Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic is a dynamic career path with diverse opportunities. The field has seen strong growth, with employment increasing by 37.1% over recent years. Professionals in this field are primarily employed in industries such as Cross-industry and Cross-industry, Private Ownership only.

Key Statistics

480
2023 Workforce
None
Average Age
$60,656
Average Salary

Employment

Employment and salary information for the Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic workforce.

Employment Over Time

480 Workforce in 2023

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

Historical employment trends for Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic.

Yearly Wage Ranking

$60,656 Average Wage

In 2023, Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic earned an average of $60,656.

Wage ranking compared to other occupations.

Wage Distribution

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

Salary distribution for Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic.

Employment Growth Projections

-9.2% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)

938 Projected Employment (5 years)

Projected growth: -38.3%

579 Projected Employment (10 years)

Projected growth: -61.9%

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

Historical employment trends and future projections for Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic.

Industry

Information on the industries that employ Forging 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 Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic employed by various industries.

Industry distribution for Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic.

Wage Trends by Industry

0.9% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate

Total, All Industry: 5.0% growth (Current: $61,835)

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

Geographic Distribution

Employment and wage information by geographic location for Forging 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: 280 employees, $60,209 avg wage

Top 10 states by employment for Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic.

Top Metropolitan Areas

Top Metropolitan Areas:

  • Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD: 200 employees, $61,418 avg wage
  • Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario MSA: 50 employees, $54,397 avg wage
  • San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad MSA: 30 employees, $61,835 avg wage

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

Diversity

Demographic information on Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic in the US.

Gender and Age

The workforce of Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic in 2023 was 480 people, with 62.0% women and 38.0% men.

Gender and age distribution for Forging 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 Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic.

Education & Skills

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

Majors

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

Common majors for Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic.

Education Levels

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

Education level distribution for Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic.

Skills

Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic need many skills, but most especially Operations Monitoring, Operation and Control, Monitoring, Reading Comprehension, Active Listening.

Required skills for Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic.

Knowledge & Abilities

Knowledge areas and abilities required for Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic.

Knowledge Areas

The most important knowledge areas for Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic include Production and Processing, Mathematics, Education and Training, Mechanical, Engineering and Technology.

Knowledge areas required for Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic.

Abilities

Key abilities needed for Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic include Near Vision, Oral Comprehension, Arm-Hand Steadiness, Problem Sensitivity, Written Comprehension.

Required abilities for Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic.

Work Activities

Common work activities performed by Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic.

Daily Activities

Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic spend their time on activities such as Controlling Machines and Processes, Getting Information, Handling and Moving Objects, Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates, Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events.

Most important work activities for Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic.

About

Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic

The average yearly wage for Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic was $60,656 in 2023.

SOC Code

51-4022 - Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic

Insights and Analysis

Compensation snapshot: Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic reports an average salary of $60,656.

Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 480 workers, indicating sustained demand.

Forward outlook: Projected annual decline is -9.2%, 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.