Lathe & Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, & Tenders, Metal & Plastic

Also called: CNC Lathe Operator (Computer Numerical Control Lathe Operator), Lathe Operator, Machine Operator

Career Cluster: Manufacturing
What they do:
Set up, operate, or tend lathe and turning machines to turn, bore, thread, form, or face metal or plastic materials, such as wire, rod, or bar stock.
On the job, you would:
  • Adjust machine controls and change tool settings to keep dimensions within specified tolerances.
  • Move controls to set cutting speeds and depths and feed rates, and to position tools in relation to workpieces.
  • Study blueprints, layouts or charts, and job orders for information on specifications and tooling instructions, and to determine material requirements and operational sequences.
KNOWLEDGE

Engineering and Technology
  • mechanical
  • product and service development
Manufactured or Agricultural Goods
  • manufacture and distribution of products
Education and Training
  • teaching and course design
Business
  • customer service
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
  • put together small parts with your fingers
Controlled Movement
  • quickly change the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat
  • change when and how fast you move based on how something else is moving
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
  • Initiative
  • Cooperation
  • Achievement/Effort
  • Stress Tolerance
TECHNOLOGY

You might use software like this on the job:

Industrial control software
  • Autodesk HSMWorks
  • Computer numerical control CNC editor software
Object or component oriented development software
  • G-code
  • M-code
Inventory management software
  • Inventory tracking software
EDUCATION


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

New job opportunities are less likely in the future.

Salary:
High: $65,450.00
Median: $48,620.00
Low: $36,200.00
FASTEST GROWING JOBS IN VIRGINIA
VIRGINIA'S COMMUNITY COLLEGES. COPYRIGHT © 2008-2024v1.0.pv03534.vccs.edu .
This site incorporates information from O*NET Web Services by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA).