Occupations · Production
Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
Set up, operate, or tend lathe and turning machines to turn, bore, thread, form, or face metal or plastic materials, such as wire, rod, or bar stock.
O*NET 30.3 Database (USDOL/ETA) · occupation code 51-4034.00
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 60% 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 | $46,570 | 1,100 |
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | $49,410 | 870 |
| Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX | $49,920 | 780 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI | $50,090 | 600 |
| Knoxville, TN | $46,400 | 580 |
| Cleveland, OH | $48,670 | 520 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA | $51,870 | 440 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $59,440 | 330 |
| Pittsburgh, PA | $64,410 | 330 |
| Waterbury-Shelton, CT | $35,620 | 290 |
| Peoria, IL | $56,640 | 280 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $46,420 | 260 |
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.
- Adjust machine controls and change tool settings to keep dimensions within specified tolerances.
- Move controls to set cutting speeds and depths and feed rates, and to position tools in relation to workpieces.
- Study blueprints, layouts or charts, and job orders for information on specifications and tooling instructions, and to determine material requirements and operational sequences.
- Inspect sample workpieces to verify conformance with specifications, using instruments such as gauges, micrometers, and dial indicators.
- Replace worn tools, and sharpen dull cutting tools and dies, using bench grinders or cutter-grinding machines.
- Move toolholders manually or by turning handwheels, or engage automatic feeding mechanisms to feed tools to and along workpieces.
- Compute unspecified dimensions and machine settings, using knowledge of metal properties and shop mathematics.
- Crank machines through cycles, stopping to adjust tool positions and machine controls to ensure specified timing, clearances, and tolerances.
- Position, secure, and align cutting tools in toolholders on machines, using hand tools, and verify their positions with measuring instruments.
- Start lathe or turning machines and observe operations to ensure that specifications are met.
- Program computer numerical control machines.
- Refill, change, and monitor the level of fluids, such as oil and coolant, in machines.
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 2024-08
How people actually get in
Share of workers by the education they hold.
O*NET 30.2 education, training and experience · observed 2024-08
What kind of person the work suits
Occupational interest profile, rated 1 to 7.
O*NET 30.2 occupational interests (RIASEC)
Tasks O*NET flags as emerging
- Clean work area.
- Program computer numerical control machines.
O*NET 28.3 emerging tasks
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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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 |
|---|---|---|
| lathe and turning machine operator | 7223.4.4 | exact |
| woodturner | 7523.6 | close |
| router operator | 7223.17 | close |
| fitter and turner | 7223.7 | close |
| milling machine operator | 7223.4.6 | close |
| metal planer operator | 7223.12 | broader |
| screw machine operator | 7223.19 | broader |
| computer numerical control machine operator | 7223.4 | broader |
| metalworking lathe operator | 7223.4.4.1 | broader |
Official ESCO ↔ O*NET crosswalk (ESCO Secretariat with USDOL/ETA)
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