Occupations · Production
Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
Set up, operate, or tend machines that cut or slice materials, such as glass, stone, cork, rubber, tobacco, food, paper, or insulating material.
O*NET 30.3 Database (USDOL/ETA) · occupation code 51-9032.00
What it pays
A single “average salary” hides the spread. This is the whole distribution — the gap between the bottom and top bar is usually the number that matters.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024 · national, cross-industry · annual wage
Pay over time
Median up 75% between 2003 and 2024, before inflation. The band shows the 10th to 90th percentile.
BLS OEWS, one release per year. Before May 2011 only national estimates were published, so geography detail starts there.
Where the jobs are
| Metro area | Median wage | Employed |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $42,530 | 1,710 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA | $45,300 | 1,470 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $43,230 | 1,310 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI | $55,550 | 1,070 |
| Cleveland, OH | $51,040 | 950 |
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | $43,680 | 820 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $44,670 | 760 |
| Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | $46,390 | 750 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $60,480 | 620 |
| Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC | $43,420 | 610 |
| Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX | $37,420 | 530 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ | $45,320 | 530 |
BLS OEWS May 2024, metropolitan estimates · the 12 areas with the most people in this occupation
Typical education to enter: High school diploma or equivalent · BLS Employment Projections 2024–34
What people in this job actually do
Ordered by how important the work is rated.
- Set up, operate, or tend machines that cut or slice materials, such as glass, stone, cork, rubber, tobacco, food, paper, or insulating material.
- Review work orders, blueprints, specifications, or job samples to determine components, settings, and adjustments for cutting and slicing machines.
- Examine, measure, and weigh materials or products to verify conformance to specifications, using measuring devices, such as rulers, micrometers, or scales.
- Press buttons, pull levers, or depress pedals to start and operate cutting and slicing machines.
- Start machines to verify setups, and make any necessary adjustments.
- Feed stock into cutting machines, onto conveyors, or under cutting blades, by threading, guiding, pushing, or turning handwheels.
- Mark cutting lines or identifying information on stock, using marking pencils, rulers, or scribes.
- Monitor operation of cutting or slicing machines to detect malfunctions or to determine whether supplies need replenishment.
- Stack and sort cut material for packaging, further processing, or shipping, according to types and sizes of material.
- Remove completed materials or products from cutting or slicing machines, and stack or store them for additional processing.
- Adjust machine controls to alter position, alignment, speed, or pressure.
- Remove defective or substandard materials from machines, and readjust machine components so that products meet standards.
O*NET 30.3 task ratings, importance scale
Skills that matter most
Importance, rated 1 to 5.
O*NET 30.3 skills, importance scale
Software and tools
A dot marks what O*NET flags as in demand.
O*NET 30.3 software skills · hot-technology flag
What this work is actually like
Conditions rated against the average across all occupations — only what makes this job different is listed.
O*NET 30.3 Job Zones
Working conditions that stand out
O*NET 30.3 work context, frequency scale · observed 2016-07
How people actually get in
Share of workers by the education they hold.
O*NET 30.2 education, training and experience · observed 2016-07
What kind of person the work suits
Occupational interest profile, rated 1 to 7.
O*NET 30.2 occupational interests (RIASEC)
What you take with you
Skills rated for how well they transfer into other occupations.
O*NET 30.3 transferable skills, importance scale
Knowledge the work draws on
Abilities it leans on
O*NET 30.3 abilities and knowledge, importance scale
How this job is advertised
The same work is posted under many titles — this is what to search for.
O*NET 30.3 job titles reported for this occupation
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What changed since 2015
Comparing O*NET release 20.1 (2015-10-01) with 30.3 (2026-05-01). Signs, not colour alone, carry the meaning.
Now listed 1
No longer listed 1
Diff across the O*NET releases held here in full since October 2015, following occupations through merges and retirements. O*NET re-surveys occupations on a rolling cycle, so “no change” can also mean “not re-surveyed”.
Related jobs
O*NET 30.3 related occupations
Also called
O*NET 30.3 alternative titles
The same work in Europe
| ESCO occupation | ISCO | Match |
|---|---|---|
| slitter operator | 8189.2 | close |
| rubber cutting machine tender | 8141.1.4 | broader |
| automated cutting machine operator | 8156.1 | broader |
| veneer slicer operator | 8172.5.4 | broader |
| cutting machine operator | 8156.2.1 | broader |
| paper cutter operator | 8143.6 | broader |
| water jet cutter operator | 7223.4.8 | broader |
Official ESCO ↔ O*NET crosswalk (ESCO Secretariat with USDOL/ETA)
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