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Date: 01/23/2026

Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic

Set up, operate, or tend more than one type of cutting or forming machine tool or robot.

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    Work Activities

    Work Activities

    • Make minor electrical and mechanical repairs and adjustments to machines and notify supervisors when major service is required.
    • Start machines and turn handwheels or valves to engage feeding, cooling, and lubricating mechanisms.
    • Align layout marks with dies or blades.
    • Read blueprints or job orders to determine product specifications and tooling instructions and to plan operational sequences.
    • Select, install, and adjust alignment of drills, cutters, dies, guides, and holding devices, using templates, measuring instruments, and hand tools.
    • Observe machine operation to detect workpiece defects or machine malfunctions, adjusting machines as necessary.
    • Change worn machine accessories, such as cutting tools or brushes, using hand tools.
    • Measure and mark reference points and cutting lines on workpieces, using traced templates, compasses, and rules.
    • Start machines and turn handwheels or valves to engage feeding, cooling, and lubricating mechanisms.
    • Perform minor machine maintenance, such as oiling or cleaning machines, dies, or workpieces, or adding coolant to machine reservoirs.
    • Remove burrs, sharp edges, rust, or scale from workpieces, using files, hand grinders, wire brushes, or power tools.
    • Position, adjust, and secure stock material or workpieces against stops, on arbors, or in chucks, fixtures, or automatic feeding mechanisms, manually or using hoists.
    • Inspect workpieces for defects, and measure workpieces to determine accuracy of machine operation, using rules, templates, or other measuring instruments.
    • Start machines and turn handwheels or valves to engage feeding, cooling, and lubricating mechanisms.
    • Record operational data, such as pressure readings, lengths of strokes, feed rates, or speeds.
    • Set up and operate machines, such as lathes, cutters, shears, borers, millers, grinders, presses, drills, or auxiliary machines, to make metallic and plastic workpieces.
    • Set up and operate machines, such as lathes, cutters, shears, borers, millers, grinders, presses, drills, or auxiliary machines, to make metallic and plastic workpieces.
    • Remove burrs, sharp edges, rust, or scale from workpieces, using files, hand grinders, wire brushes, or power tools.
    • Instruct other workers in machine set-up and operation.
    • Compute data, such as gear dimensions or machine settings, applying knowledge of shop mathematics.
    • Move controls or mount gears, cams, or templates in machines to set feed rates and cutting speeds, depths, and angles.
    • Extract or lift jammed pieces from machines, using fingers, wire hooks, or lift bars.
    • Write programs for computer numerical control (CNC) machines to cut metal and plastic materials.
    • Perform minor machine maintenance, such as oiling or cleaning machines, dies, or workpieces, or adding coolant to machine reservoirs.
    • Read blueprints or job orders to determine product specifications and tooling instructions and to plan operational sequences.
    • Select, install, and adjust alignment of drills, cutters, dies, guides, and holding devices, using templates, measuring instruments, and hand tools.
    • Select, install, and adjust alignment of drills, cutters, dies, guides, and holding devices, using templates, measuring instruments, and hand tools.
    • Set machine stops or guides to specified lengths as indicated by scales, rules, or templates.
    • Select the proper coolants and lubricants and start their flow.
    • Make minor electrical and mechanical repairs and adjustments to machines and notify supervisors when major service is required.
    • Write programs for computer numerical control (CNC) machines to cut metal and plastic materials.
    • Perform minor machine maintenance, such as oiling or cleaning machines, dies, or workpieces, or adding coolant to machine reservoirs.
    • Move controls or mount gears, cams, or templates in machines to set feed rates and cutting speeds, depths, and angles.
    • Select the proper coolants and lubricants and start their flow.

    Skills

    • Active Listening

      Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.

    • Active Learning

      Figuring out how to use new ideas or things.

    • Social Perceptiveness

      Understanding people's reactions.

    • Operation and Control

      Using equipment or systems.

    • Technology Design

      Making equipment and technology useful for customers.

    • Science

      Using scientific rules and strategies to solve problems.

    • Quality Control Analysis

      Testing how well a product or service works.

    • Time Management

      Managing your time and the time of other people.

    • Operations Monitoring

      Watching gauges, dials, or display screens to make sure a machine is working.

    • Judgment and Decision Making

      Thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one.

    • Troubleshooting

      Figuring out what is causing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs to not work.

    • Management of Material Resources

      Managing equipment and materials.

    • Programming

      Writing computer programs.

    • Speaking

      Talking to others.

    • Mathematics

      Using math to solve problems.

    • Coordination

      Changing what is done based on other people's actions.

    • Persuasion

      Talking people into changing their minds or their behavior.

    • Operations Analysis

      Figuring out what a product or service needs to be able to do.

    • Repairing

      Repairing machines or systems using the right tools.

    • Systems Evaluation

      Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.

    • Reading Comprehension

      Reading work-related information.

    • Writing

      Writing things for co-workers or customers.

    • Critical Thinking

      Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.

    • Learning Strategies

      Using the best training or teaching strategies for learning new things.

    • Monitoring

      Keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements.

    • Negotiation

      Bringing people together to solve differences.

    • Instructing

      Teaching people how to do something.

    • Installation

      Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs.

    • Management of Financial Resources

      Making spending decisions and keeping track of what is spent.

    • Equipment Maintenance

      Planning and doing the basic maintenance on equipment.

    • Equipment Selection

      Deciding what kind of tools and equipment are needed to do a job.

    • Systems Analysis

      Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in the future will affect it.

    • Complex Problem Solving

      Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.

    • Management of Personnel Resources

      Selecting and managing the best workers for a job.

    • Service Orientation

      Looking for ways to help people.

    WorkKeys®

    Applied Math
    4
    Workplace Documents
    4
    Graphic Literacy
    4

    Abilities

    • Written Expression

      Communicating by writing.

    • Perceptual Speed

      Quickly comparing groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.

    • Finger Dexterity

      Putting together small parts with your fingers.

    • Control Precision

      Quickly changing the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.

    • Hearing Sensitivity

      Telling the difference between sounds.

    • Near Vision

      Seeing details up close.

    • Gross Body Coordination

      Moving your arms, legs, and mid-section together while your whole body is moving.

    • Arm-Hand Steadiness

      Keeping your arm or hand steady.

    • Reaction Time

      Quickly moving your hand, finger, or foot based on a sound, light, picture or other command.

    • Problem Sensitivity

      Noticing when problems happen.

    • Time Sharing

      Doing two or more things at the same time.

    • Rate Control

      Changing when and how fast you move based on how something else is moving.

    • Fluency of Ideas

      Coming up with lots of ideas.

    • Multilimb Coordination

      Using your arms and/or legs together while sitting, standing, or lying down.

    • Explosive Strength

      Jumping, sprinting, or throwing something.

    • Trunk Strength

      Using your lower back and stomach.

    • Selective Attention

      Paying attention to something without being distracted.

    • Response Orientation

      Quickly deciding if you should move your hand, foot, or other body part.

    • Wrist-Finger Speed

      Making fast, simple, repeated movements of your fingers, hands, and wrists.

    • Oral Expression

      Communicating by speaking.

    • Spatial Orientation

      Knowing where things are around you.

    • Mathematical Reasoning

      Choosing the right type of math to solve a problem.

    • Visualization

      Imagining how something will look after it is moved around or changed.

    • Gross Body Equilibrium

      Keeping your balance or staying upright.

    • Far Vision

      Seeing details that are far away.

    • Dynamic Strength

      Exercising for a long time without your muscles getting tired.

    • Oral Comprehension

      Listening and understanding what people say.

    • Deductive Reasoning

      Using rules to solve problems.

    • Speed of Closure

      Quickly knowing what you are looking at.

    • Category Flexibility

      Grouping things in different ways.

    • Static Strength

      Lifting, pushing, pulling, or carrying.

    • Information Ordering

      Ordering or arranging things.

    • Speed of Limb Movement

      Quickly moving your arms and legs.

    • Night Vision

      Seeing at night or under low light.

    • Speech Clarity

      Speaking clearly.

    • Auditory Attention

      Paying attention to one sound while there are other distracting sounds.

    • Originality

      Creating new and original ideas.

    • Number Facility

      Adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing.

    • Written Comprehension

      Reading and understanding what is written.

    • Inductive Reasoning

      Making general rules or coming up with answers from lots of detailed information.

    • Flexibility of Closure

      Seeing hidden patterns.

    • Manual Dexterity

      Holding or moving items with your hands.

    • Memorization

      Remembering words, numbers, pictures, or steps.

    • Sound Localization

      Noticing the direction that a sound came from.

    • Dynamic Flexibility

      Quickly and repeatedly bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching out with your body, arms, and/or legs.

    • Depth Perception

      Deciding which thing is closer or farther away from you, or deciding how far away it is from you.

    • Glare Sensitivity

      Seeing something even if there is a glare or very bright light.

    • Peripheral Vision

      Seeing something to your side when your are looking ahead.

    • Visual Color Discrimination

      Noticing the difference between colors, including shades and brightness.

    • Speech Recognition

      Recognizing spoken words.

    • Extent Flexibility

      Bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching with your body, arms, and/or legs.

    • Stamina

      Exercising for a long time without getting out of breath.

    Knowledge

    • Telecommunications

      Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.

    • Production and Processing

      Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.

    • Mathematics

      Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.

    • Chemistry

      Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.

    • Law and Government

      Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.

    • Sales and Marketing

      Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.

    • Personnel and Human Resources

      Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.

    • Communications and Media

      Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.

    • Physics

      Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub-atomic structures and processes.

    • Psychology

      Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.

    • English Language

      Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, and rules of composition and grammar.

    • Foreign Language

      Knowledge of the structure and content of a foreign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.

    • History and Archeology

      Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.

    • Administrative

      Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.

    • Economics and Accounting

      Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data.

    • Computers and Electronics

      Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

    • Design

      Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.

    • Public Safety and Security

      Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.

    • Food Production

      Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.

    • Engineering and Technology

      Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.

    • Building and Construction

      Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.

    • Mechanical

      Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.

    • Sociology and Anthropology

      Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins.

    • Geography

      Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.

    • Biology

      Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.

    • Medicine and Dentistry

      Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.

    • Fine Arts

      Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.

    • Philosophy and Theology

      Knowledge of different philosophical systems and religions. This includes their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and their impact on human culture.

    • Therapy and Counseling

      Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.

    • Education and Training

      Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

    • Transportation

      Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.

    • Administration and Management

      Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.

    • Customer and Personal Service

      Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.

    Career Video

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    Pay

    • Ohio Annual Salary 43600/yr
    • Typical Salary
    • Ohio Hourly Wage 20.96/hr
    • Typical Hourly Wage

    Ohio Employment Trends

    • Currently Employed 18,540
    • Yearly Projected Openings 1760

    Typical Education

    Personality

    Realistic: 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
    • Cautiousness

    Tools

    • Adjustable wrenches
    • Blow molding machines
    • Boring machines
    • Buffing machine
    • Claw hammer
    • Compasses
    • Cutting die
    • Cutting machines
    • Desktop computers
    • Ear plugs
    • Extruders
    • Facial shields
    • Forklift or elevator accessories or supplies
    • Gear cutting tool
    • Grease guns
    • Grinders
    • Height gauges
    • Hoists
    • Hydraulic press brake
    • Injection molding machines
    • Lifting hooks
    • Loading equipment
    • Locking pliers
    • Metal band sawing machine
    • Metal polishing machine
    • Micrometers
    • Mill saw file
    • Milling machines
    • Planing machines
    • Power drills
    • Power grinders
    • Respiration air supplying self contained breathing apparatus or accessories
    • Rulers
    • Safety glasses
    • Scales
    • Screwdrivers
    • Shears
    • Tangent bender
    • Taps
    • Templates
    • Track cranes
    • Traveling column milling machine
    • Tube bending machine
    • Turning machines
    • Wing bender
    • Wire brushes

    Technology

    • Computer aided design CAD software
    • Electronic mail software
    • Enterprise resource planning ERP software
    • Office suite software
    • Operating system software
    • Spreadsheet software
    • Word processing software

    Tags

    • InDemand occupations are considered a priority by the state of Ohio.
    • Apprenticeships are available for this occupation. These programs can help you get hands-on experience and build your skills.

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