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Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic: Career Profile
Set up, operate, or tend forging machines to taper, shape, or form metal or plastic parts.
What Tasks Do Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic Perform?
The core tasks performed by forging machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic include:
- Read work orders or blueprints to determine specified tolerances and sequences of operations for machine setup.
- Position and move metal wires or workpieces through a series of dies that compress and shape stock to form die impressions.
- Measure and inspect machined parts to ensure conformance to product specifications.
- Set up, operate, or tend presses and forging machines to perform hot or cold forging by flattening, straightening, bending, cutting, piercing, or other operations to taper, shape, or form metal.
- Turn handles or knobs to set pressures and depths of ram strokes and to synchronize machine operations.
- Install, adjust, and remove dies, synchronizing cams, forging hammers, and stop guides, using overhead cranes or other hoisting devices, and hand tools.
- Start machines to produce sample workpieces, and observe operations to detect machine malfunctions and to verify that machine setups conform to specifications.
- Confer with other workers about machine setups and operational specifications.
What Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic Need to Know
Successful forging machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic rely on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Top Skills
These are the skills that matter most in this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Knowledge Areas
Types of Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic Jobs
Common job titles for this role include:
- Air Table Operator
- Anvil Seating Press Operator
- Automatic Casting-Forging Machine Operator
- Blacksmith
- Board Hammer Operator
- Bolt Machine Operator
- Buckshot Swage Operator
- Bulldozer Operator
Job Outlook
There are about 512,972 forging machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic working in the United States today. This occupation is expected to decline by -4.1% over the projection horizon.
How Much Do Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic Make?
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $33,957 |
| Hourly median | $16.33 |
| 10th percentile | $21,677 |
| 25th percentile | $27,817 |
| 75th percentile | $40,097 |
| 90th percentile | $46,238 |
Wages vary widely based on experience, location, and industry.
How Much Do Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic Make in Different U.S. States?
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| New Jersey | $63,630 |
| Massachusetts | $60,540 |
| Kentucky | $59,700 |
| Nebraska | $58,560 |
| California | $57,620 |
| Oklahoma | $56,030 |
| Colorado | $55,990 |
| New York | $53,140 |
| Virginia | $53,050 |
| Oregon | $52,040 |
| Wisconsin | $51,760 |
| Arkansas | $51,520 |
| Michigan | $50,950 |
| Kansas | $50,900 |
| Ohio | $50,200 |
| Nevada | $49,920 |
| Pennsylvania | $49,590 |
| South Carolina | $48,320 |
| Missouri | $48,010 |
| Illinois | $47,540 |
| Alabama | $46,640 |
| Indiana | $46,460 |
| South Dakota | $45,430 |
| Iowa | $45,420 |
| Connecticut | $44,000 |
| Georgia | $42,120 |
| Maine | $41,530 |
| Florida | $39,210 |
| Mississippi | $36,940 |
| Texas | $36,910 |
| Tennessee | $36,000 |
Pay by U.S. Region
Compensation for forging machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic vary by region. The following regions pay the most:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Far Western US | $57,027 | 6.7% | 0.46 |
| Rocky Mountains | $55,990 | 2.2% | 1.02 |
| Plains States | $52,960 | 6.0% | 2.11 |
| New England | $52,797 | 6.1% | 1.71 |
| Middle Atlantic | $51,938 | 10.1% | 1.16 |
| Great Lakes | $49,644 | 27.7% | 2.19 |
| Southeast | $48,366 | 33.4% | 3.95 |
| Southwest | $36,910 | 7.9% | 0.78 |
Where the Jobs Cluster
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Worcester, MA | MA | $86,590 | 60 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | CA | $65,690 | 40 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | MA | $65,530 | 60 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | PA | $62,590 | 190 |
| Youngstown-Warren, OH | OH | $58,100 | 80 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | CA | $57,150 | 300 |
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | MI | $56,690 | 330 |
| Canton-Massillon, OH | OH | $53,680 | 40 |
Which Industries Hire Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
The largest employers of forging machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic are found across these industries:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 8,120 | $49,240 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 170 | $40,230 |
| Wholesale Trade | 60 | $48,400 |
Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic work in the following industries:
Software Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic Use
- Electronic mail software: Email software
- Inventory management software: Inventory tracking software
- Industrial control software: Machine control software
What the Workplace Is Like
The work environment for forging machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic tends to involve the following characteristics:
- Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets
- Exposed to Hazardous Equipment
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
- Time Pressure
- Spend Time Standing
Getting Started in This Career
Entry-level forging machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic positions require a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education. This career aligns with Some Preparation Needed (Job Zone 2), indicating the level of preparation typically expected.
Other Careers to Consider
Similar Occupations
- Industrial Machinery Mechanics (Supplemental)
- Maintenance Workers, Machinery (Supplemental)
- Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic (Supplemental)
- Rolling Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic (Primary-Long)
- Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic (Primary-Short)
- Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic (Primary-Long)
- Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic (Primary-Short)
- Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic (Primary-Long)
Where to Study
Students preparing for forging machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic typically earn programs in:
Precision Production
1 programs across 1 majors
References
This profile draws on 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: 51-4022.00 (Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic).
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