
Cutting, Punching, & Press Machine Setters, Operators, & Tenders, Metal & Plastic
Also called: Machine Operator, Press Operator, Saw Operator, Set-Up Operator
In the Air Force:
Aircraft Structural Maintenance; Aircraft Structural Maintenance Apprentice; Aircraft Structural Maintenance Craftsman; Aircraft Structural Maintenance Helper; Aircraft Structural Maintenance Journeyman; Low Observable Aircraft Structural Maintenance; Low Observable Aircraft Structural Maintenance Apprentice; Low Observable Aircraft Structural Maintenance Craftsman; Low Observable Aircraft Structural Maintenance Helper; Low Observable Aircraft Structural Maintenance Journeyman
What they do:
Set up, operate, or tend machines to saw, cut, shear, slit, punch, crimp, notch, bend, or straighten metal or plastic material.
On the job, you would:
- Examine completed workpieces for defects, such as chipped edges or marred surfaces and sort defective pieces according to types of flaws.
- Measure completed workpieces to verify conformance to specifications, using micrometers, gauges, calipers, templates, or rulers.
- Set stops on machine beds, change dies, and adjust components, such as rams or power presses, when making multiple or successive passes.
Knowledge
Engineering and Technology
- mechanical
Manufactured or Agricultural Goods
- manufacture and distribution of products
Math and Science
- arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics
Skills
Basic Skills
- keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements
- listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions
Problem Solving
- noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it
Abilities
Hand and Finger Use
- keep your arm or hand steady
- hold or move items with your hands
Controlled Movement
- quickly change the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat
- use your arms and/or legs together while sitting, standing, or lying down
Personality
People interested in this work like activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions.
They do well at jobs that need:
- Attention to Detail
- Dependability
- Independence
- Initiative
- Integrity
- Self Control
Technology
You might use software like this on the job:
Spreadsheet software
Computer aided manufacturing CAM software
- Striker Systems SS-Punch
Education
Job Outlook
New job opportunities are less likely in the future.

$34,460

$23,440
$52,270
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