How to become a Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setter, Operator or Tender, Metal and Plastic

Official title: Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic

Also called: Die Setter, Fabrication Operator, Machine Operator, Machine Setter, Press Brake Operator, Press Operator, Punch Press Operator, Saw Operator, Setup Operator, Slitter Operator

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

Main tasks

• 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.
• Read work orders or production schedules to determine specifications, such as materials to be used, locations of cutting lines, or dimensions and tolerances.
• 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.
• 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.
• Turn controls to set cutting speeds, feed rates, or table angles for specified operations.

How to become one

Metal and plastic workers typically need a high school diploma to enter the occupation and receive 1 year of on-the-job training. Computer numerically controlled (CNC) tool programmers typically need postsecondary training.

Typical education to start: High school diploma or equivalent

Read the full guide from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Ways in

• Apprenticeship: Press Operator Heavy Duty.
• Apprenticeship: Spring Coiling Machine Set.

Pay · Outlook · AI and this job

• Median pay: $46,330 a year The middle half earn $38,870 to $55,410.
• About 171,000 people work in this job now, and about 153,100 are projected by 2035. (-10.5%)
• People use generative AI for relatively little of this work so far. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as low.

Related jobs

• Drilling and Boring Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
• Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
• Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
• Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic

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Questions people ask

How do I become a Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setter, Operator or Tender, Metal and Plastic?

Metal and plastic workers typically need a high school diploma to enter the occupation and receive 1 year of on-the-job training. Computer numerically controlled (CNC) tool programmers typically need postsecondary training.

How much does a Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setter, Operator or Tender, Metal and Plastic earn in the US?

Median full-time pay is $46,330 a year (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). The middle half earn $38,870 to $55,410.

Is a Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setter, Operator or Tender, Metal and Plastic a growing career in the US?

Employment is projected to fall 10% by 2035, from about 171,000 to about 153,100 people (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Do you need a degree to become a Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setter, Operator or Tender, Metal and Plastic?

Usually not. Only 4% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Ways in include: Press Operator Heavy Duty.

Will AI change the work of a Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setter, Operator or Tender, Metal and Plastic?

People use generative AI for relatively little of this work so far. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as low.

Sources

• Microsoft Research: Working with AI: AI applicability by occupation (2025-12-22 (built on O*NET 29.0)), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Employment Projections (2025-35 (released 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Outlook Handbook (2025-35 edition (published 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS); photographs excluded, retrieved 2026-10-03
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03

Updated 2026-10-03

This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.