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Metal and Plastic Extruding and Drawing Machine Setter, Operator, or Tender

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What Do Metal and Plastic Extruding and Drawing Machine Setter, Operator, or Tender Do?

Career Description Set up, operate, or tend machines to extrude or draw thermoplastic or metal materials into tubes, rods, hoses, wire, bars, or structural shapes.

Extruding & Drawing Machine Operator Responsibilities

  • Troubleshoot, maintain, and make minor repairs to equipment.
  • Reel extruded products into rolls of specified lengths and weights.
  • Clean work areas.
  • Load machine hoppers with mixed materials, using augers, or stuff rolls of plastic dough into machine cylinders.
  • Adjust controls to draw or press metal into specified shapes and diameters.
  • Operate shearing mechanisms to cut rods to specified lengths.

What Skills Do You Need to Work as an Extruding & Drawing Machine Operator?

Metal and Plastic Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders state the following job skills are important in their day-to-day work.

Operation Monitoring: Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.

Operation and Control: Controlling operations of equipment or systems.

Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.

Quality Control Analysis: Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.

Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

Judgment and Decision Making: Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.

  • Wire Drawer
  • Extrusion Machine Operator
  • Manufacturing Associate
  • Hot Mill Observer
  • Grid Caster

Extruding & Drawing Machine Operator Job Outlook

In the United States, there were 72,300 jobs for Metal and Plastic Extruding and Drawing Machine Setter, Operator, or Tender in 2016. There is little to no growth in job opportunities for Metal and Plastic Extruding and Drawing Machine Setter, Operator, or Tender. Due to new job openings and attrition, there will be an average of 5,600 job openings in this field each year.

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The states with the most job growth for Extruding & Drawing Machine Operator are Utah, Georgia, and Nevada. Watch out if you plan on working in Delaware, Virginia, or Maine. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.

Salary for an Extruding & Drawing Machine Operator

The typical yearly salary for Metal and Plastic Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders is somewhere between $23,840 and $52,060.

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Metal and Plastic Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders who work in Iowa, South Carolina, or Connecticut, make the highest salaries.

How much do Metal and Plastic Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders make in different U.S. states?

State Annual Mean Salary
Alabama $28,830
Arizona $33,560
Arkansas $35,230
California $34,520
Colorado $39,060
Connecticut $42,960
Delaware $38,540
Florida $31,350
Georgia $34,210
Idaho $30,090
Illinois $40,470
Indiana $35,650
Iowa $45,820
Kansas $36,050
Kentucky $37,550
Louisiana $35,130
Maine $38,330
Maryland $35,500
Massachusetts $39,300
Michigan $32,040
Minnesota $40,500
Mississippi $30,250
Missouri $35,630
Nebraska $38,520
Nevada $33,910
New Hampshire $39,140
New Jersey $35,060
New Mexico $34,130
New York $36,670
North Carolina $39,370
North Dakota $36,370
Ohio $35,420
Oklahoma $35,240
Oregon $39,230
Pennsylvania $38,380
Rhode Island $41,640
South Carolina $41,990
South Dakota $35,020
Tennessee $35,770
Texas $35,310
Utah $35,640
Vermont $32,030
Virginia $38,710
Washington $39,530
West Virginia $39,540
Wisconsin $40,030

Tools & Technologies Used by Metal and Plastic Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders

Although they’re not necessarily needed for all jobs, the following technologies are used by many Metal and Plastic Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders:

  • Microsoft Excel
  • Microsoft Word
  • Microsoft PowerPoint
  • SAP

Becoming an Extruding & Drawing Machine Operator

What education or degrees do I need to become a Metal and Plastic Extruding and Drawing Machine Setter, Operator, or Tender?

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How many years of work experience do I need?

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Metal and Plastic Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders Sector

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The table below shows some of the most common industries where those employed in this career field work.

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Similar Careers

Those thinking about becoming a Metal and Plastic Extruding and Drawing Machine Setter, Operator, or Tender might also be interested in the following careers:

Career changers with experience as a Metal and Plastic Extruding and Drawing Machine Setter, Operator, or Tender sometimes find work in one of the following fields:

References:

Image Credit: US Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class John Linzmeier via Public domain

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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