How to become a Milling and Planing Machine Setter, Operator or Tender, Metal and Plastic

Official title: Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic

Also called: CNC Licensed Mill Operator (Computer Numerical Control Licensed Mill Operator), CNC Mill Operator (Computer Numerical Control Mill Operator), CNC Mill Operator (Computerized Numerical Control Mill Operator), CNC Mill Set Up Operator (Computerized Numerical Control Mill Set Up Operator), Machine Operator, Machine Set Up Operator, Mill Operator, Miller, Milling Operator, Setup Man

Set up, operate, or tend milling or planing machines to mill, plane, shape, groove, or profile metal or plastic work pieces.

Main tasks

• Remove workpieces from machines, and check to ensure that they conform to specifications, using measuring instruments such as microscopes, gauges, calipers, and micrometers.
• Verify alignment of workpieces on machines, using measuring instruments such as rules, gauges, or calipers.
• Move controls to set cutting specifications, to position cutting tools and workpieces in relation to each other, and to start machines.
• Observe milling or planing machine operation, and adjust controls to ensure conformance with specified tolerances.
• Select and install cutting tools and other accessories according to specifications, using hand tools or power tools.
• Position and secure workpieces on machines, using holding devices, measuring instruments, hand tools, and hoists.
• Replace worn tools, using hand tools, and sharpen dull tools, using bench grinders.
• Study blueprints, layouts, sketches, or work orders to assess workpiece specifications and to determine tooling instructions, tools and materials needed, and sequences of 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: Cnc Operator - Milling.
• Apprenticeship: Milling Machine Set-Up Operator.
• Apprenticeship: Pantograph-Machine Set-Up Oper.

Pay · Outlook · AI and this job

• Median pay: $52,800 a year The middle half earn $45,210 to $64,900.
• About 12,400 people work in this job now, and about 10,800 are projected by 2035. (-13.2%)
• 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
• Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic

Not sure this is for you? Take the 2-minute career quiz

Questions people ask

How do I become a Milling and Planing 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 Milling and Planing Machine Setter, Operator or Tender, Metal and Plastic earn in the US?

Median full-time pay is $52,800 a year (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). The middle half earn $45,210 to $64,900.

Is a Milling and Planing Machine Setter, Operator or Tender, Metal and Plastic a growing career in the US?

Employment is projected to fall 13% by 2035, from about 12,400 to about 10,800 people (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Do you need a degree to become a Milling and Planing Machine 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.

Will AI change the work of a Milling and Planing 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.