How to become a metal working machine operative
Official title: Metal working machine operatives
Also called: Metal cutter, Metal tipper, Metal cleaner, Metal dresser, Metal scraper, Metal stamper, Metal polisher, Metal machinist, Machine presser, Metal box worker, Art metal worker, Tin can operative
Metal working machine operatives operate machines to cut, shape, abrade and otherwise machine metal, use hand and power tools to remove surplus metal and rough surfaces from castings, forgings or other metal parts, and clean, smooth and polish metal workpieces.
Main tasks
- Secures workpiece in drilling, boring, milling, planing, grinding, lapping, honing, electrochemical, or other shaping machines, or loads metal stock on to press
- Sets controls, starts machine and operates controls to feed tool to workpiece or vice versa and repositions workpiece during machining as required
- Withdraws workpiece and examines accuracy using measuring instruments
- Operates burning, chipping and grinding equipment to remove defects from metal parts, and files, chisels, burns and saws off surplus metal
- Smooths rough surfaces with hand tools, abrasive belts and wheels, compressed air, jets of vapour, or blasting with shot, grit, sand or other abrasive material
- Selects and secures polishing head to machine tool, prepares head with emery, grease or other substance, sets speed and angle of polishing head, and operates controls to feed polishing head to workpiece or vice versa
How to become one
There are no formal academic entry requirements. Training is typically received on-the-job. NVQs/SVQs in Mechanical Manufacturing Engineering are available.
Pay · Outlook
- Median full-time pay: £31,500 a year The middle half earn £27,304 to £39,688.
- About 45,900 people work in this job now, and about 45,200 are projected by 2035. (-1.6%)
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Questions people ask
How do I become a metal working machine operative?
There are no formal academic entry requirements. Training is typically received on-the-job. NVQs/SVQs in Mechanical Manufacturing Engineering are available.
How much does a metal working machine operative earn in the UK?
Median full-time pay is £31,500 a year (Office for National Statistics). The middle half earn £27,304 to £39,688.
Is a metal working machine operative a growing career in the UK?
Employment is projected to stay about the same by 2035: about 45,900 people now and 45,200 later (Department for Education).
Do you need a degree to become a metal working machine operative?
Usually not. Only 8% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Sources
- Office for National Statistics: Annual Population Survey: employment by occupation (April 2025 to March 2026), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
- Office for National Statistics: SOC 2020 Volume 1: structure and descriptions (2026-08-27 edition), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
- Department for Education: Skills Imperative 2035: employment projections by occupation (2021 to 2035 (Warwick IER / Cambridge Econometrics)), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
- Office for National Statistics: Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, Table 14 (2025 provisional), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
Updated 2026-10-03