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

	Median Wage (USD, 2024)	Projected Job Openings (2023-2033)	Projected Growth (2023-2033)
National Statistics	$45,590	15100	-11.2%
State Statistics	-	-	-
City Statistics	-	-	-

Statistics

National

State

City

State

City

$45,590

Median Wage (USD, 2023)

15100

Projected Job Openings (2023-2033)

-11.2%

Projected Growth (2023-2033)

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

Experience Requirements Overview

Job Zone Two: Some Preparation Needed
Some previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is usually needed. For example, a teller would benefit from experience working directly with the public.
These occupations usually require a high school diploma.
Employees in these occupations need anywhere from a few months to one year of working with experienced employees. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.

Education, Training and Experience

Required Level of Education: High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)

Related Work Experience: Over 2 years, up to and including 4 years

On-Site or In-Plant Training: N.A.

On-the-Job Training: Over 2 years, up to and including 4 years

Detailed Work Activities

Measure dimensions of completed products or workpieces to verify conformance to specifications.
Inspect metal, plastic, or composite products.
Sort materials or products for processing, storing, shipping, or grading.
Read work orders or other instructions to determine product specifications or materials requirements.
Review blueprints or other instructions to determine operational methods or sequences.
Load materials into production equipment.
Operate cutting equipment.
Monitor equipment operation to ensure that products are not flawed.
Operate cutting equipment.
Record operational or production data.
Inspect production equipment.
Operate cutting equipment.
Mount attachments or tools onto production equipment.
Clean production equipment.
Lubricate production equipment.
Mount materials or workpieces onto production equipment.
Align parts or workpieces to ensure proper assembly.
Draw guide lines or markings on materials or workpieces using patterns or other references.
Set equipment controls to meet cutting specifications.
Operate metal or plastic forming equipment.
Mount materials or workpieces onto production equipment.
Set equipment guides, stops, spacers, or other fixtures.
Adjust equipment controls to regulate coolant flow.
Set equipment guides, stops, spacers, or other fixtures.
Apply lubricants or coolants to workpieces.
Replace worn equipment components.
Mark products, workpieces, or equipment with identifying information.
Set equipment controls to meet cutting specifications.
Plan production or operational procedures or sequences.
Smooth metal surfaces or edges.
Operate grinding equipment.
Operate grinding equipment.
Sharpen cutting or grinding tools.
Disassemble equipment for maintenance or repair.
Remove accessories, tools, or other parts from equipment.
Sharpen cutting or grinding tools.
Select production equipment according to product specifications.
Clean production equipment.
Mount attachments or tools onto production equipment.
Heat material or workpieces to prepare for or complete production.
Clean work areas.
Operate forklifts or other loaders.
Weld metal components.
Braze metal parts or components.
Operate welding equipment.

Work Values

Independence

Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions. Corresponding needs are Creativity, Responsibility and Autonomy.

Achievement

Working Conditions

Recognition

Relationships

Support

Tasks

Measure completed workpieces to verify conformance to specifications, using micrometers, gauges, calipers, templates, or rulers.
Examine completed workpieces for defects, such as chipped edges or marred surfaces and sort defective pieces according to types of flaws.
Read work orders or production schedules to determine specifications, such as materials to be used, locations of cutting lines, or dimensions and tolerances.
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.
Load workpieces, plastic material, or chemical solutions into machines.
Turn controls to set cutting speeds, feed rates, or table angles for specified operations.
Clean work area.
Lubricate workpieces with oil.
Install, align, and lock specified punches, dies, cutting blades, or other fixtures in rams or beds of machines, using gauges, templates, feelers, shims, and hand tools.
Adjust ram strokes of presses to specified lengths, using hand tools.
Position, align, and secure workpieces against fixtures or stops on machine beds or on dies.
Set stops on machine beds, change dies, and adjust components, such as rams or power presses, when making multiple or successive passes.
Clean and lubricate machines.
Position guides, stops, holding blocks, or other fixtures to secure and direct workpieces, using hand tools and measuring devices.
Place workpieces on cutting tables, manually or using hoists, cranes, or sledges.
Replace defective blades or wheels, using hand tools.
Plan sequences of operations, applying knowledge of physical properties of workpiece materials.
Mark identifying data on workpieces.
Turn valves to start flow of coolant against cutting areas or to start airflow that blows cuttings away from kerfs.
Hone cutters with oilstones to remove nicks.
Remove housings, feed tubes, tool holders, or other accessories to replace worn or broken parts, such as springs or bushings.
Sharpen dulled blades, using bench grinders, abrasive wheels, or lathes.
Operate forklifts to deliver materials.
Select, clean, and install spacers, rubber sleeves, or cutters on arbors.
Scribe reference lines on workpieces as guides for cutting operations, according to blueprints, templates, sample parts, or specifications.
Grind out burrs or sharp edges, using portable grinders, speed lathes, or polishing jacks.
Set blade tensions, heights, and angles to perform prescribed cuts, using wrenches.
Use equipment designed to join sheet metal, such as spot welders.
Preheat workpieces, using heating furnaces or hand torches.

Work Styles

Achievement/Effort

Job requires establishing and maintaining personally challenging achievement goals and exerting effort toward mastering tasks.

Persistence

Initiative

Leadership

Cooperation

Concern for Others

Social Orientation

Self-Control

Stress Tolerance

Adaptability/Flexibility

Dependability

Attention to Detail

Integrity

Independence

Innovation

Analytical Thinking

Data Source: This page includes information from the O*NET 30.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. This page includes Employment Projections program, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

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