Careers / Rolling Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
Rolling Machine 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
$50,140
United States, 2025
Employment
25,250
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 machines to roll steel or plastic forming bends, beads, knurls, rolls, or plate, or to flatten, temper, or reduce gauge of material.
- O*NET code
- 51-4023.00
- Job zone
- 2
- Experience required
- None
Typical tasks
- Activate shears and grinders to trim workpieces.
- Monitor machine cycles and mill operation to detect jamming and to ensure that products conform to specifications.
- Adjust and correct machine set-ups to reduce thicknesses, reshape products, and eliminate product defects.
- Start operation of rolling and milling machines to flatten, temper, form, and reduce sheet metal sections and to produce steel strips.
- Examine, inspect, and measure raw materials and finished products to verify conformance to specifications.
- Read rolling orders, blueprints, and mill schedules to determine setup specifications, work sequences, product dimensions, and installation procedures.
- Manipulate controls and observe dial indicators to monitor, adjust, and regulate speeds of machine mechanisms.
- Set distance points between rolls, guides, meters, and stops, according to specifications.
Choose a location
Salary analysis — United States
10th percentile
$37,690
25th percentile
$44,020
75th percentile
$61,880
90th percentile
$70,310
Most important skills
- Operation and Control4.0
- Operations Monitoring4.0
- Quality Control Analysis3.6
- Monitoring3.5
- Speaking3.3
- Critical Thinking3.1
- Active Listening3.1
- Equipment Maintenance3.0
- Judgment and Decision Making3.0
- Active Learning3.0
- Complex Problem Solving3.0
- Time Management3.0
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 16 identified skills
Matched
0
Missing
16
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 | 4.0 | 4.0 | Not selected | 4.0 |
| Operation and Control | 4.0 | 3.9 | Not selected | 3.9 |
| Quality Control Analysis | 3.6 | 3.9 | Not selected | 3.9 |
| Monitoring | 3.5 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.1 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Equipment Maintenance | 3.0 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Active Learning | 3.0 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Time Management | 3.0 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Coordination | 3.0 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Troubleshooting | 3.0 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Speaking | 3.3 | 2.8 | Not selected | 2.8 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.0 | 2.9 | Not selected | 2.9 |
| Reading Comprehension | 3.0 | 2.9 | Not selected | 2.9 |
| Repairing | 3.0 | 2.9 | Not selected | 2.9 |
| Active Listening | 3.1 | 2.8 | Not selected | 2.8 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 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 Rolling Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHow salary varies by location
| Location | Median | Employment | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Decatur, AL | $114,470 | 70 | 2025 |
| IA | $72,670 | 660 | 2025 |
| Reading, PA | $70,310 | 670 | 2025 |
| Pittsburgh, PA | $69,150 | 1,260 | 2025 |
| PA | $66,970 | 3,070 | 2025 |
| VT | $66,240 | 40 | 2025 |
| Jackson, TN | $63,900 | 40 | 2025 |
| WA | $63,560 | 350 | 2025 |
| New Haven, CT | $63,210 | 70 | 2025 |
| Jacksonville, FL | $62,620 | 50 | 2025 |
| MD | $61,470 | 310 | 2025 |
| Philadelphia, PA | $61,090 | 210 | 2025 |
| NY | $60,890 | 420 | 2025 |
| MN | $60,620 | 50 | 2025 |
| CT | $60,610 | 150 | 2025 |
| NH | $60,570 | 40 | 2025 |
| Buffalo, NY | $59,970 | 70 | 2025 |
| Detroit, MI | $59,660 | 500 | 2025 |
| Baltimore, MD | $59,310 | 140 | 2025 |
| Knoxville, TN | $58,680 | 320 | 2025 |
Career transition paths
Compare the skills of a career you hold today with Rolling Machine 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.