Occupations · Production

Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic

Set up, operate, or tend machines to saw, cut, shear, slit, punch, crimp, notch, bend, or straighten metal or plastic material.

O*NET 30.3 Database (USDOL/ETA) · occupation code 51-4031.00

$45,590median annual wage, May 2024

174,430people employed, United States

▼ 12.1%projected change, 2024→2034

14,400openings a year, incl. replacements

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 81% 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
Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI	$55,470	11,320
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI	$46,650	6,630
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX	$43,820	3,950
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI	$51,330	3,700
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX	$42,790	3,670
Grand Rapids-Wyoming, MI	$45,450	3,650
Cleveland, OH	$44,600	3,370
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA	$46,530	3,140
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA	$45,210	3,080
Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN	$61,930	2,950
Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis, WI	$48,240	2,390
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA	$47,380	2,380

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.

Measure completed workpieces to verify conformance to specifications, using micrometers, gauges, calipers, templates, or rulers.
Examine completed workpieces for defects, such as chipped edges or marred surfaces and sort defective pieces according to types of flaws.
Lubricate workpieces with oil.
Read work orders or production schedules to determine specifications, such as materials to be used, locations of cutting lines, or dimensions and tolerances.
Install, align, and lock specified punches, dies, cutting blades, or other fixtures in rams or beds of machines, using gauges, templates, feelers, shims, and hand tools.
Start machines, monitor their operations, and record operational data.
Set up, operate, or tend machines to saw, cut, shear, slit, punch, crimp, notch, bend, or straighten metal or plastic material.
Adjust ram strokes of presses to specified lengths, using hand tools.
Position, align, and secure workpieces against fixtures or stops on machine beds or on dies.
Test and adjust machine speeds or actions, according to product specifications, using gauges and hand tools.
Load workpieces, plastic material, or chemical solutions into machines.
Set stops on machine beds, change dies, and adjust components, such as rams or power presses, when making multiple or successive passes.

O*NET 30.3 task ratings, importance scale

Skills that matter most

Importance, rated 1 to 5.

Active Listening3.0

Speaking3.0

Critical Thinking3.0

Monitoring3.0

Reading Comprehension2.8

Active Learning2.8

Writing2.5

Mathematics2.0

Learning Strategies2.0

Science1.5

O*NET 30.3 skills, importance scale

Software and tools

A dot marks what O*NET flags as in demand.

Autodesk AutoCAD●Microsoft Excel●Microsoft Office software●Microsoft Outlook●Microsoft Word●SAP software●Automated inventory softwareComputerized numerical control CNC softwareOperational databasesStriker Systems SS-Punch

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.

2 / 5Some preparation — a school diploma and a few months of on-the-job training.

O*NET 30.3 Job Zones

Working conditions that stand out

E-Mail−2.9 below average

Telephone Conversations−2.9 below average

Pace Determined by Speed of Equipment+2.8 above average

Exposed to Hazardous Equipment+2.2 above average

Exposed to Contaminants+2.0 above average

Written Letters and Memos−2.0 below average

Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets+1.9 above average

O*NET 30.3 work context, frequency scale · observed 2025-08

How people actually get in

Share of workers by the education they hold.

High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)63%

Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production)35%

Some College Courses1%

Less than a High School Diploma1%

O*NET 30.2 education, training and experience · observed 2025-08

What kind of person the work suits

Occupational interest profile, rated 1 to 7.

Realistic6.9

Conventional4.3

Investigative2.2

O*NET 30.2 occupational interests (RIASEC)

Tasks O*NET flags as emerging

Use equipment designed to join sheet metal, such as spot welders.

O*NET 29.3 emerging tasks

What you take with you

Skills rated for how well they transfer into other occupations.

Operations Monitoring3.5

Operation and Control3.4

Quality Control Analysis3.0

Troubleshooting3.0

Judgment and Decision Making2.9

Time Management2.8

Equipment Maintenance2.8

Coordination2.8

O*NET 30.3 transferable skills, importance scale

Knowledge the work draws on

Production and ProcessingMechanicalEnglish LanguageMathematicsEngineering and TechnologyEducation and Training

Abilities it leans on

Near VisionControl PrecisionArm-Hand SteadinessInformation OrderingReaction TimeManual Dexterity

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.

SawyerSetterCutterNotcherBevelerSlasherBlankerClincherShearmanAdjusterJigsawyerPlanisherKey CutterDie Cutter

O*NET 30.3 job titles reported for this occupation

Get this as a personal report

The same sourced evidence, recut for the closest published view of your city, state or industry, as a dated PDF.

Free page vs. the $29 report

The page above is a public national reference: it is the same for every reader. The $29 report uses the location or industry you name, states the exact BLS cut used, and packages five decision-focused sections as a PDF. Choose $49 when you need a broader comparison of industries, places, changes and next moves.

$29Occupation reportPay where you are, conditions, preparation, education, what you carry into another job.$49Professional reportAdds two decades of pay, industries, geography, what changed, adjacent occupations and what to study.$99International offerAdds named employers and their actual rates from visa filings, the seniority pay ladder and the cities that hire.

Compare the three reports

What you learn	$29	$49	$99
What it pays in your city and industry	✓	✓	✓
Working conditions, preparation, education	✓	✓	✓
What you carry into another occupation	✓	✓	✓
What this job is called in postings	✓	✓	✓
How pay changed over the years	brief	✓	✓
Where the industry changes the number	—	✓	✓
Where the work actually is	—	✓	✓
What appeared and disappeared in the job	—	✓	✓
How long it takes to become competent	—	✓	✓
Where to move next and what to learn	—	✓	✓
What to study to get in	—	✓	✓
What the same work pays in Britain	—	—	✓
What the same work pays in Canada	—	—	✓
Who hires, by name, and at what rates	—	—	✓
The money ladder by skill level	—	—	✓
Cities that actually sponsor visas	—	—	✓
Sections in the report	5	12	19
Who it is for	If you are deciding whether this work is worth your time.	If you are in the occupation and deciding where to move next.	If you are aiming for an offer abroad.

EmailNameCity or stateIndustry (optional)

What decision are you making? (optional)

No payment is taken now. We reply with a secure payment link.

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 5

+Microsoft Outlook+Operational databases+Autodesk AutoCAD+SAP software+Microsoft Office software

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”.

O*NET 30.3 related occupations

Also called

SetterCutterSawyerNotcherSlasherBevelerBlankerScraperAdjusterShearmanOperatorClincher

O*NET 30.3 alternative titles

The same work in Europe

ESCO occupation	ISCO	Match
drill press operator	7223.6	close
stamping press operator	7223.21	close
laser marking machine operator	7223.10	close
punch press operator	7223.4.7	broader
laser cutting machine operator	7223.4.3	broader
slitter operator	8189.2	broader
metal sawing machine operator	7223.4.5	broader
metal nibbling operator	7223.11	broader
straightening machine operator	7223.22	broader

Official ESCO ↔ O*NET crosswalk (ESCO Secretariat with USDOL/ETA)

Keep exploring

See labor-market evidence in motion.

Watch short Tamhu stories about pay, growth and how work changes — then return to the source data here.

Watch on YouTube →

Watch this occupation

This job has changed before and it will change again. We'll email you when the data moves — a tool appears, a skill gains weight, the pay distribution shifts. Free, and one click to stop.

Check your inbox — your watch starts only after you confirm.

We send data, not advice. No sharing, no resale. Privacy