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Jobs / Production and manufacturing / 51-4031.00

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

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

US jobs
171,200
Median wage
$46,330 a year
Job family
Production and manufacturing

Can agents do the work of cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic?

We read the evidence for the whole job family, Production and manufacturing: Unmeasured (no change in 12 months)

No direct benchmark gives a success rate.

0% of this occupation's work, by O*NET work activities, is measured by a direct benchmark.

  • 11%Operate cutting or grinding equipmentNot measured
  • 9%Position workpieces or materials on equipmentNot measured
  • 8%Maintain tools or equipmentNot measured
  • 8%Adjust equipment to ensure adequate performanceNot measured
  • 8%Clean tools, equipment, facilities, or work areasNot measured
  • 7%Set up equipmentNot measured
  • 5%Measure physical characteristics of materials, products, or equipmentNot measured
  • 5%Position materials or components for assemblyNot measured

Benchmarks for the job family

These cover work in production and manufacturing, not always this occupation's tasks.

Also relevant

These benchmarks cover part of this family's work, or have no result yet. They do not set its step.

Typical tasks

From O*NET 31.0. Core tasks first. Few of these tasks have a benchmark today.

  • 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.
  • Test and adjust machine speeds or actions, according to product specifications, using gauges and hand tools.
  • Load workpieces, plastic material, or chemical solutions into machines.
  • Turn controls to set cutting speeds, feed rates, or table angles for specified operations.
  • Clean work area.
  • Lubricate workpieces with oil.
  • Install, align, and lock specified punches, dies, cutting blades, or other fixtures in rams or beds of machines, using gauges, templates, feelers, shims, and hand tools.
  • Adjust ram strokes of presses to specified lengths, using hand tools.
Other job titles for this occupation (80)

Die Setter · Fabrication Operator · Machine Operator · Machine Setter · Press Brake Operator · Press Operator · Punch Press Operator · Saw Operator · Setup Operator · Slitter Operator · Adjuster · Angle Shear Operator · Angle Shear Setup Operator · Arbor Press Operator · Automatic Punch Press Operator · Automatic Screwmaker · Automobile Bumper Straightener · Bander Operator · Banding Machine Operator · Bench Shear Operator · Bender Machine Operator · Bending Machine Setup Operator · Bending Roll Operator · Beveler · Billet Cutter · Billet Shearer · Blanker · Body Press Operator · Bolt Cutter · Brake Machine Operator · Brake Operator · Brake Press Operator · Brass Cutter · Bullet Assembly Press Operator · Calender Roll Press Operator · Can Cutter · Center Punch Operator · Clearance Cutter · Clincher · Clinching Machine Operator · Coil Cutter · Coil Shaper · Cold Saw Operator · Corner Former · Crimping Machine Operator · Crimping Press Operator · Cut Off Machine Operator · Cut Off Saw Setup Operator · Cutter · Cutting and Creasing Press Operator · Cutting Machine Operator · Debridging Machine Operator · Diamond Saw Operator · Dicer Operator · Die Cutter · Digital Press Operator · Dimpling Machine Operator · Dinkey Press Operator · Draw Press Operator · Drawing Press Operator · Duplicator Punch Operator · Duplicator Punch Setup Operator · Equipment Technician (Equipment Tech) · Fabrication Machine Operator · Fabricator · Filament Cutter · Finish Saw Operator · Flexographic Press Operator (Flexo Press Operator) · Flying Shear Operator · Foot Press Operator · Forming Press Operator · Four Slide Machine Setter · Four Slide Operator · Friction Saw Operator · Gasket Former · Gasket Maker · Hack Saw Operator · Hammer Operator · Heavy Duty Press Operator · Hoop Puncher