How to become an Extruding and Forming Machine Setter, Operator, Tender, Synthetic and Glass Fiber

Official title: Extruding and Forming Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Synthetic and Glass Fibers

Also called: Extruder, Extruder Operator, Extrusion Line Operator, Extrusion Operator, Granulator, Hot End Operator, Pelletizer Operator, Pot Tipper, Spindraw Operator, Stretch Operator

Set up, operate, or tend machines that extrude and form continuous filaments from synthetic materials, such as liquid polymer, rayon, and fiberglass.

Main tasks

• Set up, operate, or tend machines that extrude and form filaments from synthetic materials such as rayon, fiberglass, or liquid polymers.
• Press buttons to stop machines when processes are complete or when malfunctions are detected.
• Notify other workers of defects, and direct them to adjust extruding and forming machines.
• Observe machine operations, control boards, and gauges to detect malfunctions such as clogged bushings and defective binder applicators.
• Load materials into extruding and forming machines, using hand tools, and adjust feed mechanisms to set feed rates.
• Move controls to activate and adjust extruding and forming machines.
• Record details of machine malfunctions.
• Clean and maintain extruding and forming machines, using hand tools.

How to become one

Typical education to start: High school diploma or equivalent

Pay · Outlook · AI and this job

• Median pay: $46,350 a year The middle half earn $39,360 to $57,280.
• About 13,500 people work in this job now, and about 13,000 are projected by 2035. (-3.3%)
• People use generative AI for relatively little of this work so far. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as low.

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Questions people ask

How much does an Extruding and Forming Machine Setter, Operator, Tender, Synthetic and Glass Fiber earn in the US?

Median full-time pay is $46,350 a year (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). The middle half earn $39,360 to $57,280.

Is an Extruding and Forming Machine Setter, Operator, Tender, Synthetic and Glass Fiber a growing career in the US?

Employment is projected to fall 3% by 2035, from about 13,500 to about 13,000 people (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Do you need a degree to become an Extruding and Forming Machine Setter, Operator, Tender, Synthetic and Glass Fiber?

Usually not. Only 19% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

Will AI change the work of an Extruding and Forming Machine Setter, Operator, Tender, Synthetic and Glass Fiber?

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 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.