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Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic: Career Overview
Set up, operate, or tend milling or planing machines to mill, plane, shape, groove, or profile metal or plastic work pieces.
What Do Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic Take On?
The day-to-day responsibilities of milling and planing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic span:
- Remove workpieces from machines, and check to ensure that they conform to specifications, using measuring instruments such as microscopes, gauges, calipers, and micrometers.
- Verify alignment of workpieces on machines, using measuring instruments such as rules, gauges, or calipers.
- Move controls to set cutting specifications, to position cutting tools and workpieces in relation to each other, and to start machines.
- Observe milling or planing machine operation, and adjust controls to ensure conformance with specified tolerances.
- Select and install cutting tools and other accessories according to specifications, using hand tools or power tools.
- Position and secure workpieces on machines, using holding devices, measuring instruments, hand tools, and hoists.
- Replace worn tools, using hand tools, and sharpen dull tools, using bench grinders.
- Study blueprints, layouts, sketches, or work orders to assess workpiece specifications and to determine tooling instructions, tools and materials needed, and sequences of operations.
Skills and Knowledge
Effective milling and planing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic draw on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Top Skills
The abilities most central to this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Knowledge Areas
Related Job Titles
People in this occupation may also be known by titles such as:
- Barrel Rib Matting Machine Operator
- Barrel Rifler
- Boring Mill Operator
- Broacher
- Broaching Machine Operator
- Broaching Machine Set Up Operator
- CNC Licensed Mill Operator (Computer Numerical Control Licensed Mill Operator)
- CNC Mill Operator (Computer Numerical Control Mill Operator)
Employment and Demand
There are about 828,977 milling and planing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic working in the United States today. Employment is projected to grow by +6.6% over the projection horizon.
How Much Do Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic Make?
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $32,312 |
| Hourly median | $15.53 |
| 10th percentile | $20,000 |
| 25th percentile | $25,069 |
| 75th percentile | $39,555 |
| 90th percentile | $46,798 |
Wages vary widely based on experience, location, and industry.
How Much Do Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic Make in Different U.S. States?
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| Washington | $83,240 |
| North Dakota | $64,150 |
| Illinois | $64,060 |
| Kansas | $62,570 |
| Maine | $62,290 |
| Connecticut | $61,140 |
| Kentucky | $60,270 |
| Arizona | $60,210 |
| Maryland | $58,540 |
| Nebraska | $57,980 |
| Massachusetts | $57,890 |
| Iowa | $57,300 |
| New York | $55,240 |
| California | $54,960 |
| Nevada | $54,660 |
| Indiana | $54,070 |
| Wisconsin | $53,530 |
| Colorado | $53,030 |
| North Carolina | $51,130 |
| Alabama | $50,640 |
| New Hampshire | $49,190 |
| Pennsylvania | $49,030 |
| Minnesota | $48,790 |
| Ohio | $47,770 |
| New Jersey | $47,170 |
| Virginia | $46,380 |
| Michigan | $46,280 |
| West Virginia | $45,880 |
| Florida | $45,410 |
| Utah | $45,000 |
| Tennessee | $43,930 |
| Oklahoma | $41,600 |
| Texas | $41,140 |
| South Carolina | $39,680 |
| Missouri | $38,330 |
| Mississippi | $37,890 |
| Arkansas | $37,600 |
| Georgia | $37,160 |
Top-Paying U.S. Regions
Pay for milling and planing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic differ across the country. These regions lead on median pay:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| New England | $57,186 | 3.4% | 0.89 |
| Far Western US | $57,061 | 16.2% | 1.10 |
| Middle Atlantic | $52,127 | 9.0% | 0.64 |
| Great Lakes | $51,043 | 31.3% | 2.55 |
| Plains States | $48,438 | 7.8% | 1.60 |
| Rocky Mountains | $47,470 | 1.0% | 0.47 |
| Southeast | $46,376 | 23.8% | 2.55 |
| Southwest | $43,727 | 7.5% | 0.65 |
Top Metro Areas
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | WA | $99,840 | 70 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | AZ | $65,400 | 70 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | IL | $64,310 | 440 |
| Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN | KY | $63,190 | 120 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | MA | $61,580 | 210 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | CA | $60,980 | 320 |
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | MD | $60,210 | 40 |
| Youngstown-Warren, OH | OH | $59,060 | 30 |
Industry Breakdown
The largest employers of milling and planing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic work in these industries:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 11,730 | $48,940 |
| Wholesale Trade | 650 | $47,080 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 600 | $34,470 |
| Construction | 420 | $47,000 |
| Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction | 190 | $59,110 |
Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic work in the following industries:
Software Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic Use
- Computer aided design CAD software: Autodesk AutoCAD (hot technology)
- Enterprise application integration software: Extensible markup language XML (hot technology)
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Presentation software: Microsoft PowerPoint (hot technology)
- Word processing software: Microsoft Word (hot technology)
The Day-to-Day Environment
The on-the-job environment of milling and planing 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
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
- Spend Time Standing
- Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls
- Exposed to Sounds, Noise Levels that are Distracting or Uncomfortable
How to Become Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
Typical milling and planing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic positions require a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education. This occupation sits in Some Preparation Needed (Job Zone 2), signaling the level of preparation typically expected.
Related Careers
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 (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-Long)
- Drilling and Boring Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic (Primary-Long)
- 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 (Primary-Short)
Where to Study
Students preparing for milling and planing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic often complete programs in:
Precision Production
1 programs across 1 majors
About the Data
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: 51-4035.00 (Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic).
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