---
title: "Multiple Machine Tool Setter, Operator, and Tender, Metal and Plastic"
description: "Set up, operate, or tend more than one type of cutting or forming machine tool or robot."
canonical: "https://nuecareer.com/careers/multiple-machine-tool-setter-operator-and-tender-metal-and-plastic"
last-updated: "2026-08-23T15:56:39.581Z"
---

# Multiple Machine Tool Setter, Operator, and Tender, Metal and Plastic

**Category:** Production · **SOC code:** 51-4081 · **O\*NET-SOC code:** 51-4081.00

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

Also advertised as: Cell Technician; CNC Machine Setter (Computer Numerically Controlled Machine Setter); Fabrication Set-Up Person; Injection Molding Technician; Machine Operator; Machine Technician; Mold Setter; Production Operator.

## At a glance

- **Median annual wage:** $47,180 (BLS OEWS, May 2025)
- **Median hourly wage:** $22.68/hr
- **Wage range (10th–90th percentile):** $35,780 to $74,450, with the middle half between $39,420 and $57,800
- **Total US employment:** 124,590
- **Typical entry education:** High school
- **Preparation required:** Little or no preparation — O\*NET rates this "Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed"
- **Projected growth:** -0.5% over 2024–2034 (BLS EP, 2024–2034)
- **Annual job openings:** 12,800 openings a year
- **AI-resilience score:** 50/100 — a NueCareer heuristic over O\*NET work activities and context, not a BLS or O\*NET figure

## Pay

National wage distribution, BLS OEWS, May 2025, across 124,590 US jobs.

| Percentile | Annual wage |
| --- | --- |
| 10th | $35,780 |
| 25th | $39,420 |
| 50th (median) | $47,180 |
| 75th | $57,800 |
| 90th | $74,450 |
| Mean (average) | $50,030 |

### Pay by state

The 15 highest-paying states, by median annual wage. The cost-of-living-adjusted column divides the state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, so the columns answer different questions: the first is what the job pays there, the second is what that pay buys there.

| State | Median annual wage | Cost-of-living adjusted | Employment |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| WV | $76,080 | $85,008 | 1,920 |
| KY | $54,960 | $60,959 | 5,510 |
| MO | $53,160 | $58,535 | 7,220 |
| MD | $51,780 | $49,334 | 400 |
| NE | $50,960 | $56,557 | 1,250 |
| VA | $50,600 | $50,047 | 1,030 |
| WA | $50,540 | $47,228 | 830 |
| VT | $50,450 | $51,502 | 110 |
| ID | $50,410 | $52,789 | 480 |
| NY | $49,890 | $46,228 | 3,660 |
| ND | $49,190 | $55,295 | 490 |
| TX | $49,050 | $50,537 | 10,540 |
| MN | $48,980 | $49,665 | 2,540 |
| IA | $48,910 | $55,730 | 4,460 |
| KS | $48,450 | $53,793 | 290 |

31 more states with published wage data are omitted here. The full table for all 46 states is at https://nuecareer.com/careers/multiple-machine-tool-setter-operator-and-tender-metal-and-plastic/salary-by-state, or as JSON at https://nuecareer.com/api/v1/careers/multiple-machine-tool-setter-operator-and-tender-metal-and-plastic.

## Outlook

BLS projects employment to move from 131,000 in the 2024–2034 base year to 130,300 by the end of the cycle — a loss of 700 jobs, or -0.5%. Declining: -0.5% against 3.1% projected for all occupations over the same cycle. About 12,800 openings a year are expected on average, counting openings from growth as well as from workers leaving the occupation permanently. Source: BLS EP, 2024–2034.

## How to get in

- **Typical entry education:** High school diploma or equivalent (BLS Employment Projections).
- **Preparation level:** Little or no preparation — O\*NET's preparation band for this occupation is "Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed".
- **Related work experience typically required:** None.
- **Typical on-the-job training:** Moderate-term on-the-job training.

### Education people in this job actually hold

O\*NET surveys incumbents, so this distribution describes who is in the job today and can differ from the BLS entry requirement above.

| Education level | Share of workers |
| --- | --- |
| High School Diploma | 81.7% |
| Post-Secondary Certificate | 7.6% |
| Some College Courses | 5.6% |
| Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree) | 3.9% |
| Less than a High School Diploma | 1.1% |

## What the work involves

- Inspect workpieces for defects, and measure workpieces to determine accuracy of machine operation, using rules, templates, or other measuring instruments.
- Select, install, and adjust alignment of drills, cutters, dies, guides, and holding devices, using templates, measuring instruments, and hand tools.
- Instruct other workers in machine set-up and operation.
- Observe machine operation to detect workpiece defects or machine malfunctions, adjusting machines as necessary.
- Position, adjust, and secure stock material or workpieces against stops, on arbors, or in chucks, fixtures, or automatic feeding mechanisms, manually or using hoists.
- Perform minor machine maintenance, such as oiling or cleaning machines, dies, or workpieces, or adding coolant to machine reservoirs.
- Change worn machine accessories, such as cutting tools or brushes, using hand tools.
- Read blueprints or job orders to determine product specifications and tooling instructions and to plan operational sequences.

## Skills and knowledge

### Essential skills

- Monitoring — importance 3.1 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Reading Comprehension — importance 3.0 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Active Listening — importance 3.0 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Speaking — importance 3.0 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Critical Thinking — importance 3.0 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Active Learning — importance 2.9 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Writing — importance 2.8 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Learning Strategies — importance 2.4 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale

### Transferable skills

These are the skills that carry into other occupations, and they drive the related-occupation and career-change rankings on this site.

- Operations Monitoring — importance 4.0 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Quality Control Analysis — importance 3.4 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Operation and Control — importance 3.1 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Equipment Maintenance — importance 3.1 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Judgment and Decision Making — importance 3.1 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Social Perceptiveness — importance 3.0 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Complex Problem Solving — importance 3.0 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Troubleshooting — importance 3.0 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale

### Knowledge areas

- Production and Processing — importance 4.1 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Mechanical — importance 3.9 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Mathematics — importance 3.6 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- English Language — importance 3.3 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Design — importance 3.1 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Education and Training — importance 2.9 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale

### Abilities

- Arm-Hand Steadiness — importance 3.9 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Control Precision — importance 3.9 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Near Vision — importance 3.9 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Manual Dexterity — importance 3.8 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Problem Sensitivity — importance 3.6 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Visualization — importance 3.4 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale

## Who it suits

O\*NET rates every occupation on the six Holland (RIASEC) interest areas, on a 1–7 scale. This occupation's strongest areas are Realistic (R), Conventional (C).

| Interest area | Score (1–7) |
| --- | --- |
| R — Realistic | 7.00 |
| C — Conventional | 4.59 |
| I — Investigative | 2.27 |
| S — Social | 1.08 |
| A — Artistic | 1.00 |
| E — Enterprising | 1.00 |

### Personality fit

These scores are **derived by NueCareer**, not published by any government agency: they are cosine similarities between a personality type's trait profile and this occupation's O\*NET interest and work-style ratings, expressed 0–100. Treat them as a starting point for exploration, not as evidence that a type belongs in a job.

| Type | Fit score (0–100) |
| --- | --- |
| ISTJ | 90.2 |
| ISTP | 76.9 |
| ISFJ | 75.6 |
| ESTJ | 73.2 |
| INTJ | 66.4 |

Best-fitting types: ISTJ. The bank also flags this occupation as introvert-friendly, meaning O\*NET work-context ratings put it low on public contact and performing for the public.

## Related occupations

O\*NET's primary related occupations, in its own ranked order.

- [Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setter, Operator, and Tender, Metal and Plastic](https://nuecareer.com/careers/lathe-and-turning-machine-tool-setter-operator-and-tender-metal-and-plastic) — median $50,620
- [Milling and Planing Machine Setter, Operator, and Tender, Metal and Plastic](https://nuecareer.com/careers/milling-and-planing-machine-setter-operator-and-tender-metal-and-plastic) — median $52,800
- [Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setter, Operator, and Tender, Metal and Plastic](https://nuecareer.com/careers/grinding-lapping-polishing-and-buffing-machine-tool-setter-operator-and-tender-metal-and-plastic) — median $46,550
- [Tool Grinder, Filer, and Sharpener](https://nuecareer.com/careers/tool-grinder-filer-and-sharpener) — median $50,060
- [Woodworking Machine Setter, Operator, and Tender, Except Sawing](https://nuecareer.com/careers/woodworking-machine-setter-operator-and-tender) — median $43,380
- [Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setter, Operator, and Tender, Metal and Plastic](https://nuecareer.com/careers/cutting-punching-and-press-machine-setter-operator-and-tender-metal-and-plastic) — median $46,330
- [Cutting and Slicing Machine Setter, Operator, and Tender](https://nuecareer.com/careers/cutting-and-slicing-machine-setter-operator-and-tender) — median $46,570
- [Industrial Machinery Mechanic](https://nuecareer.com/careers/industrial-machinery-mechanic) — median $64,520
- [Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operator](https://nuecareer.com/careers/computer-numerically-controlled-tool-operator) — median $50,690
- [Rolling Machine Setter, Operator, and Tender, Metal and Plastic](https://nuecareer.com/careers/rolling-machine-setter-operator-and-tender-metal-and-plastic) — median $50,140

## Sources

- **O\*NET** — O\*NET 30.3 Database, May 2026. https://www.onetcenter.org/database.html
- **BLS OEWS** — BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. https://www.bls.gov/oes/
- **BLS EP** — BLS Employment Projections, Table 1.2, 2024–2034. https://www.bls.gov/emp/
- **BLS OOH** — BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2024–2034 edition. https://www.bls.gov/ooh/
- **BEA RPP** — BEA Regional Price Parities by State, 2024. https://www.bea.gov/data/prices-inflation/regional-price-parities-state-and-metro-area

---

This bank 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 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). O\*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. NueCareer has transformed the data by joining it to BLS wage and projection data and deriving facet, personality-fit and AI-resilience scores. BLS and BEA data are public domain (17 U.S.C. §105).

O\*NET content is used under [CC BY 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). How these figures are sourced and derived: https://nuecareer.com/careers/methodology

JSON representation of this page: https://nuecareer.com/api/v1/careers/multiple-machine-tool-setter-operator-and-tender-metal-and-plastic