Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic Job Outlook
The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects little or no change in employment of metal and plastic extruding and drawing machine setters, operators, and tenders from 2025 to 2035 (+0.7%, about 400 more jobs), with about 5,400 openings a year, and the May 2025 median pay of $47,720 a year ranks 605th of 825 occupations.
- Little or no change
- +0.7%
- Openings a year
- 5,400
- Median pay
- $47,720
- Pay rank
- 605th of 825
Is employment of metal and plastic extruding and drawing machine setters, operators, and tenders growing or shrinking?
Little or no change: BLS projects +0.7% employment change for metal and plastic extruding and drawing machine setters, operators, and tenders from 2025 to 2035 (about 400 more jobs), slower than the 3.5% projected across all occupations. That is faster than the -0.4% summed from BLS's employment levels across the 105 production occupations with a projection. That change ranks 570th of 830 projected occupations.
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| Employment, 2025 | 60,900 |
| Employment, 2035 | 61,400 |
| Projected change | +0.7% (little or no change) |
| Openings a year | 5,400 |
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035. A projection is a BLS estimate, not a count. The 60,900 jobs here differ from the 60,840 on the salary page because Employment Projections also counts the self-employed and a wider set of workers, while OEWS counts wage and salary jobs in May 2025. BLS published these projections on August 27, 2026; checked November 10, 2026. Confirm any figure in the BLS Employment Projections tables.
BLS's reasons for this projection are at the Occupational Outlook Handbook. State projections are at Projections Central; projections by industry are left to BLS. Education, licensing and work context at O*NET.
How many job openings are there each year?
About 5,400 openings a year, from job growth and from workers leaving the occupation, the 362nd most of 830 occupations. About 99% of them replace workers who change occupations or leave the labor force; the rest come from the 40 jobs added in an average year.
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035.
How does pay for metal and plastic extruding and drawing machine setters, operators, and tenders rank?
The median of $47,720 a year ranks 605th of 825 occupations with a published median. It sits in the upper half of occupations on openings and the lower half on pay.
Source: BLS OEWS national file, May 2025. Wage and salary jobs only; the self-employed are not counted. OEWS pay excludes overtime, shift differentials and non-production bonuses. Ranks count only the occupations with that published figure: 830 for projected change, 830 for openings, 825 for median pay, which is why the totals differ.
What does it take to start?
- Typical entry-level education: high school diploma or equivalent.
- Typical on-the-job training: moderate-term on-the-job training.
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035, education and training assignments.
How do related jobs compare on outlook?
| Occupation | Change | Openings a year | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Extruding and Forming Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Synthetic and Glass Fibers | -3.3% | 1,100 | $46,350 |
| Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | -3.4% | 13,800 | $44,350 |
| Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | -10.5% | 13,200 | $46,330 |
| Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | +0.6% | 11,600 | $47,180 |
| Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders | +1.5% | 5,200 | $45,760 |
| Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders | -0.9% | 5,400 | $46,570 |
| Rolling Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | -8.3% | 1,900 | $50,140 |
| Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders | -3.6% | 9,000 | $50,270 |
Related occupations from O*NET; projections from BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035; pay from BLS OEWS, May 2025.