How to become a Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setter, Operator or Tender, Metal and Plastic

Official title: Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic

Also called: CNC Lathe Operator (Computer Numerical Control Lathe Operator), CNC Setup Operator (Computer Numerical Control Setup Operator), Lathe Operator, Machine Operator, Numerical Control Operator (NC Operator), Screw Machine Operator, Screw Machine Tool Setter, Setup Operator, Turn Operator

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.

Main tasks

• 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.

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: Cnc Operator - Milling and Turning.
• Apprenticeship: Cnc Operator - Turning.
• Apprenticeship: Engine-Lathe Set-Up Operator.

Pay · Outlook · AI and this job

• Median pay: $50,620 a year The middle half earn $43,250 to $60,700.
• About 16,700 people work in this job now, and about 14,800 are projected by 2035. (-11.3%)
• People use generative AI for relatively little of this work so far. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as low.

Related jobs

• Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
• 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
• Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic

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Questions people ask

How do I become a Lathe and Turning Machine Tool 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 Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setter, Operator or Tender, Metal and Plastic earn in the US?

Median full-time pay is $50,620 a year (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). The middle half earn $43,250 to $60,700.

Is a Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setter, Operator or Tender, Metal and Plastic a growing career in the US?

Employment is projected to fall 11% by 2035, from about 16,700 to about 14,800 people (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Do you need a degree to become a Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setter, Operator or Tender, Metal and Plastic?

Usually not. Only 8% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Ways in include: Cnc Operator - Milling and Turning.

Will AI change the work of a Lathe and Turning Machine Tool 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.