Career
Multiple machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic
Run several machine tools at once.
Here's what you actually need to know.
The work
What people in this job do
- Inspect workpieces for defects, and measure workpieces to determine accuracy of machine operation, using rules, templates, or other measuring instruments.
- Position, adjust, and secure stock material or workpieces against stops, on arbors, or in chucks, fixtures, or automatic feeding mechanisms, manually or using hoists.
- Read blueprints or job orders to determine product specifications and tooling instructions and to plan operational sequences.
- Select, install, and adjust alignment of drills, cutters, dies, guides, and holding devices, using templates, measuring instruments, and hand tools.
- Observe machine operation to detect workpiece defects or machine malfunctions, adjusting machines as necessary.
The outlook
How the forecast changed this year
The deeper question
What kind of person does this path ask you to become?
What this work centers on
O*NET interest profile, scored 1–7.
The work
Do you want most of your days spent on objects & tools, then information & systems?
Responsibility
Are you willing to be the one responsible for this?
“Inspect workpieces for defects, and measure workpieces to determine accuracy of machine operation, using rules, templates, or other measuring instruments.”
Development
What would you need to build over the next 5–10 years?
Operations Monitoring, Quality Control Analysis, Monitoring, Operation and Control.
Trade-offs
What does it ask of you in exchange?
No degree beyond high school, though moderate-term on-the-job training is typical, for a median of $47,180 a year and 11,600 openings nationally each year.
Paths in
Degrees that lead here
- Machine Tool Technology/MachinistCIP 48.0501
- Machine Shop Technology/AssistantCIP 48.0503
Paths across
Careers that use similar skills
- Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$50,620 · -11.3%
- Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$52,800 · -13.2%
- Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$46,550 · -10.8%
- Tool Grinders, Filers, and Sharpeners$50,060 · -6.8%
- Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing$43,380 · -2.5%
Ask anything about this career.
“Would this make sense if I don't want to sit at a desk all day?” Answers will come from the sources on this page, with citations. Coming soon.
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Sources
- BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- BLS Employment Projections, 2024–34 (archived), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- O*NET 31.0 Database (August 2026), National Center for O*NET Development / U.S. Department of Labor. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 Crosswalk, NCES and BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-01.