Careers / Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic — Career Decision Dashboard
United States
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Report generated from official BLS OEWS and O*NET data — United States.
Median annual wage
$50,620
United States, 2025
Employment
16,710
United States, 2025
Typical education
High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)
Job Zone 2
Skills identified
35
10 related careers
Career overview
Set up, operate, or tend lathe and turning machines to turn, bore, thread, form, or face metal or plastic materials, such as wire, rod, or bar stock.
- O*NET code
- 51-4034.00
- Job zone
- 2
- Experience required
- Over 1 year, up to and including 2 years
Typical tasks
- Adjust machine controls and change tool settings to keep dimensions within specified tolerances.
- Move controls to set cutting speeds and depths and feed rates, and to position tools in relation to workpieces.
- Study blueprints, layouts or charts, and job orders for information on specifications and tooling instructions, and to determine material requirements and operational sequences.
- Inspect sample workpieces to verify conformance with specifications, using instruments such as gauges, micrometers, and dial indicators.
- Replace worn tools, and sharpen dull cutting tools and dies, using bench grinders or cutter-grinding machines.
- Move toolholders manually or by turning handwheels, or engage automatic feeding mechanisms to feed tools to and along workpieces.
- Compute unspecified dimensions and machine settings, using knowledge of metal properties and shop mathematics.
- Crank machines through cycles, stopping to adjust tool positions and machine controls to ensure specified timing, clearances, and tolerances.
Choose a location
Salary analysis — United States
10th percentile
$36,670
25th percentile
$43,250
75th percentile
$60,700
90th percentile
$69,700
Most important skills
- Operations Monitoring3.5
- Operation and Control3.4
- Quality Control Analysis3.0
- Active Listening3.0
- Equipment Maintenance3.0
- Reading Comprehension3.0
- Monitoring3.0
- Judgment and Decision Making2.9
- Time Management2.8
- Speaking2.8
- Troubleshooting2.6
- Equipment Selection2.6
What skills do you need?
Select the skills you already have
Skills listed are those O*NET rates at importance 3.0 or above for this occupation. Set your own level on the same 0–7 O*NET scale.
Skill coverage
0%
0 of 7 identified skills
Matched
0
Missing
7
Your selected skills cover approximately 0% of the skills identified for this occupation in O*NET. This is a coverage measure of listed skills only — it is not a qualification, hiring or interview outcome.
Skills to develop
| Skill | Importance | Required level | Your level | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Operations Monitoring | 3.5 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Operation and Control | 3.4 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Quality Control Analysis | 3.0 | 3.3 | Not selected | 3.3 |
| Monitoring | 3.0 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Active Listening | 3.0 | 2.9 | Not selected | 2.9 |
| Reading Comprehension | 3.0 | 2.9 | Not selected | 2.9 |
| Equipment Maintenance | 3.0 | 2.8 | Not selected | 2.8 |
Ordered by required level gap multiplied by O*NET importance. No prediction or recommendation is implied.
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Compare with Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHow salary varies by location
| Location | Median | Employment | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose, CA | $74,420 | 360 | 2025 |
| CO | $71,670 | 150 | 2025 |
| Bridgeport, CT | $66,980 | 80 | 2025 |
| Pittsburgh, PA | $66,500 | 220 | 2025 |
| Minneapolis, MN | $64,950 | 130 | 2025 |
| ME | $64,800 | 80 | 2025 |
| Denver, CO | $64,790 | 60 | 2025 |
| Spartanburg, SC | $61,940 | 90 | 2025 |
| Boston, MA | $61,890 | 510 | 2025 |
| San Diego, CA | $61,050 | 240 | 2025 |
| MN | $61,000 | 150 | 2025 |
| MA | $60,870 | 690 | 2025 |
| Sacramento, CA | $60,190 | 30 | 2025 |
| CA | $60,180 | 2,600 | 2025 |
| Los Angeles, CA | $60,110 | 1,280 | 2025 |
| Hartford, CT | $59,740 | 180 | 2025 |
| Springfield, MA | $59,030 | 100 | 2025 |
| AL | $58,490 | 100 | 2025 |
| NV | $58,240 | 60 | 2025 |
| Riverside, CA | $57,990 | 230 | 2025 |
Career transition paths
Compare the skills of a career you hold today with Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic to see shared skills, target-only skills and skill overlap.
Build a transition comparisonCareer and skills data: O*NET 31.0.
Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, 2025 (May 2025 release).
Figures are periodic published survey snapshots, not real-time market rates.