Find Trade Colleges

Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic in Kentucky

Thinking about a career as a Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic in Kentucky? Below are the key facts. Set up, operate, or tend forging machines to taper, shape, or form metal or plastic parts.

$59,700 Median Annual Wage (Kentucky)

$33,957 National Median Annual Wage

860 Kentucky Employment

Some Preparation Needed Typical Preparation

What do Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic Make in Kentucky?

For forging machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic working in Kentucky, the typical annual salary is $59,700 per year (or roughly $28.70/hour).Earnings range from $40,230 at the 10th percentile to $70,020 at the 90th percentile.

Wage Statistic	Annual	Hourly
10th percentile	$40,230	$19.34
25th percentile	$50,980	$24.51
Median (50th)	$59,700	$28.70
75th percentile	$70,020	$33.66
90th percentile	$70,020	$33.66

Salary ranges for Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic in Kentucky

Location quotient — how concentrated this career is in Kentucky compared to the national average — is 7.62, suggesting that forging machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic are more concentrated here than the national average.

National Wage Comparison

Nationally, forging machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic earn a median of $33,957 per year ($16.33/hour), above the Kentucky median.

Employment Outlook

There are roughly 512,972 forging machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic across the United States. In Kentucky alone, around 860 people work in this role. That puts the state above the typical state, which employs around 210 forging machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic.

Forecasted number of jobs for Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic

Top Kentucky Metros for Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic

The largest metro-area employers of forging machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic in Kentucky.

Metro Area	Number Employed	Annual Median Salary
Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN	50	$52,370

Top States for Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic Employment

The table below shows the states where the most forging machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic work.

State	Number Employed
Kentucky	860
Michigan	780
Ohio	680
Tennessee	660
Texas	610
Pennsylvania	530
California	480
Illinois	320
Virginia	310
Indiana	280
Massachusetts	250
Connecticut	220
Georgia	210
Nebraska	190
Arkansas	180
Colorado	170
New York	160
Florida	150
South Carolina	130
Kansas	130

Highest-Paying States for Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic

The highest-paying states for forging machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic.

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

Skills

The most important forging machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic skills, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Operations Monitoring 3.2 / 5

Monitoring 3.1 / 5

Reading Comprehension 3.1 / 5

Operation and Control 3.1 / 5

Active Listening 3.1 / 5

Time Management 3.0 / 5

Knowledge Areas

Important knowledge areas for this occupation, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Production and Processing 4.2 / 5

Mathematics 3.6 / 5

Education and Training 3.6 / 5

Mechanical 3.5 / 5

Engineering and Technology 3.2 / 5

Design 3.0 / 5

Abilities

Key abilities for forging machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Near Vision 3.5 / 5

Oral Comprehension 3.4 / 5

Written Comprehension 3.2 / 5

Problem Sensitivity 3.2 / 5

Information Ordering 3.2 / 5

Control Precision 3.2 / 5

Daily Tasks

Day-to-day, forging machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic typically:

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.
Trim and compress finished forgings to specified tolerances.
Remove dies from machines when production runs are finished.
Repair, maintain, and replace parts on dies.
Select, align, and bolt positioning fixtures, stops, and specified dies to rams and anvils, forging rolls, or presses and hammers.

Work Activities

Controlling Machines and Processes
Getting Information
Handling and Moving Objects
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events
Performing General Physical Activities
Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings
Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials
Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment
Making Decisions and Solving Problems
Thinking Creatively
Judging the Qualities of Objects, Services, or People

Tools & Technology

Common tools and software used in this occupation include:

Email software (electronic mail software)
Inventory tracking software (inventory management software)
Machine control software (industrial control software)

What Major Will Prepare You For This Career?

Several college majors map to this occupation:

Precision Metal Working

Related occupations to forging machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic include:

Also Known As

Air Table Operator, Anvil Seating Press Operator, Automatic Casting-Forging Machine Operator, Blacksmith, Board Hammer Operator, Bolt Machine Operator, Buckshot Swage Operator, Bulldozer Operator, Bulldozer Press Operator, Cage Maker, Charging Manipulator, Cold Header Operator, Die Forger, Die Holder, Die Machine Operator.

References

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — https://www.bls.gov/oes/
O*NET Online — https://www.onetonline.org/
BLS Employment Projections — https://www.bls.gov/emp/
O*NET-SOC code: 51-4022.00

TradeCollege.org provides higher-education, college and university, degree, program, career, salary, and other helpful information to students, faculty, institutions, and other internet audiences. Presented information and data are subject to change. Inclusion on this website does not imply or represent a direct relationship with the company, school, or brand. Information, though believed correct at time of publication, may not be correct, and no warranty is provided. Contact the schools to verify any information before relying on it. Financial aid may be available for those who qualify. TradeCollege.org is a for-profit site, and the displayed options may include sponsored or recommended results, not necessarily based on your preferences.