Production Occupations
BLS May 2025 wages Peer-group outlier SOC 51-4023

Rolling Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic

Median pay sits 33% below the mid peer in Production Occupations (neighbors include Power Plant Operators, Timing Device Assemblers and Adjusters, Gas Plant Operators, Fabric and Apparel Patternmakers).

Full salary details → About this data

Same-major-group titles next to Rolling Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic: Power Plant Operators ($102K) , Timing Device Assemblers and Adjusters ($63K) , Gas Plant Operators ($88K) , Fabric and Apparel Patternmakers ($63K) . Hash-ordered per card so residual SOC siblings do not share an identical peer sentence.

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

O*NET task statements for SOC 51-4023 - occupation-level descriptions, not every employer's posting. Sibling cards diverge here because the task set is entity-keyed.

  1. 1. Monitor machine cycles and mill operation to detect jamming and to ensure that products conform to specifications
  2. 2. Adjust and correct machine set-ups to reduce thicknesses, reshape products, and eliminate product defects
  3. 3. Start operation of rolling and milling machines to flatten, temper, form, and reduce sheet metal sections and to produce steel strips
  4. 4. Examine, inspect, and measure raw materials and finished products to verify conformance to specifications
  5. 5. Read rolling orders, blueprints, and mill schedules to determine setup specifications, work sequences, product dimensions, and installati…
  6. 6. Thread or feed sheets or rods through rolling mechanisms, or start and control mechanisms that automatically feed steel into rollers
  7. 7. Manipulate controls and observe dial indicators to monitor, adjust, and regulate speeds of machine mechanisms
  8. 8. Set distance points between rolls, guides, meters, and stops, according to specifications
  9. 9. Calculate draft space and roll speed for each mill stand to plan rolling sequences and specified dimensions and tempers
  10. 10. Install equipment such as guides, guards, gears, cooling equipment, and rolls, using hand tools
  11. 11. Select rolls, dies, roll stands, and chucks from data charts to form specified contours and to fabricate products
  12. 12. Position, align, and secure arbors, spindles, coils, mandrels, dies, and slitting knives

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

Importance-ranked O*NET profile for SOC 51-4023 - lead skill Operations Monitoring at 4.0 ; lead knowledge Mechanical. Sibling cards diverge here even when peer titles overlap.

Top skills

  1. 1. Operations Monitoring 4.0
  2. 2. Operation and Control 4.0
  3. 3. Quality Control Analysis 3.6
  4. 4. Monitoring 3.5
  5. 5. Speaking 3.3
  6. 6. Active Listening 3.1
  7. 7. Critical Thinking 3.1
  8. 8. Reading Comprehension 3.0

Knowledge areas

  1. 1. Mechanical 3.9
  2. 2. Production and Processing 3.5
  3. 3. English Language 3.4
  4. 4. Education and Training 3.1
  5. 5. Administration and Management 2.9
  6. 6. Customer and Personal Service 2.6
Pay vs Production Occupations peers
-33%
vs mid peer median $74,450
This role $50,140/yr
$50K
National median
↓ -8%
Growth 2024-2034
1,900
Annual openings
25,250
Estimated US jobs
Power Plant Operators
Highest-pay peer · $102K

Typical Entry and Preparation Assignments

Entry education High school diploma or equivalent

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

1. Colorado $57,500
2. Pennsylvania $66,970
3. Iowa $72,670
4. Connecticut $60,610
5. New Hampshire $60,570
6. Minnesota $60,620
7. Washington $63,560
8. New York $60,890
9. Vermont $66,240
10. Maryland $61,470

Other Production Occupations titles

  1. 1. Gas Plant Operators $87,820
  2. 2. Fabric and Apparel Patternmakers $62,750
  3. 3. Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Programmers $68,120
  4. 4. Power Plant Operators $102,040
  5. 5. Timing Device Assemblers and Adjusters $62,620
  6. 6. Layout Workers, Metal and Plastic $63,870

Among Production Occupations peers on this card, Rolling Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic sits 33% below the mid peer median ($74,450). Its own median is $50,140.

Employment Projections expect -8% change between 2024 and 2034 (declining vs baseline 3.1%). About 1,900 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: Colorado at $57,500. The table records differences without proving causes. Highest-pay peer shown here: Power Plant Operators at $102,040. Compare the same statistic in the relevant local wage area before treating the national median as a personal benchmark; OEWS excludes employer benefits.

Rolling Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic pay-rank #35 in Production Occupations

Among 105 detailed Production Occupations with a published OEWS median, Rolling Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic is pay-rank #35, 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.

Rolling Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic pays 33% below its major-group peer median. See the state map and the peers closest to (and furthest from) this line.

Rolling Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic salary map

State, metro, and percentile for SOC 51-4023

Colorado · top state for Rolling Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic

$58K published median

Pennsylvania · #2 state pay

$67K · behind Colorado

Power Plant Operators

Highest-pay peer vs Rolling Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic · $102K

Timing Device Assemblers and Adjusters

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

Compare Rolling Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic

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

Peer-comparison next reads

Compare Rolling Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic

Against another occupation

Power Plant Operators card

Top peer in this major group

Frequently Asked Questions

Which Production Occupations titles sit near Rolling Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic at the top of the pay table? ▼
Rolling Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic is pay-rank #35 of 105 detailed Production Occupations with an OEWS median, upper third. Nearest upper-third titles: Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders ($50K), Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic ($51K), Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operators ($51K), Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters ($51K). Rank is ROW_NUMBER on national median.
What do rolling machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic do day to day? ▼
O*NET lists published task statements for Rolling Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic. Leading ones include: Monitor machine cycles and mill operation to detect jamming and to ensure that products conform to specifications; Adjust and correct machine set-ups to reduce thicknesses, reshape products, and eliminate product defects; Start operation of rolling and milling machines to flatten, temper, form, and reduce sheet metal sections and to produce steel strips; Examine, inspect, and measure raw materials and finished products to verify conformance to specifications. These are occupation-level task descriptions, not every employer's job description.
Which O*NET skills rank highest for rolling machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic? ▼
For SOC 51-4023, O*NET importance scores lead with Operations Monitoring (4.0), Operation and Control (4.0), Quality Control Analysis (3.6), Monitoring (3.5). Knowledge areas emphasize Mechanical, Production and Processing, English Language. These are occupation-level profiles, not a hiring checklist for every employer.
What is the OEWS national median for Rolling Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic? ▼
May 2025 OEWS reports $50,140 as the national median for Rolling Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic. The published 10th-90th range is $37,690 to $70,310. Beside Power Plant Operators ($102,040), this is the occupation-level national figure, not a local offer.
What employment change does BLS publish for Rolling Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic? ▼
The 2024-2034 projection for Rolling Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic is -8%. Projected annual openings: about 1,900. Relative to the current all-occupations baseline of 3.1%: declining.
What typical entry education does BLS assign to Rolling Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic? ▼
BLS assigns High school diploma or equivalent as the typical-education-needed-for-entry category for Rolling 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 Rolling Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic? ▼
Colorado ($57,500), Pennsylvania ($66,970), Iowa ($72,670) 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 Rolling Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic card
  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS / OES) - national median and percentiles for SOC 51-4023. bls.gov/oes
  • O*NET OnLine - task and skill statements for Rolling 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