Cutting, Punching, & Press Machine Setters, Operators, & Tenders, Metal & Plastic

Also called: Machine Operator, Press Operator, Saw Operator

Career Cluster: Manufacturing
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
Math and Science
  • arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics
Manufactured or Agricultural Goods
  • manufacture and distribution of products
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:

Electronic mail software
  • Microsoft Outlook
Spreadsheet software
  • Microsoft Excel
Enterprise resource planning ERP software
  • SAP software
EDUCATION


high school diploma/GED or certificate after high school
usually needed SEARCH ALL PROGRAMS & MAJORS SEARCH COLLEGES & UNIVERSITIES
JOB OUTLOOK

New job opportunities are less likely in the future.

Salary:
High: $62,650.00
Median: $45,590.00
Low: $35,000.00
FASTEST GROWING JOBS IN VIRGINIA
VIRGINIA'S COMMUNITY COLLEGES. COPYRIGHT © 2008-2024v1.0.pv03535.vccs.edu .
This site incorporates information from O*NET Web Services by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA).