Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic: Job Description
Set up, operate, or tend forging machines to taper, shape, or form metal or plastic parts.
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The Daily Work of Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic Do?
The day-to-day responsibilities of forging machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic span:
- Read work orders or blueprints to determine specified tolerances and sequences of operations for machine setup.
- Position and move metal wires or workpieces through a series of dies that compress and shape stock to form die impressions.
- Measure and inspect machined parts to ensure conformance to product specifications.
- 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.
- Turn handles or knobs to set pressures and depths of ram strokes and to synchronize machine operations.
- Install, adjust, and remove dies, synchronizing cams, forging hammers, and stop guides, using overhead cranes or other hoisting devices, and hand tools.
- Start machines to produce sample workpieces, and observe operations to detect machine malfunctions and to verify that machine setups conform to specifications.
- Confer with other workers about machine setups and operational specifications.
Key Skills and Knowledge
Effective forging machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic draw on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Top Skills
The competencies most central to this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Top Knowledge Areas
Other Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic Job Titles
This career also goes by job titles like:
- Air Table Operator
- Anvil Seating Press Operator
- Automatic Casting-Forging Machine Operator
- Blacksmith
- Board Hammer Operator
- Bolt Machine Operator
- Buckshot Swage Operator
- Bulldozer Operator
Employment and Demand
There are about 512,972 forging machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic working in the United States today. Employment is projected to decline by -4.1% over the projection horizon.
How Much Do Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic Make?
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $33,957 |
| Hourly median | $16.33 |
| 10th percentile | $21,677 |
| 25th percentile | $27,817 |
| 75th percentile | $40,097 |
| 90th percentile | $46,238 |
Compensation varies based on experience, location, and industry.
Pay by State
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| New Jersey | $63,630 |
| Massachusetts | $60,540 |
| Kentucky | $59,700 |
| Nebraska | $58,560 |
| California | $57,620 |
| Oklahoma | $56,030 |
| Colorado | $55,990 |
| New York | $53,140 |
| Virginia | $53,050 |
| Oregon | $52,040 |
| Wisconsin | $51,760 |
| Arkansas | $51,520 |
| Michigan | $50,950 |
| Kansas | $50,900 |
| Ohio | $50,200 |
| Nevada | $49,920 |
| Pennsylvania | $49,590 |
| South Carolina | $48,320 |
| Missouri | $48,010 |
| Illinois | $47,540 |
| Alabama | $46,640 |
| Indiana | $46,460 |
| South Dakota | $45,430 |
| Iowa | $45,420 |
| Connecticut | $44,000 |
| Georgia | $42,120 |
| Maine | $41,530 |
| Florida | $39,210 |
| Mississippi | $36,940 |
| Texas | $36,910 |
| Tennessee | $36,000 |
Where Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic Earn the Most
Pay for forging machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic shift depending on where you work. Top regions by median wage:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Far Western US | $57,027 | 6.7% | 0.46 |
| Rocky Mountains | $55,990 | 2.2% | 1.02 |
| Plains States | $52,960 | 6.0% | 2.11 |
| New England | $52,797 | 6.1% | 1.71 |
| Middle Atlantic | $51,938 | 10.1% | 1.16 |
| Great Lakes | $49,644 | 27.7% | 2.19 |
| Southeast | $48,366 | 33.4% | 3.95 |
| Southwest | $36,910 | 7.9% | 0.78 |
Where the Jobs Cluster
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Worcester, MA | MA | $86,590 | 60 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | CA | $65,690 | 40 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | MA | $65,530 | 60 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | PA | $62,590 | 190 |
| Youngstown-Warren, OH | OH | $58,100 | 80 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | CA | $57,150 | 300 |
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | MI | $56,690 | 330 |
| Canton-Massillon, OH | OH | $53,680 | 40 |
Which Industries Hire Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
The bulk of forging machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic are found across these industries:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 8,120 | $49,240 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 170 | $40,230 |
| Wholesale Trade | 60 | $48,400 |
Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic work in the following industries:
Tools and Technology
- Electronic mail software: Email software
- Inventory management software: Inventory tracking software
- Industrial control software: Machine control software
Work Environment
Daily working conditions for forging machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic reflects the following characteristics:
- Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets
- Exposed to Hazardous Equipment
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
- Time Pressure
- Spend Time Standing
How to Become Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
Typical forging machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic positions require a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education. This occupation sits in Some Preparation Needed (Job Zone 2), reflecting the level of preparation typically expected.
Related Careers
Similar Occupations
- Industrial Machinery Mechanics (Supplemental)
- Maintenance Workers, Machinery (Supplemental)
- Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic (Supplemental)
- Rolling Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic (Primary-Long)
- Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic (Primary-Short)
- Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic (Primary-Long)
- Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic (Primary-Short)
- Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic (Primary-Long)
Degree Programs
Students preparing for forging machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic typically earn programs in:
Precision Production
1 programs across 1 majors
References
This profile draws on the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 51-4022.00 (Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic).
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