Production · Holland code RC

Extruding and Forming Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Synthetic and Glass Fibers

Set up, operate, or tend machines that extrude and form continuous filaments from synthetic materials, such as liquid polymer, rayon, and fiberglass.

Also called: Extruder Operator, Extrusion Line Operator, Extrusion Operator, Spindraw Operator, Extruder, Granulator, Hot End Operator, Pelletizer Operator.

O*NET 51-6091.00

At a glance

US median annual pay: $46,350; Middle half earn $39,360 to $57,280. BLS OEWS, May 2025.
Most common education: High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED); 74% 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.

Set up, operate, or tend machines that extrude and form filaments from synthetic materials such as rayon, fiberglass, or liquid polymers.
Press buttons to stop machines when processes are complete or when malfunctions are detected.
Notify other workers of defects, and direct them to adjust extruding and forming machines.
Observe flow of finish across finish rollers, and turn valves to adjust flow to specifications.
Observe machine operations, control boards, and gauges to detect malfunctions such as clogged bushings and defective binder applicators.
Remove polymer deposits from spinnerettes and equipment, using silicone spray, brass chisels, and bronze-wool pads.
Load materials into extruding and forming machines, using hand tools, and adjust feed mechanisms to set feed rates.
Press metering-pump buttons and turn valves to stop flow of polymers.

Skills and knowledge it leans on

Skills

Monitoring3.5 / 5
Active Listening3.0 / 5
Speaking3.0 / 5
Reading Comprehension2.9 / 5
Critical Thinking2.9 / 5
Active Learning2.8 / 5

Knowledge areas

Production and Processing3.7 / 5
English Language3.2 / 5
Mathematics3.1 / 5
Education and Training3.1 / 5
Mechanical3.1 / 5
Customer and Personal Service2.8 / 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.

Realistic92
Investigative20
Artistic5
Social4
Enterprising7
Conventional51

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)

extrusion machine operator · DE Extruderführer/Extruderführerin · FR opérateur extrusion en métallurgie/opératrice extrusion en métallurgie
nonwoven filament machine operator · DE Kunstfaserhersteller/Kunstfaserherstellerin · FR conducteur de machines de produits non tissés/conductrice de machines de produits non tissés
pultrusion machine operator · DE Pultrusionsmaschinenbediener/Pultrusionmaschinenbedienerin · FR mouleur-stratifieur par pultrusion/mouleuse-stratifieuse par pultrusion
filament winding operator · DE Bediener von Maschinen zum Glasfaserziehen/Bedienerin von Maschinen zum Glasfaserziehen · FR conducteur de machine de moulage par enroulement filamentaire/conductrice de machine de moulage par enroulement filamentaire
man-made fiber spinner · DE Kunstfaserspinner/Kunstfaserspinnerin · FR ouvrier de filature artificielle et synthétique/ouvrière de filature artificielle et synthétique
fibre machine tender · DE Kunstfaserstreckmaschinenbediener/Kunstfaserstreckmaschinenbedienerin · FR conducteur de ligne d’extrusion de fibres synthétiques/conductrice de ligne d’extrusion de fibres synthétiques

Closest UK occupation groups (SOC 2020)

Plastics process operatives (8114)18,200 employed
Metal making and treating process operatives (8115)11,500 employed
Textile process operatives (8112)9,600 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 “Plant and machine operators and assemblers”. 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, Plant and machine operators and assemblers, by country
Country	Median pay
Belgium	€39,630
Netherlands	€37,567
Austria	€37,304
Sweden	€36,005
Germany	€34,433
Ireland	€32,617
France	€28,550
Italy	€28,330
Spain	€24,409
Portugal	€11,309
Poland	€10,259

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 -0.86. 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 (51-6091).

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