Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic

Set up, operate, or tend more than one type of cutting or forming machine tool or robot.

From people doing the work

Day-to-day, it's a mix of setting up machines, monitoring their operation, and making adjustments to ensure parts meet specifications. There's a constant need for precision and attention to detail, as even small errors can lead to wasted material. Troubleshooting is a big part of the job, figuring out why a machine isn't performing as expected. It can be physically demanding, but there's a satisfaction in seeing raw materials transformed into finished products.

Drawn from Modern Machine Shop, Practical Machinist Forum, r/Machinists

Attribution: Composite

Composite · Synthesised from Modern Machine Shop, Practical Machinist Forum, r/Machinists

A day in the life of Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic

People interaction
Extensive
Team vs solo
75% Team / 25% Solo
Client facing
Never
Impact visibility
High
Travel
Minimal
Schedule flexibility
Rigid
Remote work
On-site Only
Typical work hours
40-50
Stress level
Moderate

Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic salary, education and outlook at a glance

Median salary
$46,060
Entry-level
$35,000
Senior
$64,000
Growth by 2033
-0.5%
Demand
Stable
Freelance potential
Low
Salary growth potential
83%
Typical student debt
Moderate

Skills you need as Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic

Hard skills

  • Production and Processing
  • Operations Monitoring
  • Computer aided design CAD software

Soft skills

  • Judgment and Decision Making
  • Social Perceptiveness
  • Monitoring

Technical complexity: Low

Tools of the trade

Core tools

  • CNC Machine (Hardware): Used for automated precision cutting, shaping, and drilling of metal and plastic parts.
  • Lathe Machine (Hardware): Used for shaping metal or plastic by rotating the workpiece against a cutting tool.
  • Milling Machine (Hardware): Used for shaping solid materials by rotating a multi-point cutting tool against the workpiece.
  • Safety Goggles (Hardware): Essential personal protective equipment to shield eyes from debris and chemicals.

Commonly used

  • CAD Software (e.g., AutoCAD, SolidWorks) (Software): Used for designing and modeling parts and assemblies before manufacturing.
  • Calipers (Hardware): Used for precise measurement of dimensions of parts to ensure quality control.
  • Micrometers (Hardware): Used for highly accurate measurement of small distances and thicknesses.

How to become Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic

Minimum education
High School Diploma
Licensing
No
Years to mid-career
3-5
Years to senior
8-12
Career switching
Moderate

Where this career leads

How people arrive here

  • Welder, Cutter, Solderer, and Brazer: Individuals with welding skills can transition to machine tool operation by learning automation and precision machining.
  • Assembler and Fabricator: Experience in assembling and fabricating parts provides a foundational understanding of product construction, useful for machine tool operation.
  • Maintenance and Repair Worker, General: General maintenance workers often have mechanical aptitude and problem-solving skills applicable to machine tool setup and troubleshooting.

Where you can go from here

  • Tool and Die Maker: Machine tool operators can advance to tool and die making, which involves creating precision tools and molds.
  • Industrial Machinery Mechanic: With experience, operators can move into maintaining and repairing industrial machinery, leveraging their understanding of machine function.
  • Manufacturing Engineer: Further education and experience can lead to a manufacturing engineering role, focusing on optimizing production processes.

Typical progression

  1. Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
  2. Tool and Die Makers
  3. Industrial Machinery Mechanics
  4. or Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic

Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic job outlook and future demand

Automation probability
Very High
AI disruption risk
Moderate
Demand trend
Stable

Job satisfaction as Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic

Overall satisfaction
5.8/10
Meaning
5/10
Work-life balance
6/10
Prestige
4/10
Social perception
Low

Where practitioners gather

Professional organisations

Podcasts and media

  • Modern Machine Shop: A publication providing news, articles, and technical information for the metalworking industry.

Reddit communities

  • r/Machinists: A Reddit community for machinists to share experiences, ask questions, and showcase their work.

Online communities

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