Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic is a dynamic career path with diverse opportunities. While facing some shifts, the field is adapting to changes in the job market. Professionals in this field are primarily employed in industries such as Cross-industry and Cross-industry, Private Ownership only.

Key Statistics

7,340
2023 Workforce
None
Average Age
$50,960
Average Salary

Employment

Employment and salary information for the Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic workforce.

Employment Over Time

7,340 Workforce in 2023

The Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic workforce has been growing over time.

Historical employment trends for Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic.

Yearly Wage Ranking

$50,960 Average Wage

In 2023, Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic earned an average of $50,960.

Wage ranking compared to other occupations.

Wage Distribution

This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic.

Salary distribution for Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic.

Employment Growth Projections

-6.1% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)

21,100 Projected Employment (5 years)

Projected growth: -27.0%

15,395 Projected Employment (10 years)

Projected growth: -46.8%

This occupation is experiencing a decline. Consider related fields with better growth prospects.

Historical employment trends and future projections for Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic.

Industry

Information on the industries that employ Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic and on wages for those in the field.

Occupations by Industries

This graphic shows the share of Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic employed by various industries.

Industry distribution for Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic.

Wage Trends by Industry

7.0% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate

Historical wage growth trends by industry for Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic.

Geographic Distribution

Employment and wage information by geographic location for Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic.

Metropolitan employment on this page is from the California OEWS extract. Area names omit state codes; all listed metros are in California, so the state chart shows California totals (not a multi-state ranking).

Top States by Employment

Top States by Employment:

  • CA: 7,090 employees, $51,007 avg wage

Top 10 states by employment for Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic.

Top Metropolitan Areas

Top Metropolitan Areas:

  • Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD: 2,210 employees, $49,915 avg wage
  • Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario MSA: 1,160 employees, $46,928 avg wage
  • Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine MD: 930 employees, $50,895 avg wage
  • San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara MSA: 450 employees, $68,597 avg wage
  • Oakland-Fremont-Berkeley MD: 450 employees, $55,804 avg wage
  • San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad MSA: 390 employees, $50,539 avg wage
  • Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom MSA: 270 employees, $52,335 avg wage
  • Stockton-Lodi MSA: 230 employees, $48,467 avg wage
  • Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura MSA: 220 employees, $47,277 avg wage
  • Fresno MSA: 200 employees, $44,948 avg wage

Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic.

Diversity

Demographic information on Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic in the US.

Gender and Age

The workforce of Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic in 2023 was 7,340 people, with 62.0% women and 38.0% men.

Gender and age distribution for Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic.

Races

Racial and ethnic shares when present in the career dataset. If the chart area shows a notice instead, occupational race/ethnicity fields are not yet populated for this extract.

Race and ethnicity distribution for Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic.

Education & Skills

Data on higher education choices and required skills for Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic.

Majors

The most common majors achieved by Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic in 2023 were Business Administration, Engineering, Business.

Common majors for Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic.

Education Levels

The main educational levels achieved by Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic workers.

Education level distribution for Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic.

Skills

Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic need many skills, but most especially Operations Monitoring, Operation and Control, Monitoring, Quality Control Analysis, Troubleshooting.

Required skills for Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic.

Knowledge & Abilities

Knowledge areas and abilities required for Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic.

Knowledge Areas

The most important knowledge areas for Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic include Mechanical, Production and Processing, Mathematics, English Language, Design.

Knowledge areas required for Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic.

Abilities

Key abilities needed for Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic include Arm-Hand Steadiness, Control Precision, Near Vision, Reaction Time, Manual Dexterity.

Required abilities for Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic.

Work Activities

Common work activities performed by Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic.

Daily Activities

Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic spend their time on activities such as Getting Information, Controlling Machines and Processes, Handling and Moving Objects, Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials, Performing General Physical Activities.

Most important work activities for Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic.

About

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

The average yearly wage for Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic was $50,960 in 2023.

SOC Code

51-4031 - Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic

Insights and Analysis

Compensation snapshot: Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic reports an average salary of $50,960.

Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 7,340 workers, indicating sustained demand.

Forward outlook: Projected annual decline is -6.1%, which should inform long-term career planning.

Data Sources

This page uses data from the following sources:

  • College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
    • Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
    • Data years: 2015-2024
    • Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
  • Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
    • Employment and wage data by occupation
    • Latest data: May 2024
    • Source: bls.gov/oes
  • O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
    • Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
    • Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
    • Source: onetcenter.org
  • IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
    • Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
    • Data years: 2015-2024
    • Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
  • Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
    • Demographic and workforce data
    • Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
    • Source: census.gov/acs

Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.

Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.

Methodology

Data for this profile is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS), and O*NET Online.

All wage figures represent annual averages and may vary by location, industry, and experience level.