Career Atlas USA

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

Median salary
$47,180
Average salary
$50,030
Employment
124,590
Projected growth
0.5% decline
Annual openings
12,800
Typical entry education
High school diploma or equivalent

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

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

See full salary breakdown & percentiles →

Career Outlook

National employment outlook, 2024–2034.

Related work experience
None
On-the-job training
Moderate-term on-the-job training
Self-employed
1.1%

Source: BLS Employment Projections — 2024-2034.

How Much Preparation Does This Take?

Job Zone 2 of 5

Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed

Experience
Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience.
Education
Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
Job training
Ranges from a few days to one year of on-the-job training.

Source: O*NET Job Zones.

Key Knowledge Areas

Subject-matter areas this occupation draws on most, per O*NET.

  • Production and Processingimportance 4.1/5
  • Mechanicalimportance 3.9/5
  • Mathematicsimportance 3.6/5
  • English Languageimportance 3.3/5
  • Designimportance 3.1/5
  • Education and Trainingimportance 2.9/5
  • Customer and Personal Serviceimportance 2.8/5
  • Engineering and Technologyimportance 2.7/5

Work Environment

What the day-to-day work setting is like, per O*NET.

  • Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets5.0/5
  • Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams4.9/5
  • Importance of Being Exact or Accurate4.7/5
  • Time Pressure4.5/5
  • Spend Time Standing4.4/5
  • Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls4.2/5

Careers With Similar Skills

Occupations whose Transferable Skills profile most closely matches this one — a mathematical comparison, not observed data about people actually moving between these careers.

Transferable Skills

Cross-functional skills this occupation draws on most, per O*NET — the kind that carry over to other careers.

  • Operations Monitoringimportance 4.0/5
  • Quality Control Analysisimportance 3.4/5
  • Operation and Controlimportance 3.1/5
  • Equipment Maintenanceimportance 3.1/5
  • Judgment and Decision Makingimportance 3.1/5
  • Social Perceptivenessimportance 3.0/5
  • Complex Problem Solvingimportance 3.0/5
  • Troubleshootingimportance 3.0/5

Software & Technologies

Tools and software used in this occupation, per O*NET.

Hot Technologies

Other Software Used

Work Style

Personal work characteristics that matter most for this occupation, per O*NET.

  • Attention to Detail
  • Dependability
  • Cautiousness
  • Achievement Orientation
  • Perseverance
  • Stress Tolerance
  • Self-Control

Career Interests

This occupation’s RIASEC interest profile, per O*NET — how strongly it fits each of the six Holland interest types.

  • RealisticHigh
  • ConventionalMedium
  • InvestigativeLow
  • SocialLow
  • ArtisticLow
  • EnterprisingLow

This page includes information from the O*NET 30.3 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.

Where This Career Is Most Concentrated

Metro areas where multiple machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic make up the largest share of local employment, relative to the national average (BLS location quotient).

  1. 1Bowling Green, KY21.95× national avg
  2. 2Columbus, IN10.92× national avg
  3. 3Elmira, NY9.16× national avg
  4. 4Jackson, MI7.61× national avg
  5. 5Toledo, OH7.04× national avg

Possible Career Moves

A computed starting point, not observed job-change data — see the full list for why each one might fit.

See the full career path from Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic →

Related Education Programs

Schools that offer related fields of study, based on the NCES CIP-SOC crosswalk — not a guarantee that graduates enter this specific career.

Machine Tool Technology/Machinist

Full salary data & percentiles →Best states for this career →Highest-paying states →