State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setter, Operator, and Tender, Metal and Plastic Salary (2026): Data, Outlook & How to Become One
Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic earn a median of $46,330 per year ($22.27/hr) (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Employment is projected to fall 12.1% through 2034, with about 14,400 openings a year (BLS EP, 2024–2034). Typical entry-level education: High school diploma or equivalent.
SOC 51-4031ProductionLast updated August 15, 2026
- Median pay
- $46,330
- Projected growth
- -12.1%
- Openings a year
- 14,400
- Typical education
- High school
BLS OEWS, May 2025
BLS EP, 2024–2034
BLS EP, 2024–2034
BLS EP, 2024–2034
Also advertised as: Die Setter, Fabrication Operator, Machine Operator, Machine Setter, Press Brake Operator, Press Operator.
How much do Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic make?
10th percentile$35,760
Entry / lowest-paid tenth
25th percentile$38,870
Lower quartile
Median (50th)$46,330
Half earn more, half earn less
75th percentile$55,410
Upper quartile
90th percentile$65,510
Top-paid tenth
| Median annual wage | $46,330 |
|---|---|
| Median hourly wage | $22.27/hr |
| Mean annual wage | $48,430 |
| People employed | 171,200 |
Versus all US occupations
At $46,330, Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic earn 9% below the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $4,650 a year.
Versus production occupations
Inside the Production group, where the middle occupation pays $47,920, this is 3% below the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $65,510 or more while the bottom 10% earn $35,760, a gap of 1.8×. That is a typical spread for a US occupation.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 19% of the 923 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Cost of living
Oregon posts the highest raw median ($53,680), but once local prices are taken into account Iowa leads at $54,967 in national-average dollars.
Which states pay Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic the most?
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oregon | $53,680 | $51,934 | 1,180 |
| Maine | $51,820 | $53,395 | 180 |
| Washington | $51,160 | $47,807 | 1,750 |
| Colorado | $50,790 | $49,286 | 1,400 |
| Minnesota | $49,770 | $50,466 | 6,130 |
| Wisconsin | $49,270 | $52,362 | 7,960 |
| Alaska | $49,010 | $47,880 | 80 |
| Illinois | $48,990 | $49,011 | 8,060 |
| Nebraska | $48,690 | $54,038 | 1,320 |
| Montana | $48,490 | $51,234 | 130 |
Is Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setter, Operator, and Tender, Metal and Plastic a growing career?
Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic-12.1%
All US occupations3.1%
-12.1% projected growth vs 3.1% for all occupations.
Declining
BLS projects employment of Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic to change -12.1% over 2024–2034, while total US employment is projected to rise 3.1%. That is 21,100 fewer jobs.
Annual openings
About 14,400 openings are projected each year, 8.2% of the 174,700 jobs that existed in 2024. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Overall employment of metal and plastic machine workers is projected to grow 7 percent from 2024 to 2034, decline.
Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
Projected employment of metal and plastic machine workers varies by occupation (see table).
One of the most important factors influencing employment of these workers is the use of laborsaving machinery. Many firms are continuing to expand the use of technologies, such as computer numerically controlled (CNC) tools and robots, to improve quality and lower production costs. The use of CNC equipment requires CNC tool programmers instead of machine setters, operators, and tenders. Therefore, demand for most manual tool operators and tenders is likely to be reduced, while demand for CNC tool programmers is expected to be strong.
How to become a Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setter, Operator, and Tender, Metal and Plastic
Metal and plastic workers typically need a high school diploma to enter the occupation and receive 1 year of on-the-job training. Computer numerically controlled (CNC) tool programmers typically need postsecondary education.
| Typical entry-level education | High school diploma or equivalent |
|---|---|
| Preparation needed (O*NET job zone) | Little or no preparation |
| Work experience in a related occupation | None |
| Typical on-the-job training | Moderate-term on-the-job training |
What education people in the job have
O*NET incumbent survey: the highest level of education reported by people already working as cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic.
- High School Diploma63.4%
- Post-Secondary Certificate34.9%
- Less than a High School Diploma0.9%
- Some College Courses0.9%
What does a Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setter, Operator, and Tender, Metal and Plastic do?
Set up, operate, or tend machines to saw, cut, shear, slit, punch, crimp, notch, bend, or straighten metal or plastic material.
Metal and plastic machine workers set up and operate equipment that cuts, shapes, and forms metal and plastic materials or pieces.
Day-to-day tasks
- Clean work area.
- Set up, operate, or tend machines to saw, cut, shear, slit, punch, crimp, notch, bend, or straighten metal or plastic material.
- Examine completed workpieces for defects, such as chipped edges or marred surfaces and sort defective pieces according to types of flaws.
- Start machines, monitor their operations, and record operational data.
- Measure completed workpieces to verify conformance to specifications, using micrometers, gauges, calipers, templates, or rulers.
- Read work orders or production schedules to determine specifications, such as materials to be used, locations of cutting lines, or dimensions and tolerances.
- Turn controls to set cutting speeds, feed rates, or table angles for specified operations.
- Load workpieces, plastic material, or chemical solutions into machines.
O*NET core tasks, ordered by reported importance.
Core skills
- Active Listening3.0/5
- Speaking3.0/5
- Critical Thinking3.0/5
- Monitoring3.0/5
- Reading Comprehension2.8/5
- Active Learning2.8/5
- Writing2.5/5
- Mathematics2.0/5
Transferable skills
- Operations Monitoring3.5/5
- Operation and Control3.4/5
- Troubleshooting3.0/5
- Quality Control Analysis3.0/5
- Judgment and Decision Making2.9/5
- Coordination2.8/5
- Equipment Maintenance2.8/5
- Time Management2.8/5
Tools and software
- Computer aided design CAD software · in demand
- Electronic mail software · in demand
- Enterprise resource planning ERP software · in demand
- Office suite software · in demand
- Spreadsheet software · in demand
- Word processing software · in demand
- Computer aided manufacturing CAM software
- Data base user interface and query software
- Industrial control software
- Inventory management software
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
What personality type suits a Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setter, Operator, and Tender, Metal and Plastic?
Interest profile: O*NET Occupational Interests, scored 1–7
Realisticprimary6.9
Investigative2.2
Artistic1.1
Social1.0
Enterprising1.0
Conventionalprimary4.3
Day to day this is work built around hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors, combined with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data.
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setter, Operator, and Tender, Metal and Plastic: frequently asked questions
How much do Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic make?
Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic earn a median of $46,330 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), 9% below the $50,980 median for all US occupations. That works out at $22.27/hr. The middle half earn between $38,870 and $55,410. The top 10% earn $65,510 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setter, Operator, and Tender, Metal and Plastic?
No. A bachelor's degree is not the norm: BLS reports a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education for Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic. BLS also lists moderate-term on-the-job training as typical on-the-job training. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 63.4% hold high school diploma.
Is Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setter, Operator, and Tender, Metal and Plastic a growing career?
No. BLS projects employment to fall 12.1% over 2024–2034, a loss of 21,100 jobs (BLS EP, 2024–2034). BLS still projects about 14,400 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setter, Operator, and Tender, Metal and Plastic do?
Metal and plastic machine workers set up and operate equipment that cuts, shapes, and forms metal and plastic materials or pieces. A core O*NET task: clean work area. Employers most often ask for Computer aided design CAD software, Electronic mail software, Enterprise resource planning ERP software.
Which states pay Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic the most?
The highest state medians for Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic are Oregon ($53,680), Maine ($51,820), Washington ($51,160) (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Adjusted for local prices using BEA Regional Price Parities, Iowa moves to the top at $54,967.
What personality type suits a Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setter, Operator, and Tender, Metal and Plastic?
O*NET scores Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic highest on the Realistic and Conventional interest areas, so the work mixes hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping that lines up most closely with ISTJ personalities. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 923 occupations in the bank.