Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders

ManufacturingO*NET 51-9032.00United States

Set up, operate, or tend machines that cut or slice materials, such as glass, stone, cork, rubber, tobacco, food, paper, or insulating material.

COMING SOON See related ASU learning

Median annual earnings: $46,174
Projected change: +2.2%
Typical education: High school diploma or less
Employment: 46.67K jobs

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Build the skills

ASU learning related to this career

These courses and certificates are connected through catalog career relationships and Lightcast skill tags.

The work

What cutting and slicing machine setters, operators, and tenders do

Tasks reported for this occupation, ordered by how often they come up in the role.

Examine, measure, and weigh materials or products to verify conformance to specifications, using measuring devices, such as rulers, micrometers, or scales.
Set up, operate, or tend machines that cut or slice materials, such as glass, stone, cork, rubber, tobacco, food, paper, or insulating material.
Review work orders, blueprints, specifications, or job samples to determine components, settings, and adjustments for cutting and slicing machines.
Press buttons, pull levers, or depress pedals to start and operate cutting and slicing machines.
Start machines to verify setups, and make any necessary adjustments.
Feed stock into cutting machines, onto conveyors, or under cutting blades, by threading, guiding, pushing, or turning handwheels.
Stack and sort cut material for packaging, further processing, or shipping, according to types and sizes of material.
Adjust machine controls to alter position, alignment, speed, or pressure.
Monitor operation of cutting or slicing machines to detect malfunctions or to determine whether supplies need replenishment.
Remove completed materials or products from cutting or slicing machines, and stack or store them for additional processing.
Remove defective or substandard materials from machines, and readjust machine components so that products meet standards.
Maintain production records, such as quantities, types, and dimensions of materials produced.
Move stock or scrap to and from machines manually, or by using carts, handtrucks, or lift trucks.
Position stock along cutting lines, or against stops on beds of scoring or cutting machines.
Select and install machine components, such as cutting blades, rollers, and templates, according to specifications, using hand tools.
Clean and lubricate cutting machines, conveyors, blades, saws, or knives, using steam hoses, scrapers, brushes, or oil cans.

Pay and outlook

What the job pays and where it is heading

Annual earnings range

Reported earnings by percentile, United States

10th percentile: $35,099
25th percentile: $38,848
50th percentile: $46,174
75th percentile: $53,648
90th percentile: $61,411

The gold marker shows the median. Half earn more than $46,174 and half earn less.

Employment outlook

2025 to 2035 projection

+2.2%average or slower

202546,666 jobs

2035 projected47,696 jobs

1,030 more positions over the decade, before replacement hiring.

Preparation

Education levels

What people currently working in the career hold. These are not entry requirements.

High school diploma or less: 93.5%
Certificate: 4.9%
Some college: 1.3%
Bachelor's degree: 0.3%

Skills

Skills employers ask for

Technical skills appearing most often in job postings for this occupation.

Machine Operation
Machinery
General Mathematics
Lifting Ability
Hand Tools
Forklift Truck
Mechanical Aptitude
Cutting Tool (Machining)
Packaging And Labeling
Warehousing
Cutting Equipment
Food Safety And Sanitation
Tape Measure
Lubrication
Workflow Management
Calipers
Pallet Jacks
Palletizing
Safety Procedures
Electrical Discharge Machining

How the work gets done

Core competencies

Broad capabilities associated with strong performance in this occupation.

Operations Monitoring: Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
Operation and Control: Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
Quality Control Analysis: Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
Coordination: Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Equipment Maintenance: Performing routine maintenance on equipment and determining when and what kind of maintenance is needed.
Troubleshooting: Determining causes of operating errors and deciding what to do about it.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Complex Problem Solving: Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
Repairing: Repairing machines or systems using the needed tools.
Judgment and Decision Making: Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Social Perceptiveness: Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Time Management: Managing one's own time and the time of others.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Systems Analysis: Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.
Mathematics: Using mathematics to solve problems.
Equipment Selection: Determining the kind of tools and equipment needed to do a job.
Active Learning: Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.

In the market

Job titles and employers

Recent job postings in United States

Common job titles

01Cutting Machine Operators52 postings
02Laser Cutting Machine Operators24 postings
03Cutter Operators10 postings
04Machine Operators7 postings
05Die Cutter Operators5 postings
06Plasma Cutting Machine Operators5 postings
07Machine Operator Assistants4 postings
08Waterjet Operators4 postings
09Wire Cutters4 postings
10Stitcher Operators2 postings
11Bindery Machine Operators1 postings
12Manufacturing Operators1 postings
13Paper Conservators1 postings
14Paper Machine Superintendents1 postings

Top employers

01Aerotek11 postings
02Kelly Services7 postings
03Nahan Printing6 postings
04Rich Products Corporation6 postings
05Alleguard4 postings
06Fedtech4 postings
07Sigvaris4 postings
08Herff Jones3 postings
09American Games2 postings
10Ben Keith Company2 postings
11Canam Steel Corporation2 postings
12Elwood Staffing2 postings
13Johnson Service Group2 postings
14Love Envelopes2 postings
15ManpowerGroup2 postings
16McCain Foods2 postings
17Midwest Laminating2 postings
18Mountville Mills2 postings
19Piedmont Candy Company2 postings
20R.R. Donnelley & Sons2 postings

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