Career Paths From Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic

Possible next moves, computed from skill overlap, O*NET occupational relatedness, preparation level, education, and pay — not a record of people who actually made these moves.

Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticLateral Move93.6% skill match
Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic and Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic share a similar Transferable Skills profile (94% match). Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic sits at a similar preparation level, so this would be more of a lateral move. Median salary is about 4% higher.
Current median salary
$50,620
Target median salary
$52,800
Current Job Zone
2
Target Job Zone
2
Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticLateral Move89.9% skill match
Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic and Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic share a similar Transferable Skills profile (90% match). Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic sits at a similar preparation level, so this would be more of a lateral move. Median salary is about 7% lower.
Current median salary
$50,620
Target median salary
$47,180
Current Job Zone
2
Target Job Zone
2
Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticLateral Move95.7% skill match
Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic and Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic share a similar Transferable Skills profile (96% match). Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic sits at a similar preparation level, so this would be more of a lateral move. Median salary is about 8% lower.
Current median salary
$50,620
Target median salary
$46,550
Current Job Zone
2
Target Job Zone
2
Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersLateral Move97.3% skill match
Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic and Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders share a similar Transferable Skills profile (97% match). Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders sits at a similar preparation level, so this would be more of a lateral move. Median salary is about 8% lower.
Current median salary
$50,620
Target median salary
$46,570
Current Job Zone
2
Target Job Zone
2
Rolling Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticLateral Move94.1% skill match
Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic and Rolling Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic share a similar Transferable Skills profile (94% match). Rolling Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic sits at a similar preparation level, so this would be more of a lateral move.
Current median salary
$50,620
Target median salary
$50,140
Current Job Zone
2
Target Job Zone
2
Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticLateral Move91.3% skill match
Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic and Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic share a similar Transferable Skills profile (91% match). Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic sits at a similar preparation level, so this would be more of a lateral move. Median salary is about 8% lower.
Current median salary
$50,620
Target median salary
$46,330
Current Job Zone
2
Target Job Zone
2
Textile Cutting Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersLateral Move94.5% skill match
Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic and Textile Cutting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders share a similar Transferable Skills profile (94% match). Textile Cutting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders sits at a similar preparation level, so this would be more of a lateral move. Median salary is about 23% lower.
Current median salary
$50,620
Target median salary
$38,760
Current Job Zone
2
Target Job Zone
2
Pile Driver OperatorsCareer Change90% skill match
Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic and Pile Driver Operators share a similar Transferable Skills profile (90% match). Pile Driver Operators is in a different occupational field, but draws on much of the same underlying skill set. Median salary is about 45% higher.
Current median salary
$50,620
Target median salary
$73,300
Current Job Zone
2
Target Job Zone
2
Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment OperatorsCareer Change90.7% skill match
Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic and Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators share a similar Transferable Skills profile (91% match). Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators is in a different occupational field, but draws on much of the same underlying skill set. Median salary is about 38% higher.
Current median salary
$50,620
Target median salary
$70,070
Current Job Zone
2
Target Job Zone
2
Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticLateral Move93.8% skill match
Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic and Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic share a similar Transferable Skills profile (94% match). Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic sits at a similar preparation level, so this would be more of a lateral move. Median salary is about 6% lower.
Current median salary
$50,620
Target median salary
$47,720
Current Job Zone
2
Target Job Zone
2
Wellhead PumpersCareer Change90.1% skill match
Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic and Wellhead Pumpers share a similar Transferable Skills profile (90% match). Wellhead Pumpers is in a different occupational field, but draws on much of the same underlying skill set. Median salary is about 38% higher.
Current median salary
$50,620
Target median salary
$69,960
Current Job Zone
2
Target Job Zone
2
Adhesive Bonding Machine Operators and TendersLateral Move93.2% skill match
Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic and Adhesive Bonding Machine Operators and Tenders share a similar Transferable Skills profile (93% match). Adhesive Bonding Machine Operators and Tenders sits at a similar preparation level, so this would be more of a lateral move. Median salary is about 8% lower.
Current median salary
$50,620
Target median salary
$46,460
Current Job Zone
2
Target Job Zone
2
Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersLateral Move93.3% skill match
Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic and Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders share a similar Transferable Skills profile (93% match). Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders sits at a similar preparation level, so this would be more of a lateral move. Median salary is about 5% lower.
Current median salary
$50,620
Target median salary
$48,250
Current Job Zone
2
Target Job Zone
2
Power Plant OperatorsLateral Move91.1% skill match
Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic and Power Plant Operators share a similar Transferable Skills profile (91% match). Power Plant Operators sits at a similar preparation level, so this would be more of a lateral move. Median salary is about 102% higher.
Current median salary
$50,620
Target median salary
$102,040
Current Job Zone
2
Target Job Zone
2
Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersLateral Move92.1% skill match
Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic and Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders share a similar Transferable Skills profile (92% match). Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders sits at a similar preparation level, so this would be more of a lateral move. Median salary is about 10% lower.
Current median salary
$50,620
Target median salary
$45,760
Current Job Zone
2
Target Job Zone
2

Computed from O*NET Transferable Skills, occupational relatedness and Job Zone data, plus BLS wage and projections data. Categories (Advancement / Lateral Move / Career Change) are derived algorithmically, not self-reported career histories.