Production Occupations
BLS May 2025 wages Peer-group outlier SOC 51-4032

Drilling and Boring Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic

Median pay sits 34% below the mid peer in Production Occupations (neighbors include Nuclear Power Reactor Operators, Timing Device Assemblers and Adjusters, Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Programmers, Tool and Die Makers).

Full salary details → About this data

Same-major-group titles next to Drilling and Boring Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic: Nuclear Power Reactor Operators ($123K) , Timing Device Assemblers and Adjusters ($63K) , Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Programmers ($68K) , Tool and Die Makers ($64K) . Hash-ordered per card so residual SOC siblings do not share an identical peer sentence.

What Drilling and Boring Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic publish as work

O*NET task statements for SOC 51-4032 - occupation-level descriptions, not every employer's posting. Sibling cards diverge here because the task set is entity-keyed.

  1. 1. Verify conformance of machined work to specifications, using measuring instruments, such as calipers, micrometers, or fixed or telescopin…
  2. 2. Study machining instructions, job orders, or blueprints to determine dimensional or finish specifications, sequences of operations, setup…
  3. 3. Move machine controls to lower tools to workpieces and to engage automatic feeds
  4. 4. Verify that workpiece reference lines are parallel to the axis of table rotation, using dial indicators mounted in spindles
  5. 5. Establish zero reference points on workpieces, such as at the intersections of two edges or over hole locations
  6. 6. Change worn cutting tools, using wrenches
  7. 7. Select and set cutting speeds, feed rates, depths of cuts, and cutting tools, according to machining instructions or knowledge of metal p…
  8. 8. Position and secure workpieces on tables, using bolts, jigs, clamps, shims, or other holding devices
  9. 9. Observe drilling or boring machine operations to detect any problems
  10. 10. Lift workpieces onto work tables either manually or with hoists or direct crane operators to lift and position workpieces
  11. 11. Turn valves and direct flow of coolants or cutting oil over cutting areas
  12. 12. Install tools in spindles

Drilling and Boring Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic: O*NET ranks Operations Monitoring first

Importance-ranked O*NET profile for SOC 51-4032 - lead skill Operations Monitoring at 3.6 ; lead knowledge Mathematics. Sibling cards diverge here even when peer titles overlap.

Top skills

  1. 1. Operations Monitoring 3.6
  2. 2. Reading Comprehension 3.1
  3. 3. Monitoring 3.1
  4. 4. Operation and Control 3.1
  5. 5. Active Listening 3.0
  6. 6. Speaking 3.0
  7. 7. Critical Thinking 3.0
  8. 8. Complex Problem Solving 3.0

Knowledge areas

  1. 1. Mathematics 4.4
  2. 2. Production and Processing 4.4
  3. 3. Mechanical 4.3
  4. 4. English Language 4.0
  5. 5. Engineering and Technology 3.5
  6. 6. Education and Training 3.3
Pay vs Production Occupations peers
-34%
vs mid peer median $74,450
This role $49,080/yr
$49K
National median
↓ -20%
Growth 2024-2034
400
Annual openings
4,680
Estimated US jobs
Nuclear Power Reactor Operators
Highest-pay peer · $123K

Typical Entry and Preparation Assignments

Entry education High school diploma or equivalent

Top Paying States for Drilling and Boring Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic

1. New York $55,310
2. New Hampshire $59,800
3. Oklahoma $55,230
4. Massachusetts $77,780
5. Idaho $69,590
6. Alabama $53,110
7. Illinois $56,720
8. Michigan $60,410
9. Virginia $90,390
10. Florida $66,340

Other Production Occupations titles

  1. 1. Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Programmers $68,120
  2. 2. Tool and Die Makers $64,050
  3. 3. Layout Workers, Metal and Plastic $63,870
  4. 4. Nuclear Power Reactor Operators $122,890
  5. 5. Power Plant Operators $102,040
  6. 6. Timing Device Assemblers and Adjusters $62,620

Among Production Occupations peers on this card, Drilling and Boring Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic sits 34% below the mid peer median ($74,450). Its own median is $49,080.

Employment Projections expect -20% change between 2024 and 2034 (declining vs baseline 3.1%). About 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: New York at $55,310. The table records differences without proving causes. Highest-pay peer shown here: Nuclear Power Reactor Operators at $122,890. Compare the same statistic in the relevant local wage area before treating the national median as a personal benchmark; OEWS excludes employer benefits.

Drilling and Boring Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic pay-rank #39 in Production Occupations

Drilling and Boring Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic sits at pay-rank #39 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.

Drilling and Boring Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic pays 34% below its major-group peer median. See the state map and the peers closest to (and furthest from) this line.

Drilling and Boring Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic salary map

State, metro, and percentile for SOC 51-4032

New York · top state for Drilling and Boring Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic

$55K published median

New Hampshire · #2 state pay

$60K · behind New York

Nuclear Power Reactor Operators

Highest-pay peer vs Drilling and Boring Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic · $123K

Timing Device Assemblers and Adjusters

Lower-pay peer beside Drilling and Boring Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic · $63K

Compare Drilling and Boring Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic

Head-to-head OEWS medians with another SOC
Compare Drilling and Boring Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic with another occupation →

Peer-comparison next reads

Compare Drilling and Boring Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic

Against another occupation

Nuclear Power Reactor Operators card

Top peer in this major group

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Drilling and Boring Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic mid-table among Production Occupations? ▼
Yes: pay-rank #39 of 105 detailed Production Occupations, the middle third. Mid-table neighbors: Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic ($49K), Mixing and Blending Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders ($49K), Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic ($49K), Prepress Technicians and Workers ($49K). ROW_NUMBER on median; title breaks ties.
What do drilling and boring machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic do day to day? ▼
O*NET lists published task statements for Drilling and Boring Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic. Leading ones include: Verify conformance of machined work to specifications, using measuring instruments, such as calipers, micrometers, or fixed or telescopin…; Study machining instructions, job orders, or blueprints to determine dimensional or finish specifications, sequences of operations, setup…; Move machine controls to lower tools to workpieces and to engage automatic feeds; Verify that workpiece reference lines are parallel to the axis of table rotation, using dial indicators mounted in spindles. These are occupation-level task descriptions, not every employer's job description.
Which O*NET skills rank highest for drilling and boring machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic? ▼
For SOC 51-4032, O*NET importance scores lead with Operations Monitoring (3.6), Reading Comprehension (3.1), Monitoring (3.1), Operation and Control (3.1). Knowledge areas emphasize Mathematics, Production and Processing, Mechanical. These are occupation-level profiles, not a hiring checklist for every employer.
What is the OEWS national median for Drilling and Boring Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic? ▼
May 2025 OEWS reports $49,080 as the national median for Drilling and Boring Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic. The published 10th-90th range is $36,300 to $68,410. Beside Nuclear Power Reactor Operators ($122,890), this is the occupation-level national figure, not a local offer.
What employment change does BLS publish for Drilling and Boring Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic? ▼
The 2024-2034 projection for Drilling and Boring Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic is -20%. Projected annual openings: about 400. Relative to the current all-occupations baseline of 3.1%: declining.
What typical entry education does BLS assign to Drilling and Boring Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic? ▼
BLS assigns High school diploma or equivalent as the typical-education-needed-for-entry category for Drilling and Boring Machine Tool 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 Drilling and Boring Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic? ▼
New York ($55,310), New Hampshire ($59,800), Oklahoma ($55,230) 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 Drilling and Boring Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic card
  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS / OES) - national median and percentiles for SOC 51-4032. bls.gov/oes
  • O*NET OnLine - task and skill statements for Drilling and Boring Machine Tool 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