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.
Based on skills, knowledge, and work activities, these occupations are the closest match to your current career.
Explore the states and metropolitan areas offering the strongest combination of salary, employment, demand, and long-term opportunity.
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Understand the salary, outlook, education, and geographic opportunities shaping this career.
Lathe and turning machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic work in a specialized production role with a clear technical focus. Nationally, there are about 19,000 jobs in this occupation, with around 2,000 openings each year, indicating ongoing replacement and hiring needs. The national median salary of $48,620 places this career in a solid earnings range for workers with a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical education requirement. The role draws on a combination of mechanical aptitude, fine motor skills, and physical strength and stamina, supported by critical and analytical thinking. Workers who also bring skills in project management, leadership, mathematics, science, computers and information technology, plus creativity and innovation may be positioned for more responsibility or advancement within this field. While national projected employment growth is negative, certain states and metro areas still show relatively strong opportunity scores, suggesting that location choices can significantly influence job prospects and pay for this occupation.
Lathe and turning machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic earn a national median annual salary of $48,620. Pay can vary by location, and some states and metro areas stand out with higher median wages. Among the top states by opportunity score, Colorado shows a notably high median salary of $71,670, while California and Massachusetts offer median salaries of $60,180 and $60,870, respectively. At the metro level, San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA has a median salary of $74,420, and the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA and Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metros offer median salaries of $57,010 and $60,110. These figures suggest that workers willing to pursue jobs in specific regions may access higher earnings. Overall, this occupation can provide competitive pay for individuals who meet the typical high school education requirement and develop the associated technical and analytical skills.
National employment for lathe and turning machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic stands at about 19,000 workers. Projections indicate a -13.6% change in employment, pointing to a declining overall job count over the forecast period. Despite this negative projected growth, there are still about 2,000 annual openings nationwide. These openings reflect ongoing hiring needs, which may stem from turnover, retirement, or other forms of workforce replacement. For job seekers, this combination means that while the total number of positions is expected to shrink, there will still be active hiring in many areas. Career planning in this field may benefit from careful attention to regional opportunities, as some states and metro areas have higher opportunity scores. Candidates with the right mix of mechanical, analytical, and technical skills may find that focusing on those regions increases their chances of securing and maintaining employment.
Location is a major factor for lathe and turning machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic. Among states, California and Massachusetts combine relatively high median salaries ($60,180 and $60,870) with strong CareerGPS opportunity scores of 67.38 and 65.87. New York also offers a solid opportunity score of 65.78 and a median salary of $50,760. Colorado stands out for a high median salary of $71,670, though with a smaller employment base of 150 and an opportunity score of 56.97. Virginia provides a median salary close to the national level at $48,920 with an opportunity score of 54.96. At the metro level, San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA and New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ show the highest opportunity scores (77.42 and 77.27), with San Jose also offering a median salary of $74,420. Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA combines relatively high employment (1,280) with a median salary of $60,110. These differences highlight how both pay and opportunity can vary significantly by region.
The typical education requirement for lathe and turning machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic is a high school diploma or equivalent. While this educational threshold provides access to the field, success and advancement are closely tied to the skills workers bring and develop on the job. Important skills include mechanical ability, fine motor skills, and physical strength and stamina, which support hands-on, precision-oriented work. Critical and analytical thinking, mathematics, and science knowledge contribute to understanding processes and solving technical problems. Skills in computers and information technology are also relevant, reflecting the technical nature of modern equipment and workflows. Project management and leadership abilities can help workers coordinate tasks and assume greater responsibility, while creativity and innovation support process improvements and problem-solving. Together, this blend of education and skills forms a pathway into a technically focused career with opportunities to grow capability and responsibility over time.
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