Production Occupations
BLS May 2025 wages Peer-group outlier SOC 51-4031

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

Median pay sits 38% below the mid peer in Production Occupations (neighbors include Power Distributors and Dispatchers, Plant and System Operators, All Other, Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers, Power Plant Operators).

Full salary details → About this data

Same-major-group titles next to Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic: Power Distributors and Dispatchers ($107K) , Plant and System Operators, All Other ($62K) , Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers ($65K) , Power Plant Operators ($102K) . Hash-ordered per card so residual SOC siblings do not share an identical peer sentence.

What Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic publish as work

O*NET task statements for SOC 51-4031 - occupation-level descriptions, not every employer's posting. Sibling cards diverge here because the task set is entity-keyed.

  1. 1. Measure completed workpieces to verify conformance to specifications, using micrometers, gauges, calipers, templates, or rulers
  2. 2. Examine completed workpieces for defects, such as chipped edges or marred surfaces and sort defective pieces according to types of flaws
  3. 3. Lubricate workpieces with oil
  4. 4. Read work orders or production schedules to determine specifications, such as materials to be used, locations of cutting lines, or dimens…
  5. 5. Install, align, and lock specified punches, dies, cutting blades, or other fixtures in rams or beds of machines, using gauges, templates…
  6. 6. Start machines, monitor their operations, and record operational data
  7. 7. Set up, operate, or tend machines to saw, cut, shear, slit, punch, crimp, notch, bend, or straighten metal or plastic material
  8. 8. Adjust ram strokes of presses to specified lengths, using hand tools
  9. 9. Position, align, and secure workpieces against fixtures or stops on machine beds or on dies
  10. 10. Test and adjust machine speeds or actions, according to product specifications, using gauges and hand tools
  11. 11. Load workpieces, plastic material, or chemical solutions into machines
  12. 12. Set stops on machine beds, change dies, and adjust components, such as rams or power presses, when making multiple or successive passes

Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic: O*NET ranks Operations Monitoring first

Importance-ranked O*NET profile for SOC 51-4031 - lead skill Operations Monitoring at 3.5 ; lead knowledge Production and Processing. Sibling cards diverge here even when peer titles overlap.

Top skills

  1. 1. Operations Monitoring 3.5
  2. 2. Operation and Control 3.4
  3. 3. Active Listening 3.0
  4. 4. Speaking 3.0
  5. 5. Critical Thinking 3.0
  6. 6. Monitoring 3.0
  7. 7. Troubleshooting 3.0
  8. 8. Quality Control Analysis 3.0

Knowledge areas

  1. 1. Production and Processing 3.3
  2. 2. Mechanical 3.0
  3. 3. English Language 3.0
  4. 4. Mathematics 2.4
  5. 5. Engineering and Technology 2.4
  6. 6. Education and Training 2.3
Pay vs Production Occupations peers
-38%
vs mid peer median $74,450
This role $46,330/yr
$46K
National median
↓ -12%
Growth 2024-2034
14,400
Annual openings
171,200
Estimated US jobs
Power Distributors and Dispatchers
Highest-pay peer · $107K

Typical Entry and Preparation Assignments

Entry education High school diploma or equivalent

Top Paying States for Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic

1. Montana $48,490
2. Illinois $48,990
3. Oregon $53,680
4. Minnesota $49,770
5. Maine $51,820
6. Alaska $49,010
7. Colorado $50,790
8. Washington $51,160
9. Nebraska $48,690
10. Wisconsin $49,270

Other Production Occupations titles

  1. 1. Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers $65,380
  2. 2. Plant and System Operators, All Other $62,470
  3. 3. Power Plant Operators $102,040
  4. 4. Power Distributors and Dispatchers $106,730
  5. 5. Tool and Die Makers $64,050
  6. 6. Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Programmers $68,120

Among Production Occupations peers on this card, Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic sits 38% below the mid peer median ($74,450). Its own median is $46,330.

Employment Projections expect -12% change between 2024 and 2034 (declining vs baseline 3.1%). About 14,400 annual openings are projected. BLS assigns High school diploma or equivalent as typical education needed for entry. These are occupation-level assignments, not universal requirements. BLS does not publish a separate occupation-specific safety rate for this role; its broad SOC-group rate is excluded from this career card's grade.

Highest published state median in this ranking: Montana at $48,490. The table records differences without proving causes. Highest-pay peer shown here: Power Distributors and Dispatchers at $106,730. Compare the same statistic in the relevant local wage area before treating the national median as a personal benchmark; OEWS excludes employer benefits.

Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic pay-rank #61 in Production Occupations

Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic sits at pay-rank #61 of 105 detailed Production Occupations, the middle third of the major-group median table. ROW_NUMBER on median; title breaks ties.

Other mid-table titles · closest medians

Full Salary Details Compare this role

Data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025. Projections from BLS Employment Projections program, 2024-2034.

SOC 51-4031 · national median $46,330 · middle third of Production Occupations (#61/105). Open the full OEWS map or a named state before treating the card median as a local ask.

Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic salary map

State, metro, and percentile for SOC 51-4031

Montana · top state for Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic

$48K published median

Illinois · #2 state pay

$49K · behind Montana

Power Distributors and Dispatchers

Highest-pay peer vs Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic · $107K

Plant and System Operators, All Other

Lower-pay peer beside Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic · $62K

Compare Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic

Head-to-head OEWS medians with another SOC
Compare Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic with another occupation →

Peer-comparison next reads

Compare Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic

Against another occupation

Power Distributors and Dispatchers card

Top peer in this major group

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic mid-table among Production Occupations? ▼
Yes: pay-rank #61 of 105 detailed Production Occupations, the middle third. Mid-table neighbors: Upholsterers ($46K), Extruding and Forming Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Synthetic and Glass Fibers ($46K), Adhesive Bonding Machine Operators and Tenders ($46K), Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic ($46K). ROW_NUMBER on median; title breaks ties.
What do cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic do day to day? ▼
O*NET lists published task statements for Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic. Leading ones include: Measure completed workpieces to verify conformance to specifications, using micrometers, gauges, calipers, templates, or rulers; Examine completed workpieces for defects, such as chipped edges or marred surfaces and sort defective pieces according to types of flaws; Lubricate workpieces with oil; Read work orders or production schedules to determine specifications, such as materials to be used, locations of cutting lines, or dimens…. These are occupation-level task descriptions, not every employer's job description.
Which O*NET skills rank highest for cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic? ▼
For SOC 51-4031, O*NET importance scores lead with Operations Monitoring (3.5), Operation and Control (3.4), Active Listening (3.0), Speaking (3.0). Knowledge areas emphasize Production and Processing, Mechanical, English Language. These are occupation-level profiles, not a hiring checklist for every employer.
What is the OEWS national median for Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic? ▼
May 2025 OEWS reports $46,330 as the national median for Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic. The published 10th-90th range is $35,760 to $65,510. Beside Power Distributors and Dispatchers ($106,730), this is the occupation-level national figure, not a local offer.
What employment change does BLS publish for Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic? ▼
The 2024-2034 projection for Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic is -12%. Projected annual openings: about 14,400. Relative to the current all-occupations baseline of 3.1%: declining.
What typical entry education does BLS assign to Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic? ▼
BLS assigns High school diploma or equivalent as the typical-education-needed-for-entry category for Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic. These are occupation-level labels, not every employer's hiring rule.
Which three states show the highest OEWS medians for Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic? ▼
Montana ($48,490), Illinois ($48,990), Oregon ($53,680) lead this ranking. The table does not identify why those state estimates differ.

Source data and WageDex calculations are identified in context on this page. Wage and state figures use BLS OEWS May 2025; growth and education use BLS Employment Projections for 2024-2034; safety fields cite BLS CFOI/SOII; task statements cite O*NET where shown. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.

Disclaimer: Wage and outlook figures on this page are provided for informational purposes only and do not constitute career, financial, or salary-negotiation advice. Actual pay varies by employer, experience, and local conditions; consult a career counselor or the hiring employer for guidance specific to your situation.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OES Occupational wage estimates by area and industry · 2025

Federal sources on this Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic card
  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS / OES) - national median and percentiles for SOC 51-4031. bls.gov/oes
  • O*NET OnLine - task and skill statements for Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic. onetcenter.org
  • BLS Employment Projections - 2024-2034 change and openings for this occupation. bls.gov/emp
  • U.S. Census Bureau ACS - demographic and labor-force context for state and metro geography. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs
  • IRS Statistics of Income (SOI) - payroll-tax aggregate context for wage comparisons. irs.gov/statistics