cars under sawing cables or saw frames.
- Cut stock manually to prepare for machine cutting, using tools such as knives, cleavers, handsaws, or hammers and chisels.
- Start machines to verify setups, and make any necessary adjustments.
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What Skills Do You Need to Work as a Cutting & Slicing Machine Operator?
These are the skills Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders say are the most useful in their careers:
Operation Monitoring: Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
Operation and Control: Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
Quality Control Analysis: Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Other Cutting & Slicing Machine Operator Job Titles
- Excelsior Cutter
- Beater Operator
- Rounding Machine Operator
- Bias Machine Operator
- Corner Cutter
Job Outlook for Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
In 2016, there was an estimated number of 63,600 jobs in the United States for Cutting and Slicing Machine Setter, Operator, or Tender. There is little to no growth in job opportunities for Cutting and Slicing Machine Setter, Operator, or Tender. The BLS estimates 6,800 yearly job openings in this field.

The states with the most job growth for Cutting & Slicing Machine Operator are Nevada, Utah, and Arizona. Watch out if you plan on working in Delaware, Maine, or Kansas. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.
What is the Average Salary of a Cutting & Slicing Machine Operator
The average yearly salary of a Cutting & Slicing Machine Operator ranges between $23,570 and $50,250.

Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders who work in Maine, Rhode Island, or Iowa, make the highest salaries.
Below is a list of the median annual salaries for Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders in different U.S. states.
State | Annual Mean Salary |
---|---|
Alabama | $34,030 |
Arizona | $33,930 |
Arkansas | $34,870 |
California | $35,820 |
Colorado | $37,260 |
Connecticut | $38,820 |
Delaware | $38,890 |
Florida | $33,610 |
Georgia | $34,530 |
Hawaii | $31,560 |
Idaho | $41,020 |
Illinois | $34,730 |
Indiana | $32,660 |
Iowa | $41,830 |
Kansas | $33,220 |
Kentucky | $39,360 |
Louisiana | $36,400 |
Maine | $45,850 |
Maryland | $39,740 |
Massachusetts | $37,810 |
Michigan | $35,730 |
Minnesota | $40,660 |
Mississippi | $29,450 |
Missouri | $37,860 |
Montana | $37,850 |
Nebraska | $36,410 |
Nevada | $34,590 |
New Hampshire | $37,550 |
New Jersey | $34,290 |
New Mexico | $30,390 |
New York | $35,890 |
North Carolina | $34,560 |
North Dakota | $35,590 |
Ohio | $35,530 |
Oklahoma | $31,570 |
Oregon | $38,100 |
Pennsylvania | $35,210 |
Rhode Island | $43,000 |
South Carolina | $35,210 |
South Dakota | $36,630 |
Tennessee | $34,890 |
Texas | $32,220 |
Utah | $31,600 |
Vermont | $37,630 |
Virginia | $37,250 |
Washington | $40,650 |
West Virginia | $32,880 |
Wisconsin | $38,590 |
Tools & Technologies Used by Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
Although they’re not necessarily needed for all jobs, the following technologies are used by many Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders:
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Word
- Microsoft Outlook
- Data entry software
Becoming a Cutting & Slicing Machine Operator
What education or degrees do I need to become a Cutting and Slicing Machine Setter, Operator, or Tender?

How many years of work experience do I need?

Where do Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders Work?

The table below shows some of the most common industries where those employed in this career field work.

Similar Careers
Those who work as a Cutting and Slicing Machine Setter, Operator, or Tender sometimes switch careers to one of these choices:
- Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
- Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
References:
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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