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Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic: Career Profile
Set up, operate, or tend machines to saw, cut, shear, slit, punch, crimp, notch, bend, or straighten metal or plastic material.
What Do Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic Take On?
Typical responsibilities of cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic include:
- 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.
Key Skills and Knowledge
Effective cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic draw on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Key Skills
The competencies most important for this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Knowledge Areas
Types of Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic Jobs
This career also goes by job titles like:
- Adjuster
- Angle Shear Operator
- Angle Shear Setup Operator
- Arbor Press Operator
- Automatic Punch Press Operator
- Automatic Screwmaker
- Automobile Bumper Straightener
- Bander Operator
Employment and Demand
There are roughly 285,971 cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic working in the United States today. Employment is projected to grow by +9.9% over the projection horizon.
How Much Do Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic Make?
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $31,166 |
| Hourly median | $14.98 |
| 10th percentile | $20,883 |
| 25th percentile | $26,024 |
| 75th percentile | $36,308 |
| 90th percentile | $41,449 |
Pay can vary substantially based on experience, location, and industry.
How Much Do Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic Make in Different U.S. States?
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| West Virginia | $53,460 |
| Oregon | $51,810 |
| Minnesota | $50,960 |
| Maine | $50,180 |
| Washington | $49,590 |
| Wisconsin | $48,730 |
| Colorado | $48,680 |
| Montana | $48,290 |
| Maryland | $48,210 |
| Kentucky | $48,170 |
| Iowa | $47,850 |
| Nebraska | $47,680 |
| Alaska | $47,600 |
| New Hampshire | $47,580 |
| Pennsylvania | $47,510 |
| Missouri | $47,310 |
| New Jersey | $47,170 |
| California | $47,100 |
| Connecticut | $46,680 |
| Arizona | $46,490 |
| Michigan | $46,470 |
| North Dakota | $46,050 |
| Virginia | $45,850 |
| Massachusetts | $45,780 |
| Illinois | $45,700 |
| Nevada | $45,430 |
| Indiana | $45,400 |
| New York | $45,130 |
| Arkansas | $45,020 |
| Utah | $44,940 |
| Rhode Island | $44,780 |
| Oklahoma | $44,140 |
| Wyoming | $44,090 |
| Tennessee | $44,080 |
| South Dakota | $44,050 |
| Ohio | $43,920 |
| Vermont | $43,630 |
| Georgia | $43,630 |
| Louisiana | $43,580 |
| Kansas | $42,680 |
| South Carolina | $42,390 |
| North Carolina | $42,330 |
| Texas | $41,620 |
| New Mexico | $39,630 |
| Mississippi | $39,570 |
| Alabama | $39,460 |
| Delaware | $39,170 |
| Idaho | $38,860 |
| Florida | $37,660 |
| Puerto Rico | $23,470 |
Where Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic Earn the Most
Pay for cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic vary by region. These regions lead on median pay:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plains States | $48,138 | 8.7% | 1.33 |
| Far Western US | $47,898 | 6.3% | 0.39 |
| Middle Atlantic | $46,717 | 8.1% | 0.82 |
| New England | $46,270 | 3.9% | 0.86 |
| Great Lakes | $45,923 | 37.5% | 3.08 |
| Rocky Mountains | $45,748 | 2.1% | 0.55 |
| Southeast | $43,344 | 24.2% | 1.62 |
| Southwest | $42,315 | 9.1% | 0.80 |
Top Metro Areas
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flint, MI | MI | $74,080 | 450 |
| Fayetteville, NC | NC | $67,180 | 80 |
| Lewiston-Auburn, ME | ME | $62,760 | 60 |
| Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN | KY | $61,930 | 2,950 |
| Rome, GA | GA | $61,670 | 240 |
| Oshkosh-Neenah, WI | WI | $60,340 | 570 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | CA | $58,590 | 450 |
| Scranton–Wilkes-Barre, PA | PA | $58,450 | 780 |
Industry Breakdown
The largest employers of cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic are found across these industries:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 154,400 | $45,810 |
| Wholesale Trade | 11,340 | $46,420 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 6,590 | $36,060 |
| Construction | 800 | $47,520 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 330 | $46,410 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | 320 | $39,200 |
| Transportation and Warehousing | 190 | $42,730 |
| Information | 190 | $41,170 |
Below are examples of industries where cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic work:
Tech Stack
- Computer aided design CAD software: Autodesk AutoCAD (hot technology)
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Electronic mail software: Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
- Word processing software: Microsoft Word (hot technology)
- Enterprise resource planning ERP software: SAP software (hot technology)
What the Workplace Is Like
Daily working conditions for cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic reflects the following characteristics:
- Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets
- Exposed to Contaminants
- Pace Determined by Speed of Equipment
- Exposed to Sounds, Noise Levels that are Distracting or Uncomfortable
- Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls
Getting Started in This Career
Entry-level cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic positions require a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education. The role falls in Some Preparation Needed (Job Zone 2), reflecting the level of preparation typically expected.
Other Careers to Consider
Similar Occupations
- Industrial Machinery Mechanics (Supplemental)
- Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic (Supplemental)
- Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic (Primary-Long)
- Rolling Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic (Primary-Short)
- Drilling and Boring Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic (Supplemental)
- Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic (Primary-Short)
- Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic (Supplemental)
- Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic (Primary-Short)
Degree Programs
Aspiring cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic commonly pursue programs in:
Precision Production
2 programs across 1 majors
References
Statistics shown above are sourced from the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 51-4031.00 (Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic).
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