Drilling and Boring Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic Salary: $46,630 Median Pay (2026 stats)
Executive Summary
About 5,310 drilling and boring machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic work nationally, and $46,630 is the BLS national median annual wage. Employment in the series shown fell about 15% from the first to the last year; projections imply about 8.2% annual decline.
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 percentiles below are from the California OEWS extract (not national unless noted).
| 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 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 U.S. workforce (OEWS)
California employment for Drilling and Boring Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic shrank from 10,240 in 2009 to 2,620 in 2025 (74.4%).
Historical employment for Drilling and Boring Machine Tool 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
$46,630 Median pay (BLS national)
Drilling and Boring Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic earn $46,630 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 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.
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:
- TN: 750 employees, $44,610 avg wage
- CA: 690 employees, $54,330 avg wage
- OH: 420 employees, $51,160 avg wage
- IN: 330 employees, $41,960 avg wage
- IL: 250 employees, $56,980 avg wage
- TX: 220 employees, $42,880 avg wage
- MI: 170 employees, $46,050 avg wage
- FL: 160 employees, $58,860 avg wage
- PA: 160 employees, $54,030 avg wage
- IA: 150 employees, $48,290 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-Anaheim, CA: 440 employees, $56,100 avg wage
- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ: 160 employees, $54,520 avg wage
- Cleveland, OH: 140 employees, $53,180 avg wage
- Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN: 120 employees, $49,790 avg wage
- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA: 110 employees, $53,170 avg wage
- Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI: 90 employees, $45,530 avg wage
- Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI: 70 employees, $49,020 avg wage
- Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH: 60 employees, $72,440 avg wage
- Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA: 60 employees, N/A avg wage
- Oklahoma City, OK: 60 employees, N/A 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 U.S. workforce for Drilling and Boring Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic is about 5,310 people in our OEWS extract.
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
Drilling and Boring Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic earn $46,630 as the BLS national median annual wage.
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.