Find Trade Colleges

Study Area & Zipcode

Metal and Plastic Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setter, Operator, or Tender

Find Schools Near

Life As a Metal and Plastic Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setter, Operator, or Tender

Lathe & Turning Machine Tool Operator Job Description Set up, operate, or tend lathe and turning machines to turn, bore, thread, form, or face metal or plastic materials, such as wire, rod, or bar stock.

What Do Metal and Plastic Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders Do On a Daily Basis?

  • Install holding fixtures, cams, gears, and stops to control stock and tool movement, using hand tools, power tools, and measuring instruments.
  • Move toolholders manually or by turning handwheels, or engage automatic feeding mechanisms to feed tools to and along workpieces.
  • Replace worn tools, and sharpen dull cutting tools and dies, using bench grinders or cutter-grinding machines.
  • Move controls to set cutting speeds and depths and feed rates, and to position tools in relation to workpieces.
  • Position, secure, and align cutting tools in toolholders on machines, using hand tools, and verify their positions with measuring instruments.
  • Compute unspecified dimensions and machine settings, using knowledge of metal properties and shop mathematics.

Qualities of a Lathe & Turning Machine Tool Operator

When polled, Metal and Plastic Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders say the following skills are most frequently used in their jobs:

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.

Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.

Quality Control Analysis: Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.

Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.

Other Lathe & Turning Machine Tool Operator Job Titles

  • Rubber Turner
  • V-Groove Cutter
  • Balance Wheel Facer
  • Nut Tapper
  • Lap Cutter Truer Operator

What Kind of Lathe & Turning Machine Tool Operator Job Opportunities Are There?

In the United States, there were 33,700 jobs for Metal and Plastic Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setter, Operator, or Tender in 2016. There is little to no growth in job opportunities for Metal and Plastic Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setter, Operator, or Tender. The BLS estimates 2,900 yearly job openings in this field.

undefined

The states with the most job growth for Lathe & Turning Machine Tool Operator are Alabama, Utah, and Texas. Watch out if you plan on working in Delaware, West Virginia, or Maine. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.

Average Metal and Plastic Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders Salary

The salary for Metal and Plastic Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders ranges between about $26,000 and $59,960 a year.

undefined

Metal and Plastic Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders who work in Massachusetts, Oregon, or Arizona, make the highest salaries.

Below is a list of the median annual salaries for Metal and Plastic Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders in different U.S. states.

State Annual Mean Salary
Alabama $35,440
Arizona $47,100
Arkansas $36,310
California $40,280
Colorado $34,110
Connecticut $46,110
Florida $37,560
Georgia $36,310
Illinois $42,540
Indiana $41,180
Iowa $41,340
Kansas $39,560
Kentucky $43,950
Louisiana $43,650
Maine $33,760
Maryland $36,060
Massachusetts $50,760
Michigan $38,830
Minnesota $41,440
Mississippi $34,760
Missouri $42,720
Montana $31,790
Nebraska $39,500
Nevada $41,430
New Hampshire $38,980
New Jersey $44,030
New York $40,720
North Carolina $47,200
Ohio $40,190
Oklahoma $41,100
Oregon $54,150
Pennsylvania $41,390
Rhode Island $44,830
South Carolina $45,310
South Dakota $37,310
Tennessee $36,040
Texas $40,200
Utah $47,130
Vermont $38,570
Virginia $38,470
Washington $45,070
West Virginia $42,270
Wisconsin $41,710

Tools & Technologies Used by Metal and Plastic Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders

Although they’re not necessarily needed for all jobs, the following technologies are used by many Metal and Plastic Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders:

  • Inventory tracking software
  • G-code
  • M-code
  • Autodesk HSMWorks

How to Become a Lathe & Turning Machine Tool Operator

Are there Metal and Plastic Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders education requirements?

undefined

How Long Does it Take to Become a Lathe & Turning Machine Tool Operator?

undefined

Where Metal and Plastic Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders Work

undefined

The table below shows the approximate number of Metal and Plastic Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders employed by various industries.

undefined

Those thinking about becoming a Metal and Plastic Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setter, Operator, or Tender might also be interested in the following careers:

Those who work as a Metal and Plastic Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setter, Operator, or Tender sometimes switch careers to one of these choices:

References:

Image Credit: US Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class John Linzmeier via Public domain

More about our data sources and methodologies.

Featured Schools

Find Trade Schools Near You

Our free school finder matches students with accredited trade schools across the U.S.