Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic: Salary, Job Outlook & How to Become One (2026 Parent Guide)
Production · SOC 51-4031 · O*NET 51-4031.00
Set up, operate, or tend machines to saw, cut, shear, slit, punch, crimp, notch, bend, or straighten metal or plastic material.
Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic fall under the Production category in the U.S. occupational classification. Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic earn a median salary of $45,590 per year, ranking in the top 76% of all U.S. occupations. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects -12.1% job growth through 2034, projected to lose jobs through 2034. Entry into this field typically requires an apprenticeship, technical certification, or postsecondary training, with specific licensing or certification depending on the state and employer. For parents whose teenager is exploring this path, the most actionable step is mapping the education requirements to specific colleges and majors before junior year — not waiting until application season.
What do cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic earn?
The median annual wage for cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic is $45,590. That puts cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic at #616 on the BLS ranked list of all U.S. occupations by median pay. This salary is around or below the U.S. median for individual workers, so career growth often depends on advancement into supervisory roles, specialization, or additional credentials. Actual pay varies meaningfully by state, employer type, and years of experience — entry-level salaries are typically 30–40% below the median, while top-decile earners often exceed it by 50% or more.
| 10th percentile (entry-level) | $35,000 |
| 25th percentile | $38,400 |
| 50th percentile (median) | $45,590 |
| 75th percentile | $52,150 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $62,650 |
| Median hourly wage | $21.92/hr |
Is cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic a growing career?
The 10-year outlook for cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic is -12.1%, projected to lose jobs through 2034. Employment is projected to move from approximately 174K positions in 2024 to 153K in 2034, a net change of -21K. A declining outlook does not mean the field is disappearing; it means automation, demographics, or substitution effects are shrinking the pool of openings. Students entering a declining field should plan for adjacent skills that transfer to growing roles.
What do cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic do every day?
According to O*NET task surveys of working cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic, these are the core responsibilities most professionals perform. This is what your teen would actually be doing in this role.
- 1.Clean work area.
- 2.Examine completed workpieces for defects, such as chipped edges or marred surfaces and sort defective pieces according to types of flaws.
- 3.Set up, operate, or tend machines to saw, cut, shear, slit, punch, crimp, notch, bend, or straighten metal or plastic material.
- 4.Test and adjust machine speeds or actions, according to product specifications, using gauges and hand tools.
- 5.Measure completed workpieces to verify conformance to specifications, using micrometers, gauges, calipers, templates, or rulers.
- 6.Read work orders or production schedules to determine specifications, such as materials to be used, locations of cutting lines, or dimensions and tolerances.
- 7.Start machines, monitor their operations, and record operational data.
- 8.Turn controls to set cutting speeds, feed rates, or table angles for specified operations.
Top skills for cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic
O*NET ranks these as the most important skills for this occupation, on a 1–5 importance scale derived from worker surveys.
What education does my child need to become cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic?
Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic typically enter the field through a formal apprenticeship, technical certification, or vocational training program — a strong fit for teens who prefer hands-on learning over traditional college. For parents helping a teen prepare, the highest-leverage step before junior year is identifying colleges and programs that feed reliably into this occupation — Solyo's college search lets parents filter by major and admissions data side by side.
Based on O*NET surveys of incumbents — what people in this job actually have, not what employers list as required.
Related careers your child might also consider
How parents help teens explore careers like this
Solyo helps parents map a teen's interests to specific careers, then back to the colleges and majors that lead there. Salary, outlook, and education data come from BLS and O*NET — the same sources high school counselors use — but presented for the parent's planning lens, not the student's exploration view.
Common questions parents ask about cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic
What is the median salary for cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic?
The median annual salary for cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic is $45,590 according to the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics data.
Is cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic a growing career?
BLS projects -12.1% growth for cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic from 2024 through 2034, which is declining growth projected to lose jobs through 2034.
What education does my child need to become cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic?
The typical entry path requires an apprenticeship, technical certification, or postsecondary training, plus any state licensure or certification specific to the role. Programs that align well with this career can be filtered inside Solyo's college search.
What careers are similar to cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic?
Related occupations within the Production category share education paths and skill profiles, so they're a useful starting set when a teen is uncertain. The "Related careers" section below lists nearby options.
Salary data sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment Statistics program. Skills, tasks, and education distribution from the O*NET database. Job outlook from the BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034 release.