Explore national salary, projected growth, education requirements, and career opportunities across the United States.
A concise view of this occupation’s national scale, compensation, and projected demand.
National median annual wage for this occupation.
Estimated jobs currently supported nationwide.
Projected employment change through 2034.
Estimated openings created each year.
The typical education, prior experience, and on-the-job training associated with entry into this career.
High school diploma or equivalent
None
Moderate-term on-the-job training
These are the highest-rated capabilities associated with success in this occupation. Scores are derived from occupational skill analysis and are measured on a 100-point scale.
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Drilling and boring machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic (51-4032) work in a specialized production niche with a relatively small national workforce of about 5,000 people. The role is accessible to candidates whose highest typical education is a high school diploma or equivalent, supported by strong mechanical ability and hands-on skills. Nationally, the median annual salary is $46,630, placing this occupation in a solid mid-range earnings position for those without an advanced degree. Career success in this field is closely tied to being detail oriented, possessing fine motor skills, and having the physical strength and stamina to handle the job’s demands. Skills in mathematics, science, and computers and information technology also play an important part. While the occupation offers clear entry points and defined technical responsibilities, the projected employment trend is negative, so prospective workers should pay close attention to geography and long-term plans, and may also consider related paths such as machinists, tool and die makers, or computer numerically controlled tool operators.
Drilling and boring machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic earn a national median annual salary of $46,630. Pay levels vary significantly by state and metro area. Among the top states by opportunity score, median salaries range from $49,080 in California and $51,280 in Colorado to $55,310 in New York and $77,780 in Massachusetts, reaching as high as $90,390 in Virginia. This shows a wide potential earnings spread for workers in the same occupation depending on location. At the metro level, median salaries run from $35,660 in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN area to $49,080 in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA and around $50,800–$50,900 in the San Jose and New York-Newark-Jersey City metros, up to $79,120 in Boston-Cambridge-Newton. Workers considering this field can meaningfully influence their earning potential by targeting higher-paying states and metro areas.
This occupation has a national employment level of about 5,000 workers and a projected employment growth rate of -19.6%. The negative growth projection signals a shrinking job base over the forecast period. Annual openings are listed as 0, emphasizing that new positions or replacement needs are expected to be very limited. The same -19.6% projected growth rate appears across the top states and metro areas by opportunity score, indicating that this downward trend is consistent in multiple regions, including California, Massachusetts, New York, Colorado, and Virginia, as well as major metros such as San Jose, New York-Newark-Jersey City, Boston-Cambridge-Newton, Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, and Chicago-Naperville-Elgin. Given this outlook, individuals exploring this career may want to plan carefully, monitor job postings closely, and stay aware of related occupations such as machinists, tool and die makers, model makers, computer numerically controlled tool operators, or petroleum pump system operators, refinery operators, and gaugers.
Location plays a major role in the opportunity profile for drilling and boring machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic. Among states, California has the highest employment at 690 with a median salary of $49,080 and an opportunity score of 67.38. Massachusetts stands out with a higher median salary of $77,780 but a smaller employment base of 60 and an opportunity score of 65.87. New York and Colorado offer moderate employment and median salaries of $55,310 and $51,280, respectively, while Virginia combines a relatively small employment level of 100 with a notably high median salary of $90,390. At the metro level, San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA and New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ post the highest opportunity scores, 77.42 and 77.27, with median salaries just over $50,000. Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH offers a higher metro median salary of $79,120. Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA has the largest metro employment at 400, while Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN shows lower median pay at $35,660.
The typical education requirement for drilling and boring machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic is a high school diploma or equivalent. This makes the field accessible to individuals who do not plan to pursue a college degree but are ready to build strong technical and practical abilities. Success in this occupation relies heavily on being detail oriented and having mechanical aptitude and fine motor skills. Physical strength and stamina are also important, reflecting the demands of working with metal and plastic materials and operating machinery. Foundational knowledge and comfort with mathematics and science support accurate, precise work. In addition, creativity and innovation, critical and analytical thinking, and adaptability can help workers handle changing production needs or processes. Computers and information technology skills are highlighted as part of the top skills profile, signaling that comfort with digital tools and machine interfaces is a meaningful part of this career path, even though the formal education requirement remains at the high school level.
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