Drilling and Boring Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic Salary: $55,741 Median Pay (2026 stats)
TL;DR
About 5,310 drilling and boring machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic nationally earn a mean of $55,741. Employment in the series shown fell about 15% from the first to the last year; projections imply about 8.2% annual decline.
Key Statistics
Drilling and Boring Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic: what the data shows
Common questions about drilling and boring machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic careers, answered from BLS OEWS and O*NET in this repository.
What is a drilling and boring machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic?
Drilling and Boring Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic is tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics under SOC 51-4032.
U.S. employment in our OEWS extract is about 5,310 workers.
What does a drilling and boring machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic do?
O*NET work activities rated highest for this occupation include Controlling Machines and Processes, Getting Information, Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates, Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials, Making Decisions and Solving Problems, Documenting/Recording Information, and related tasks. See Work Activities for the full list.
How much does a drilling and boring machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic make?
BLS national median annual wage: $46,630 (May 2024 in our extract).
Mean annual wage in our occupational extract: $55,741 — higher than the median, which often reflects top earners in the distribution.
| Wage percentile | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $38,854 |
| 25th percentile | $45,861 |
| Median (50th) | $49,472 |
| 75th percentile | $63,395 |
| 90th percentile | $82,909 |
What education do you need?
For Drilling and Boring Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic, O*NET incumbent surveys in our extract most often report: Some college (29%), High School or Equivalent (27%), Bachelors Degree (22%).
These are education levels of current workers, not minimum legal requirements.
What skills do you need?
O*NET ratings for this occupation emphasize skills such as Operations Monitoring, Operation and Control, Monitoring, Reading Comprehension, Complex Problem Solving, Critical Thinking, and knowledge areas including Mathematics, Production and Processing, Mechanical, English Language. See Education & Skills for detail.
Is drilling and boring machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic in demand?
Historical employment trend in our series implies about 8.2% annual decline (compound rate in the extract).
Five-year projected employment change: -34.7%.
Ten-year projected employment change: -57.3%.
Current U.S. headcount: 5,310.
We report federal series only—compare wages, growth, and openings against your target market.
Where do drilling and boring machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics work?
Top industries by employment share in our OEWS industry extract:
| Industry | Employment | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Cross-industry | 5,310 | 20.4% |
| Cross-industry, Private Ownership only | 5,300 | 20.3% |
| Manufacturing | 4,870 | 18.7% |
| Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing | 1,450 | 5.6% |
| Transportation Equipment Manufacturing | 1,280 | 4.9% |
| Machinery Manufacturing | 1,040 | 4.0% |
See Industry for charts.
What degrees lead to this career?
Common majors for Drilling and Boring Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic in O*NET:
See Related degrees.
What careers are related?
Other occupations linked through shared degree pathways in our mapping:
| Occupation | U.S. employment | Median wage |
|---|---|---|
| Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | 18,970 | $48,620 |
| Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | 129,850 | $46,060 |
| Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | 70,110 | $45,190 |
| Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | 31,510 | $41,600 |
| Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders | 159,500 | $47,590 |
| Electric Motor, Power Tool, and Related Repairers | 16,570 | $53,990 |
| Tool and Die Makers | 55,130 | $63,180 |
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Drilling and Boring Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic workforce.
Employment Over Time
5,310 Workforce in 2023
The Drilling and Boring Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic workforce has been growing over time.
Historical employment trends for Drilling and Boring Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$55,741 Average Wage
In 2023, Drilling and Boring Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic earned an average of $55,741.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Drilling and Boring Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic.
Salary distribution for Drilling and Boring Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic.
Employment Growth Projections
-8.2% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
1,711 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: -34.7%
1,117 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: -57.3%
This occupation is experiencing a decline. Consider related fields with better growth prospects.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Drilling and Boring Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Drilling and Boring Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Drilling and Boring Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Drilling and Boring Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic.
Wage Trends by Industry
5.7% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Total, All Industry: -5.3% growth (Current: $60,560)
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Drilling and Boring Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Drilling and Boring Machine Tool 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: 620 employees, $56,298 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Drilling and Boring Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD: 240 employees, $60,560 avg wage
- Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine MD: 210 employees, $54,143 avg wage
- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara MSA: 110 employees, $54,551 avg wage
- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario MSA: 40 employees, $50,273 avg wage
- Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura MSA: 10 employees, $45,789 avg wage
- Oakland-Fremont-Berkeley MD: 10 employees, $53,112 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Drilling and Boring Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic.
Diversity
Demographic information on Drilling and Boring Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic in the US.
Gender and Age
The workforce of Drilling and Boring Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic in 2023 was 5,310 people, with 62.0% women and 38.0% men.
Gender and age distribution for Drilling and Boring Machine Tool 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 Drilling and Boring Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Drilling and Boring Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Drilling and Boring Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic in 2023 were Business Administration, Engineering, Business.
Common majors for Drilling and Boring Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Drilling and Boring Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic workers.
Education level distribution for Drilling and Boring Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic.
Skills
Drilling and Boring Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic need many skills, but most especially Operations Monitoring, Operation and Control, Monitoring, Reading Comprehension, Complex Problem Solving.
Required skills for Drilling and Boring Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Drilling and Boring Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Drilling and Boring Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic include Mathematics, Production and Processing, Mechanical, English Language, Engineering and Technology.
Knowledge areas required for Drilling and Boring Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Drilling and Boring Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic include Control Precision, Arm-Hand Steadiness, Near Vision, Selective Attention, Reaction Time.
Required abilities for Drilling and Boring Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Drilling and Boring Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic.
Daily Activities
Drilling and Boring Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic spend their time on activities such as Controlling Machines and Processes, Getting Information, Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates, Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials, Making Decisions and Solving Problems.
Most important work activities for Drilling and Boring Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic.
About
Drilling and Boring Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
The average yearly wage for Drilling and Boring Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic was $55,741 in 2023.
SOC Code
51-4032 - Drilling and Boring Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
Insights and Analysis
Compensation snapshot: Drilling and Boring Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic reports an average salary of $55,741.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 5,310 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual decline is -8.2%, 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.