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

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 you'd actually do

• Adjust machine controls and change tool settings to keep dimensions within specified tolerances.
• Move controls to set cutting speeds and depths and feed rates, and to position tools in relation to workpieces.
• Study blueprints, layouts or charts, and job orders for information on specifications and tooling instructions, and to determine material requirements and operational sequences.
• Inspect sample workpieces to verify conformance with specifications, using instruments such as gauges, micrometers, and dial indicators.
• Replace worn tools, and sharpen dull cutting tools and dies, using bench grinders or cutter-grinding machines.
• Move toolholders manually or by turning handwheels, or engage automatic feeding mechanisms to feed tools to and along workpieces.

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. (Compared against the other 818 careers in the guide.)

Working for yourself

About 0% of lathe and turning machine tool 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.

Related careers

• Tool and Die Makers
• Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers
• First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers
• Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers
• Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operators
• Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders

Quick questions

How much does a lathe and turning machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic make?

The median pay is $24.34 per hour — roughly $50,500 a year, with the real range running from about $17.63/hr (10th percentile) to $33.51/hr (90th percentile). Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Do you need a degree to be a lathe and turning machine tool 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 lathe and turning machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic actually do all day?

Adjust machine controls and change tool settings to keep dimensions within specified tolerances. Move controls to set cutting speeds and depths and feed rates, and to position tools in relation to workpieces. Study blueprints, layouts or charts, and job orders for information on specifications and tooling instructions, and to determine material requirements and operational sequences.