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What Does it Take to Be a Metal and Plastic Milling and Planing Machine Setter, Operator, or Tender?

Job Description & Duties Set up, operate, or tend milling or planing machines to mill, plane, shape, groove, or profile metal or plastic work pieces.

A Day in the Life of a Milling & Planing Machine Operator

Turn valves or pull levers to start and regulate the flow of coolant or lubricant to work areas.
Study blueprints, layouts, sketches, or work orders to assess workpiece specifications and to determine tooling instructions, tools and materials needed, and sequences of operations.
Observe milling or planing machine operation and adjust controls to ensure conformance with specified tolerances.
Verify alignment of workpieces on machines, using measuring instruments, such as rules, gauges, or calipers.
Remove workpieces from machines, and check to ensure that they conform to specifications, using measuring instruments such as microscopes, gauges, calipers, and micrometers.
Move cutters or material manually or by turning handwheels, or engage automatic feeding mechanisms to mill workpieces to specifications.

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Skills Needed to be a Milling & Planing Machine Operator

These are the skills Metal and Plastic Milling and Planing 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.

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

Operation and Control: Controlling operations of equipment or systems.

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.

Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.

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What Kind of Milling & Planing Machine Operator Job Opportunities Are There?

There were about 17,600 jobs for Metal and Plastic Milling and Planing Machine Setter, Operator, or Tender in 2016 (in the United States). There is little to no growth in job opportunities for Metal and Plastic Milling and Planing Machine Setter, Operator, or Tender. There will be an estimated 1,300 positions for Milling & Planing Machine Operator per year.

The states with the most job growth for Milling & Planing Machine Operator are Arkansas, Louisiana, and Maryland. Watch out if you plan on working in Vermont, Maine, or Ohio. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.

Milling & Planing Machine Operator Salary

The average yearly salary of a Milling & Planing Machine Operator ranges between $26,210 and $63,400.

Metal and Plastic Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders who work in Tennessee, Connecticut, or Massachusetts, make the highest salaries.

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

State	Annual Mean Salary
Alabama	$47,000
Arizona	$45,160
Arkansas	$44,440
California	$42,690
Colorado	$45,100
Connecticut	$55,780
Florida	$40,850
Georgia	$44,860
Idaho	$33,270
Illinois	$41,240
Indiana	$39,720
Iowa	$39,530
Kansas	$46,240
Kentucky	$42,290
Louisiana	$43,550
Maryland	$39,890
Massachusetts	$51,670
Michigan	$48,080
Minnesota	$42,130
Mississippi	$34,990
Missouri	$37,710
Nebraska	$40,090
New Hampshire	$36,120
New Jersey	$49,770
New York	$43,980
North Carolina	$36,650
Ohio	$45,710
Oklahoma	$34,060
Pennsylvania	$46,700
Rhode Island	$43,750
South Carolina	$31,370
Tennessee	$47,970
Texas	$40,230
Utah	$33,760
Vermont	$38,560
Virginia	$35,930
West Virginia	$40,710
Wisconsin	$43,060

What Tools do Metal and Plastic Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders Use?

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

Microsoft Excel
Microsoft Office
Autodesk AutoCAD
Extensible markup language XML
Siemens PLM Software Solid Edge
G code
Mastercam
M code
SmartCAMcnc SmartCAM
EditCNC
Vero Software Alphacam
Edgecam

How do I Become a Milling & Planing Machine Operator?

Individuals working as a Metal and Plastic Milling and Planing Machine Setter, Operator, or Tender have obtained the following education levels:

How many years of work experience do I need?

Where Metal and Plastic Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders Are Employed

Metal and Plastic Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders work in the following industries:

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References:

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

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