Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic

Set up, operate, or tend machines to saw, cut, shear, slit, punch, crimp, notch, bend, or straighten metal or plastic material.

What you'd actually do

• Examine completed workpieces for defects, such as chipped edges or marred surfaces and sort defective pieces according to types of flaws.
• Measure completed workpieces to verify conformance to specifications, using micrometers, gauges, calipers, templates, or rulers.
• Set stops on machine beds, change dies, and adjust components, such as rams or power presses, when making multiple or successive passes.
• Start machines, monitor their operations, and record operational data.
• Set up, operate, or tend machines to saw, cut, shear, slit, punch, crimp, notch, bend, or straighten metal or plastic material.
• Test and adjust machine speeds or actions, according to product specifications, using gauges and hand tools.

How you get there

Typical entry-level education: High school diploma. Overall preparation: some preparation (Job Zone 2 of 5).

The feel of the work

Much of the day is spent working solo; time pressure is a real part of the job. (Compared against the other 818 careers in the guide.)

Working for yourself

About 0% of cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic are self-employed.

Who it tends to fit

This work tends to fit people who are hands-on and organized and detail-focused.

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Quick questions

How much does a cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic make?

The median pay is $22.27 per hour — roughly $46,500 a year, with the real range running from about $17.19/hr (10th percentile) to $31.50/hr (90th percentile). Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Do you need a degree to be a cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic?

The typical entry-level education is: High school diploma. Overall preparation level: some preparation (Job Zone 2 of 5).

What does a cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic actually do all day?

Examine completed workpieces for defects, such as chipped edges or marred surfaces and sort defective pieces according to types of flaws. Measure completed workpieces to verify conformance to specifications, using micrometers, gauges, calipers, templates, or rulers. Set stops on machine beds, change dies, and adjust components, such as rams or power presses, when making multiple or successive passes.