Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic Salary: $45,590 Median Pay (2026 stats)
Executive Summary
About 174,430 cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic work nationally, and $45,590 is the BLS national median annual wage. Employment in the series shown fell about 5% from the first to the last year; projections imply about 6.1% annual decline.
Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic: what the data shows
Common questions about cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic careers, answered from BLS OEWS and O*NET in this repository.
What is a cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic?
Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic is tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics under SOC 51-4031.
U.S. employment in our OEWS extract is about 174,430 workers.
What does a cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic do?
O*NET work activities rated highest for this occupation include Getting Information, Controlling Machines and Processes, Handling and Moving Objects, Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials, Performing General Physical Activities, Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings, and related tasks. See Work Activities for the full list.
How much does a cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic make?
BLS national median annual wage: $45,590 (May 2024 in our extract).
Mean annual wage in our occupational extract: $50,960 — higher than the median, which often reflects top earners in the distribution.
Wage percentiles below are from the California OEWS extract (not national unless noted).
| Wage percentile | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $37,971 |
| 25th percentile | $42,311 |
| Median (50th) | $48,323 |
| 75th percentile | $55,977 |
| 90th percentile | $62,800 |
What skills do you need?
O*NET ratings for this occupation emphasize skills such as Operations Monitoring, Operation and Control, Monitoring, Quality Control Analysis, Troubleshooting, Critical Thinking, and knowledge areas including Mechanical, Production and Processing, Mathematics, English Language. See Education & Skills for detail.
Is cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic in demand?
Historical employment trend in our series implies about 6.1% annual decline (compound rate in the extract).
Five-year projected employment change: -27.0%.
Ten-year projected employment change: -46.8%.
Current U.S. headcount: 174,430.
We report federal series only—compare wages, growth, and openings against your target market.
Where do cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics work?
Top industries by employment share in our OEWS industry extract:
| Industry | Employment | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Cross-industry | 174,430 | 19.7% |
| Cross-industry, Private Ownership only | 174,420 | 19.7% |
| Manufacturing | 154,400 | 17.5% |
| Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing | 57,980 | 6.6% |
| Transportation Equipment Manufacturing | 34,510 | 3.9% |
| Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3321, 3322, 3325, 3326, and 3329 only) | 26,990 | 3.1% |
See Industry for charts.
What degrees lead to this career?
Common majors for Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Slaughterers and Meat Packers | 67,500 | $39,790 |
| Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers | 141,090 | $37,700 |
| Textile Cutting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders | 8,960 | $37,940 |
| Butchers and Meat Cutters | 140,040 | $38,960 |
| Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders | 47,540 | $45,700 |
| Printing Press Operators | 145,110 | $45,160 |
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic workforce.
Employment Over Time
174,430 U.S. workforce (OEWS)
California employment for Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic shrank from 79,300 in 2009 to 28,920 in 2025 (63.5%).
Historical employment for Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic from the California OEWS series, 2009–2025. The U.S. workforce figure is national and is not the endpoint of this line.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$45,590 Median pay (BLS national)
Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic earn $45,590 as the BLS national median annual wage.
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.
State employment and wages are from the U.S. BLS OEWS May 2024 state extract. Metropolitan areas use the national MSA file when available.
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- MI: 21,760 employees, $51,380 avg wage
- OH: 14,770 employees, $44,280 avg wage
- TX: 12,260 employees, $42,950 avg wage
- IN: 11,470 employees, $45,840 avg wage
- WI: 9,110 employees, $49,280 avg wage
- IL: 8,350 employees, $46,690 avg wage
- PA: 8,020 employees, $49,490 avg wage
- CA: 7,340 employees, $49,670 avg wage
- KY: 6,610 employees, $50,190 avg wage
- AL: 6,020 employees, $41,200 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:
- Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI: 11,320 employees, $56,480 avg wage
- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN: 6,630 employees, $47,620 avg wage
- Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX: 3,950 employees, $44,040 avg wage
- Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI: 3,700 employees, $53,410 avg wage
- Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX: 3,670 employees, $43,640 avg wage
- Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI: 3,650 employees, $49,100 avg wage
- Cleveland, OH: 3,370 employees, $44,350 avg wage
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA: 3,140 employees, $48,930 avg wage
- Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA: 3,080 employees, $46,830 avg wage
- Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN: 2,950 employees, $55,380 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 U.S. workforce for Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic is about 174,430 people in our OEWS extract.
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
Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic earn $45,590 as the BLS national median annual wage.
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 174,430 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.