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

Career Overview

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

Also Known As

Machine Operator
Press Operator
Saw Operator
Setup Operator

Alternate Job Titles

Adjuster
Angle Shear Operator
Angle Shear Setup Operator
Arbor Press Operator
Automatic Punch Press Operator
Automatic Screwmaker
Automobile Bumper Straightener
Bander Operator
Banding Machine Operator
Bench Shear Operator
Bender Machine Operator
Bending Machine Setup Operator
Bending Roll Operator
Beveler
Billet Cutter

What You'll Do

In this role, your typical responsibilities include:

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.

Key Abilities

This career requires key abilities in:

Arm-Hand Steadiness
Control Precision
Near Vision
Information Ordering
Reaction Time
Manual Dexterity
Selective Attention
Static Strength
Trunk Strength
Visualization

Work Style

People who excel in this career typically demonstrate:

Attention to Detail
Dependability
Cautiousness
Stress Tolerance
Self-Control

What Matters in This Career

This career tends to satisfy these work values:

Relationships
Support
Achievement
Independence
Working Conditions

Education & Preparation

Typical Education: High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)

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

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

Education Details: Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.

Experience Required: Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience. For example, landscaping and groundskeeping workers might require very little training or previous experience, while agricultural equipment operators can benefit from on-the job training.

Technology You'll Use

Popular Technologies & Software

Autodesk AutoCAD
Microsoft Excel
Microsoft Office software
Microsoft Outlook
Microsoft Word
SAP software

Tools & Equipment

Abrasive wheels
Adjustable hand wrenches
Allen wrenches
Anvils
Bench grinders
Bench lathes
Blanking presses
C clamps
Claw hammers
Cleaning scrapers
Combination squares
Computer terminals
Computerized numerical control CNC turret punching machines
Core cutters
Crimping machines

Work Environment

Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets
Exposed to Contaminants
Pace Determined by Speed of Equipment
Exposed to Sounds, Noise Levels that are Distracting or Uncomfortable
Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls

Salary & Job Market

Salary Percentile	Annual Wage
Entry-Level (10th percentile)	$35,000
Median	$45,590
Top Earners (90th percentile)	$62,650

Workers Employed Nationally: 174,430