Skip to main contentReport an accessibility problem
ASU for LifeASU for Life

Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic

ManufacturingO*NET 51-4031.00United States

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

COMING SOON See related ASU learning
Median annual earnings
$46,296

50th percentile, United States

Projected change
−7.7%

2025 to 2035

Typical education
High school diploma or less

64.3% of the workforce

Employment
171.19K jobs

Growing to 158.02K by 2035

Explore this career by location

Compare nationwide estimates with state or county job-market data.

Showing United States

Loading available locations…

Build the skills

ASU learning related to this career

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

Loading related ASU learning

The work

What cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic do

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

  • 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.
  • Load workpieces, plastic material, or chemical solutions into machines.
  • Test and adjust machine speeds or actions, according to product specifications, using gauges and hand tools.
  • Turn controls to set cutting speeds, feed rates, or table angles for specified operations.
  • Clean work area.

Pay and outlook

What the job pays and where it is heading

Annual earnings range

Reported earnings by percentile, United States

10th percentile
$35,714
25th percentile
$38,844
50th percentile
$46,296
75th percentile
$55,407
90th percentile
$65,573

The gold marker shows the median. Half earn more than $46,296 and half earn less.

Employment outlook

2025 to 2035 projection

−7.7%projected to decline
2025171,193 jobs
2035 projected158,016 jobs

13,177 fewer 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
64.3%
Certificate
34.8%
Some college
0.9%

Skills

Skills employers ask for

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

  • Press Brake
  • Calipers
  • Tooling
  • Blueprinting
  • Sheet Metal
  • Fabrication
  • Micrometer
  • Machinery
  • Brakes
  • Lifting Ability
  • Brake (Sheet Metal Bending)
  • Machine Operation
  • Metal Forming
  • Tape Measure
  • Mechanical Aptitude
  • Technical Drawing
  • Blueprint Reading
  • General Mathematics
  • Machining
  • Machine Setup

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.
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.
Monitoring
Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Speaking
Talking to others to convey information effectively.
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.
Judgment and Decision Making
Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Reading Comprehension
Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
Equipment Maintenance
Performing routine maintenance on equipment and determining when and what kind of maintenance is needed.
Time Management
Managing one's own time and the time of others.
Coordination
Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Active Learning
Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
Repairing
Repairing machines or systems using the needed tools.
Complex Problem Solving
Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
Social Perceptiveness
Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Writing
Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Instructing
Teaching others how to do something.
Persuasion
Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.

In the market

Job titles and employers

Recent job postings in United States

Common job titles

  1. 01Press Brake Operators3,709 postings
  2. 02Press Operators239 postings
  3. 03Press Brake Set Up Operators145 postings
  4. 04Press Brake Machine Operators121 postings
  5. 05Punch Press Operators64 postings
  6. 06Brake Operators56 postings
  7. 07Stamping Press Operators36 postings
  8. 08Set Up Operators35 postings
  9. 09Flexographic Press Operators30 postings
  10. 10Sheet Metal Fabricators26 postings
  11. 11Break/Fix Technicians25 postings
  12. 12Field Service Technicians22 postings
  13. 13Operators20 postings
  14. 14Digital Press Operators18 postings
  15. 15CNC Set Up Operators17 postings
  16. 16Press Helpers16 postings
  17. 17Fabricators15 postings
  18. 18Metal Fabricators12 postings
  19. 19Sheet Metal Mechanics12 postings
  20. 20Sheet Metal Technicians11 postings

Top employers

  1. 01Aerotek436 postings
  2. 02Express Employment Professionals96 postings
  3. 03ManpowerGroup79 postings
  4. 04Randstad62 postings
  5. 05Twin City Staffing40 postings
  6. 06PrideStaff34 postings
  7. 07Personnel People33 postings
  8. 08GPAC30 postings
  9. 09Adecco29 postings
  10. 10Nesco Resource29 postings
  11. 11Eaton Corporation27 postings
  12. 12Spherion Staffing27 postings
  13. 13Mayville Engineering Company21 postings
  14. 14ResourceMFG21 postings
  15. 15Staffmark20 postings
  16. 16AtWork Group18 postings
  17. 17Ascend Staffing16 postings
  18. 18Entegee16 postings
  19. 19Kelly Services16 postings
  20. 20QPS Employment Group16 postings

Keep looking

Related careers

Adhesive Bonding Machine Operators and Tenders

Median pay
$46,467
Employment outlook
+0.5%

Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers

Median pay
$65,331
Employment outlook
−7.4%

Appraisers and Assessors of Real Estate

Median pay
$68,507
Employment outlook
−2.3%

Appraisers of Personal and Business Property

Median pay
$68,507
Employment outlook
−2.3%