Career profile · 51-4031
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 the work can involve
- 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.
Selected core tasks from O*NET 31.0. Responsibilities vary by employer, specialization and experience.
Preparation and entry routes
This broad O*NET group commonly involves some prior preparation and on-the-job learning. Check the specific employer, occupational credential and state requirements.
Check the route for the specific occupation where you plan to work. Education, employer experience requirements, occupational licensing and industry certification can be separate steps.
Understand the different credentials →Skills used in this occupation
- Active Listening
- Critical Thinking
- Monitoring
- Speaking
- Active Learning
Selected from the highest importance ratings available in O*NET 31.0. These describe the occupation, not a particular school's curriculum.
Knowledge to build
- Production and Processing
- Mechanical
- English Language
- Mathematics
- Engineering and Technology
Selected from the highest importance ratings available in O*NET 31.0. These describe the occupation, not a particular school's curriculum.
Common work activities
- Handling and Moving Objects
- Making Decisions and Solving Problems
- Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events
- Controlling Machines and Processes
- Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials
Selected from the highest importance ratings available in O*NET 31.0. These describe the occupation, not a particular school's curriculum.
Training subjects to investigate
The federal education-to-occupation crosswalk connects this role to the subjects below. These links do not endorse a school or guarantee that any particular award qualifies a graduate for the job.
Working conditions to consider
These are the most common published responses to selected O*NET work-setting questions. They describe occupation-level survey findings, not every employer or a particular job.
| Work-setting question | Most common response | Share giving that response |
|---|---|---|
| Contact With Others | Contact with others most of the time | 41.3%08/2025 · sample 17 |
| Exposed to Disease or Infections | Never | 78.3%08/2025 · sample 17 |
| Exposed to Hazardous Conditions | Every day | 39.4%08/2025 · sample 17 |
| Time Pressure | Once a week or more but not every day | 42.0%08/2025 · sample 17 |
| Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets | Every day | 96.6%08/2025 · sample 17 |
| Work Schedules | Regular (established routine, set schedule) | 77.0%08/2025 · sample 17 |
O*NET 31.0 Work Context, selected topics. Only unsuppressed source responses with sample size at least 10 are shown. A most-common response need not be a majority. Sampling uncertainty applies; source dates vary. Ask employers about actual schedules, accessibility, protective equipment and working conditions.
Software used in the workplace
Use these O*NET examples to ask how a course builds practical digital skills. They are workplace examples, not a required shopping list or confirmation of a school’s curriculum.
- Computer aided design CAD software: Autodesk AutoCAD
- Computer aided manufacturing CAM software: Striker Systems SS-Punch
- Data base user interface and query software: Operational databases
- Electronic mail software: Microsoft Outlook
- Enterprise resource planning ERP software: SAP software
- Industrial control software: Computerized numerical control CNC software
- Inventory management software: Automated inventory software
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel
- Word processing software: Microsoft Word
Selected categories and examples from O*NET 31.0 Software Skills. Products and employer requirements change. These examples are not endorsements; check the complete official occupation profile.
Pay & employment outlook
Salary estimates for cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic
The median divides workers into two equally sized groups by pay. It is not a starting salary, a school’s graduate outcome or a promise of employment. Lower percentiles are not automatically new graduates.
National outlook: 2025–2035
- Typical education for entry
- High school diploma or equivalent
- Related work experience
- None
- Typical on-the-job training
- Moderate-term on-the-job training
BLS national employment projections, 2025–2035. Openings include people leaving occupations or the labor force; these are not advertised vacancies. Education categories describe typical entry, not legal eligibility or a guarantee that any specific program is sufficient.
Compare wages across 49 state/DC estimates
| State | Annual median | Hourly median | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $43,830 | $21.07 | 6,000 |
| Alaska | $49,010 | $23.56 | 80 |
| Arizona | $46,610 | $22.41 | 1,100 |
| Arkansas | $45,580 | $21.91 | 3,020 |
| California | $48,450 | $23.29 | 7,710 |
| Colorado | $50,790 | $24.42 | 1,400 |
| Connecticut | $46,280 | $22.25 | 2,030 |
| Delaware | $41,640 | $20.02 | 240 |
| Florida | $39,440 | $18.96 | 2,740 |
| Georgia | $45,080 | $21.67 | 5,260 |
| Idaho | $39,580 | $19.03 | 720 |
| Illinois | $48,990 | $23.55 | 8,060 |
| Indiana | $46,980 | $22.59 | 9,680 |
| Iowa | $48,240 | $23.19 | 2,030 |
| Kansas | $46,840 | $22.52 | 1,900 |
| Kentucky | $45,760 | $22.00 | 7,290 |
| Louisiana | $40,870 | $19.65 | 760 |
| Maine | $51,820 | $24.92 | 180 |
| Maryland | $47,320 | $22.75 | 270 |
| Massachusetts | $45,760 | $22.00 | 2,590 |
| Michigan | $46,120 | $22.17 | 22,060 |
| Minnesota | $49,770 | $23.93 | 6,130 |
| Mississippi | $40,650 | $19.55 | 1,700 |
| Missouri | $48,310 | $23.23 | 3,240 |
| Montana | $48,490 | $23.31 | 130 |
| Nebraska | $48,690 | $23.41 | 1,320 |
| Nevada | $47,690 | $22.93 | 580 |
| New Hampshire | $48,110 | $23.13 | 600 |
| New Jersey | $45,680 | $21.96 | 1,950 |
| New Mexico | $39,430 | $18.96 | 220 |
| New York | $46,930 | $22.56 | 3,340 |
| North Carolina | $43,400 | $20.86 | 3,940 |
| North Dakota | $48,400 | $23.27 | 230 |
| Ohio | $45,230 | $21.75 | 13,350 |
| Oklahoma | $40,930 | $19.68 | 2,480 |
| Oregon | $53,680 | $25.81 | 1,180 |
| Pennsylvania | $47,860 | $23.01 | 8,890 |
| Rhode Island | $48,170 | $23.16 | 470 |
| South Carolina | $44,420 | $21.35 | 4,100 |
| South Dakota | $46,060 | $22.15 | 490 |
| Tennessee | $44,780 | $21.53 | 5,380 |
| Texas | $42,720 | $20.54 | 13,290 |
| Utah | $46,670 | $22.44 | 1,050 |
| Vermont | $43,560 | $20.94 | 70 |
| Virginia | $47,300 | $22.74 | 1,790 |
| Washington | $51,160 | $24.60 | 1,750 |
| West Virginia | $43,070 | $20.71 | 290 |
| Wisconsin | $49,270 | $23.69 | 7,960 |
| Wyoming | $46,890 | $22.54 | 60 |
Metropolitan and nonmetropolitan wages
Search the 384 published local-area estimates for this occupation. Metropolitan areas can cross state lines; a city’s postal name is not necessarily the statistical area’s name.
Sources: BLS May 2025 OEWS public downloads and 2025–2035 employment projections, retrieved September 9, 2026. Unpublished estimates stay unavailable. “+” means BLS’s upper reporting threshold ($239,200 annually or $115 hourly). Wages exclude self-employment and nonwage benefits. How to interpret these figures.
Compare the route and prepare for work
Questions to test the fit
- What does an entry-level working day look like, and how does it differ from the experienced role described here?
- Which tasks, work environments and schedules would I enjoy or find difficult?
- What education, supervised practice and credentials do local employers actually request?
- Can I speak with someone in the occupation or arrange a suitable workplace visit?
- How does the complete training cost compare with my realistic budget and available routes?
Related occupations to compare
- Drilling and Boring Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic→
- Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic→
- Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic→
- Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic→
- Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic→
- Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic→
- Layout Workers, Metal and Plastic→
- Machinists→
Related through shared training-subject mappings. Entry requirements can differ substantially.
Sources and attribution
This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under CC BY 4.0. Trade School Guides selects and organizes the material and adds explanatory guidance. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed or tested these modifications. Occupation code: 51-4031.00.
Training connections: CIP 2020–SOC 2018 crosswalk. Snapshot: September 8, 2026. See the methodology.