Production Occupations
BLS May 2025 wages Peer-group outlier SOC 51-4035

Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic

Median pay sits 29% below the mid peer in Production Occupations (neighbors include Chemical Plant and System Operators, Plant and System Operators, All Other, First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers, Timing Device Assemblers and Adjusters).

Full salary details → About this data

Same-major-group titles next to Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic: Chemical Plant and System Operators ($78K) , Plant and System Operators, All Other ($62K) , First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers ($74K) , Timing Device Assemblers and Adjusters ($63K) . Hash-ordered per card so residual SOC siblings do not share an identical peer sentence.

What Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic publish as work

O*NET task statements for SOC 51-4035 - occupation-level descriptions, not every employer's posting. Sibling cards diverge here because the task set is entity-keyed.

  1. 1. Remove workpieces from machines, and check to ensure that they conform to specifications, using measuring instruments such as microscopes…
  2. 2. Verify alignment of workpieces on machines, using measuring instruments such as rules, gauges, or calipers
  3. 3. Move controls to set cutting specifications, to position cutting tools and workpieces in relation to each other, and to start machines
  4. 4. Observe milling or planing machine operation, and adjust controls to ensure conformance with specified tolerances
  5. 5. Select and install cutting tools and other accessories according to specifications, using hand tools or power tools
  6. 6. Position and secure workpieces on machines, using holding devices, measuring instruments, hand tools, and hoists
  7. 7. Replace worn tools, using hand tools, and sharpen dull tools, using bench grinders
  8. 8. Study blueprints, layouts, sketches, or work orders to assess workpiece specifications and to determine tooling instructions, tools and m…
  9. 9. Compute dimensions, tolerances, and angles of workpieces or machines according to specifications and knowledge of metal properties and sh…
  10. 10. Move cutters or material manually or by turning handwheels, or engage automatic feeding mechanisms to mill workpieces to specifications
  11. 11. Mount attachments and tools, such as pantographs, engravers, or routers, to perform other operations, such as drilling or boring
  12. 12. Select cutting speeds, feed rates, and depths of cuts, applying knowledge of metal properties and shop mathematics

Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic: O*NET ranks Operations Monitoring first

Importance-ranked O*NET profile for SOC 51-4035 - lead skill Operations Monitoring at 3.9 ; lead knowledge Mechanical. Sibling cards diverge here even when peer titles overlap.

Top skills

  1. 1. Operations Monitoring 3.9
  2. 2. Operation and Control 3.4
  3. 3. Critical Thinking 3.1
  4. 4. Monitoring 3.1
  5. 5. Active Listening 3.0
  6. 6. Reading Comprehension 2.9
  7. 7. Speaking 2.9
  8. 8. Quality Control Analysis 2.9

Knowledge areas

  1. 1. Mechanical 3.7
  2. 2. Production and Processing 3.6
  3. 3. Mathematics 3.5
  4. 4. English Language 3.5
  5. 5. Computers and Electronics 3.2
  6. 6. Education and Training 3.0
Pay vs Production Occupations peers
-29%
vs mid peer median $74,450
This role $52,800/yr
$53K
National median
↓ -14%
Growth 2024-2034
1,100
Annual openings
12,460
Estimated US jobs
Chemical Plant and System Operators
Highest-pay peer · $78K

Typical Entry and Preparation Assignments

Entry education High school diploma or equivalent

Top Paying States for Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic

1. Indiana $57,720
2. Connecticut $79,300
3. Washington $86,460
4. Massachusetts $62,380
5. New York $56,560
6. Kentucky $66,440
7. Nebraska $59,630
8. Illinois $63,360
9. Wisconsin $58,770
10. California $59,050

Other Production Occupations titles

  1. 1. Plant and System Operators, All Other $62,470
  2. 2. First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers $74,450
  3. 3. Chemical Plant and System Operators $78,120
  4. 4. Timing Device Assemblers and Adjusters $62,620
  5. 5. Tool and Die Makers $64,050
  6. 6. Layout Workers, Metal and Plastic $63,870

Among Production Occupations peers on this card, Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic sits 29% below the mid peer median ($74,450). Its own median is $52,800.

Employment Projections expect -14% change between 2024 and 2034 (declining vs baseline 3.1%). About 1,100 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: Indiana at $57,720. The table records differences without proving causes. Highest-pay peer shown here: Chemical Plant and System Operators at $78,120. Compare the same statistic in the relevant local wage area before treating the national median as a personal benchmark; OEWS excludes employer benefits.

Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic pay-rank #26 in Production Occupations

Among 105 detailed Production Occupations with a published OEWS median, Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic is pay-rank #26, the upper third of that major group. The order is ROW_NUMBER on national median (title as tiebreak), not a worker-level percentile.

Other upper-third 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.

Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic pays 29% below its major-group peer median. See the state map and the peers closest to (and furthest from) this line.

Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic salary map

State, metro, and percentile for SOC 51-4035

Indiana · top state for Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic

$58K published median

Connecticut · #2 state pay

$79K · behind Indiana

Chemical Plant and System Operators

Highest-pay peer vs Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic · $78K

Plant and System Operators, All Other

Lower-pay peer beside Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic · $62K

Compare Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic

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

Peer-comparison next reads

Compare Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic

Against another occupation

Chemical Plant and System Operators card

Top peer in this major group

Frequently Asked Questions

Which Production Occupations titles sit near Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic at the top of the pay table? ▼
Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic is pay-rank #26 of 105 detailed Production Occupations with an OEWS median, upper third. Nearest upper-third titles: Jewelers and Precious Stone and Metal Workers ($53K), Engine and Other Machine Assemblers ($54K), Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers ($54K), Pourers and Casters, Metal ($52K). Rank is ROW_NUMBER on national median.
What do milling and planing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic do day to day? ▼
O*NET lists published task statements for Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic. Leading ones include: Remove workpieces from machines, and check to ensure that they conform to specifications, using measuring instruments such as microscopes…; Verify alignment of workpieces on machines, using measuring instruments such as rules, gauges, or calipers; Move controls to set cutting specifications, to position cutting tools and workpieces in relation to each other, and to start machines; Observe milling or planing machine operation, and adjust controls to ensure conformance with specified tolerances. These are occupation-level task descriptions, not every employer's job description.
Which O*NET skills rank highest for milling and planing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic? ▼
For SOC 51-4035, O*NET importance scores lead with Operations Monitoring (3.9), Operation and Control (3.4), Critical Thinking (3.1), Monitoring (3.1). Knowledge areas emphasize Mechanical, Production and Processing, Mathematics. These are occupation-level profiles, not a hiring checklist for every employer.
What is the OEWS national median for Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic? ▼
May 2025 OEWS reports $52,800 as the national median for Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic. The published 10th-90th range is $37,840 to $81,030. Beside Chemical Plant and System Operators ($78,120), this is the occupation-level national figure, not a local offer.
What employment change does BLS publish for Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic? ▼
The 2024-2034 projection for Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic is -14%. Projected annual openings: about 1,100. Relative to the current all-occupations baseline of 3.1%: declining.
What typical entry education does BLS assign to Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic? ▼
BLS assigns High school diploma or equivalent as the typical-education-needed-for-entry category for Milling and Planing 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 Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic? ▼
Indiana ($57,720), Connecticut ($79,300), Washington ($86,460) 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 Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic card
  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS / OES) - national median and percentiles for SOC 51-4035. bls.gov/oes
  • O*NET OnLine - task and skill statements for Milling and Planing 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