Production · Holland code RC

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.

Also called: Machine Operator, Press Operator, Saw Operator, Setup Operator, Die Setter, Fabrication Operator, Machine Setter, Press Brake Operator.

O*NET 51-4031.00

At a glance

US median annual pay: $46,330; Middle half earn $38,870 to $55,410. BLS OEWS, May 2025.
Most common education: High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED); 63% of workers surveyed by O*NET report this level.
Preparation needed: Job Zone 2 of 5; Some preparation. Zone 1 is little or none; zone 5 is graduate-level.

What the work involves

The tasks workers in this occupation rate as most important, from the O*NET survey.

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.
Lubricate workpieces with oil.
Read work orders or production schedules to determine specifications, such as materials to be used, locations of cutting lines, or dimensions and tolerances.
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.
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.
Adjust ram strokes of presses to specified lengths, using hand tools.

Skills and knowledge it leans on

Skills

Active Listening3.0 / 5
Speaking3.0 / 5
Critical Thinking3.0 / 5
Monitoring3.0 / 5
Reading Comprehension2.8 / 5
Active Learning2.8 / 5

Knowledge areas

Production and Processing3.3 / 5
Mechanical3.0 / 5
English Language3.0 / 5
Mathematics2.4 / 5
Engineering and Technology2.4 / 5
Education and Training2.3 / 5

Importance ratings on O*NET’s 1 to 5 scale. Higher means the occupation depends on it more.

Who tends to enjoy it

How strongly this occupation draws on each of the six Holland interest types, which is the same profile the career interests test compares you against.

Realistic98
Investigative20
Artistic1
Social0
Enterprising0
Conventional55

The same work abroad

Other countries classify jobs differently, so these are the closest matches through the international ISCO-08 standard, not exact equivalents.

European occupation titles (ESCO)

laser marking machine operator · DE Maschinenbediener für Laserbeschriftungsanlage/Maschinenbedienerin für Laserbeschriftungsanlage · FR opérateur sur machine de marquage laser/opératrice sur machine de marquage laser
metal nibbling operator · DE Metallstanzer/Metallstanzerin · FR grignoteur/grignoteuse
stamping press operator · DE Maschinenbediener für Stanzpresse/Maschinenbedienerin für Stanzpresse · FR emboutisseur/emboutisseuse
straightening machine operator · DE Maschinenbediener für Richtmaschine/Maschinenbedienerin für Richtmaschine · FR dresseur/dresseuse
laser cutting machine operator · DE CNC-Laserbediener/CNC-Laserbedienerin · FR opérateur sur machine à découper au laser/opératrice sur machine à découper au laser
metal sawing machine operator · DE Metallsäger/Metallsägerin · FR opérateur sur machine à scier les métaux/opératrice sur machine à scier les métaux

Closest UK occupation groups (SOC 2020)

Metal machining setters and setter-operators (5221)40,400 employed
Metal working machine operatives (8120)28,100 employed
Plant and machine operatives n.e.c. (8139)22,500 employed

Employment is the UK Annual Population Survey for April 2025 to March 2026, all workers in the group, which can be broader than this one occupation.

Pay across Europe, for the whole group

Median annual earnings of all employees in “Craft and related trades workers”. This is the broad ISCO group this occupation falls in, not the occupation itself, so treat it as context for the wage level, not as a salary for this job.

Median annual earnings, Craft and related trades workers, by country
Country	Median pay
Belgium	€40,086
Germany	€38,638
Austria	€38,194
Sweden	€37,856
Netherlands	€37,077
Ireland	€36,098
France	€27,145
Italy	€26,488
Spain	€22,817
Portugal	€11,142
Poland	€10,099

Eurostat Structure of Earnings Survey, businesses with ten or more employees outside public administration, in euro and not adjusted for the cost of living. Reference years differ between sources: the US, Japan and Europe figures on this page come from different survey years, so compare them as rough levels, not to the euro or yen.

Exposure to AI

This occupation sits in the lower third of the 774 occupations scored, with an exposure score of -1.04. The scores are standardized across those occupations, so 0 is the average and a score of 1 is about one standard deviation above it.

Our note on reading it: the dataset links AI applications to the abilities that occupations require, so the score reflects overlap between the two. It is a comparison between occupations, not a forecast about jobs. It does not say whether exposure means tasks are replaced or workers get more done with the tools, and it says little about one employer or one role.

Source: Felten, E., Raj, M., & Seamans, R. (2021). Occupational, industry, and geographic exposure to artificial intelligence: A novel dataset and its potential uses. Strategic Management Journal, 42(12), 2195-2217. Matched to this page by 6-digit SOC code (51-4031).

Is it a fit for you?

Interest is one input, alongside ability, pay and what is hiring near you. The career interests test takes about thirteen minutes and ranks occupations by how closely their profile matches yours.

Take the career interests test