Production · Holland code RC

Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders

Set up, operate, or tend machines, such as glass-forming machines, plodder machines, and tuber machines, to shape and form products such as glassware, food, rubber, soap, brick, tile, clay, wax, tobacco, or cosmetics.

Also called: Extruder Operator, Extrusion Operator, Machine Operator, Press Operator, Glass Forming Crew Member, Tuber Operator.

O*NET 51-9041.00

At a glance

US median annual pay: $45,760; Middle half earn $38,360 to $52,580. BLS OEWS, May 2025.
Most common education: High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED); 78% 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.

Adjust machine components to regulate speeds, pressures, and temperatures, and amounts, dimensions, and flow of materials or ingredients.
Press control buttons to activate machinery and equipment.
Examine, measure, and weigh materials or products to verify conformance to standards, using measuring devices such as templates, micrometers, or scales.
Activate machines to shape or form products, such as candy bars, light bulbs, balloons, or insulation panels.
Monitor machine operations and observe lights and gauges to detect malfunctions.
Clear jams, and remove defective or substandard materials or products.
Notify supervisors when extruded filaments fail to meet standards.
Record and maintain production data, such as meter readings, and quantities, types, and dimensions of materials produced.

Skills and knowledge it leans on

Skills

Monitoring3.4 / 5
Speaking3.1 / 5
Reading Comprehension3.0 / 5
Active Listening3.0 / 5
Critical Thinking3.0 / 5
Writing2.8 / 5

Knowledge areas

Production and Processing3.7 / 5
Mechanical3.5 / 5
Computers and Electronics3.1 / 5
Mathematics2.9 / 5
Engineering and Technology2.9 / 5
Food Production2.8 / 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
Investigative21
Artistic5
Social1
Enterprising4
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)

oilseed presser · DE Ölsaatpressenbediener/Ölsaatpressenbedienerin · FR opérateur de presse à graines oléagineuses/opératrice de presse à graines oléagineuses
extrusion machine operator · DE Extruderführer/Extruderführerin · FR opérateur extrusion en métallurgie/opératrice extrusion en métallurgie
plodder operator · DE Seifenpresser/Seifenpresserin · FR opérateur extrusion en fabrication de savons/opératrice extrusion en fabrication de savons
V-belt builder · DE Keilriemenhersteller/Keilriemenherstellerin · FR agent de fabrication de courroies trapézoïdales/agente de fabrication de courroies trapézoïdales
blow moulding machine operator · DE Bediener von Blasformmaschinen/Bedienerin von Blasformmaschinen · FR opérateur soufflage en matières plastiques/opératrice soufflage en matières plastiques
record press operator · DE Schallplattenpresser/Schallplattenpresserin · FR opérateur de pressage de disques phonographiques/opératrice de pressage de disques phonographiques

Closest UK occupation groups (SOC 2020)

Plastics process operatives (8114)18,200 employed
Process operatives n.e.c. (8119)26,300 employed
Food, drink and tobacco process operatives (8111)129,900 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 -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 (51-9041).

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