Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic Career, Salary and Skills

Occupation description

Set up, operate, or tend forging machines to taper, shape, or form metal or plastic parts.

National salary and employment

Top skills

Typical tasks

• Start machines to produce sample workpieces, and observe operations to detect machine malfunctions and to verify that machine setups conform to specifications.
• Read work orders or blueprints to determine specified tolerances and sequences of operations for machine setup.
• Confer with other workers about machine setups and operational specifications.
• Measure and inspect machined parts to ensure conformance to product specifications.
• Turn handles or knobs to set pressures and depths of ram strokes and to synchronize machine operations.
• Set up, operate, or tend presses and forging machines to perform hot or cold forging by flattening, straightening, bending, cutting, piercing, or other operations to taper, shape, or form metal.
• Trim and compress finished forgings to specified tolerances.
• Install, adjust, and remove dies, synchronizing cams, forging hammers, and stop guides, using overhead cranes or other hoisting devices, and hand tools.

Technology

• Email software
• Inventory tracking software
• Machine control software

Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic salary by location

Areas with the highest reported employment for this occupation.

• Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic Salary in TN
  Median $43,810 · Employment 1,140
• Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic Salary in CA
  Median $59,250 · Employment 750
• Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic Salary in TX
  Median $37,390 · Employment 720
• Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic Salary in MI
  Median $61,620 · Employment 620
• Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic Salary in VA
  Median $54,230 · Employment 560
• Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic Salary in PA
  Median $50,280 · Employment 550
• Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic Salary in Los Angeles, CA
  Median $59,320 · Employment 510
• Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic Salary in OH
  Median $56,870 · Employment 500
• Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic Salary in IN
  Median $53,550 · Employment 450
• Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic Salary in GA
  Median $46,490 · Employment 380
• Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic Salary in Detroit, MI
  Median $61,980 · Employment 380
• Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic Salary in MA
  Median $51,770 · Employment 310

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