Lathe and Turning Machine Tool 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 7.9% over recent years. Professionals in this field are primarily employed in industries such as Cross-industry and Cross-industry, Private Ownership only.

Key Statistics

2,330
2023 Workforce
None
Average Age
$53,330
Average Salary

Employment

Employment and salary information for the Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic workforce.

Employment Over Time

2,330 Workforce in 2023

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

Historical employment trends for Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic.

Yearly Wage Ranking

$53,330 Average Wage

In 2023, Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic earned an average of $53,330.

Wage ranking compared to other occupations.

Wage Distribution

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

Salary distribution for Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic.

Employment Growth Projections

-4.6% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)

7,123 Projected Employment (5 years)

Projected growth: -20.9%

5,638 Projected Employment (10 years)

Projected growth: -37.4%

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

Historical employment trends and future projections for Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic.

Industry

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

Industry distribution for Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic.

Wage Trends by Industry

-4.4% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate

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

Geographic Distribution

Employment and wage information by geographic location for Lathe and Turning 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: 2,170 employees, $53,520 avg wage

Top 10 states by employment for Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic.

Top Metropolitan Areas

Top Metropolitan Areas:

  • Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD: 690 employees, $51,905 avg wage
  • Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine MD: 420 employees, $53,317 avg wage
  • Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario MSA: 260 employees, $50,488 avg wage
  • San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara MSA: 250 employees, $63,282 avg wage
  • San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad MSA: 180 employees, $53,710 avg wage
  • Oakland-Fremont-Berkeley MD: 180 employees, $56,965 avg wage
  • Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura MSA: 100 employees, $45,769 avg wage
  • Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom MSA: 40 employees, $53,628 avg wage
  • Bakersfield-Delano MSA: 30 employees, $48,529 avg wage
  • Fresno MSA: 20 employees, $44,219 avg wage

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

Diversity

Demographic information on Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic in the US.

Gender and Age

The workforce of Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic in 2023 was 2,330 people, with 62.0% women and 38.0% men.

Gender and age distribution for Lathe and Turning 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 Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic.

Education & Skills

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

Majors

The most common majors achieved by Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic in 2023 were Engineering, Business, Social Sciences.

Common majors for Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic.

Education Levels

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

Education level distribution for Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic.

Skills

Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic need many skills, but most especially Operations Monitoring, Operation and Control, Quality Control Analysis, Monitoring, Active Listening.

Required skills for Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic.

Knowledge & Abilities

Knowledge areas and abilities required for Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic.

Knowledge Areas

The most important knowledge areas for Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic include Mathematics, Mechanical, English Language, Education and Training, Production and Processing.

Knowledge areas required for Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic.

Abilities

Key abilities needed for Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic include Control Precision, Arm-Hand Steadiness, Near Vision, Finger Dexterity, Reaction Time.

Required abilities for Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic.

Work Activities

Common work activities performed by Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic.

Daily Activities

Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic spend their time on activities such as Controlling Machines and Processes, Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials, Getting Information, Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards, Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings.

Most important work activities for Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic.

About

Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic

The average yearly wage for Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic was $53,330 in 2023.

SOC Code

51-4034 - Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic

Insights and Analysis

Compensation snapshot: Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic reports an average salary of $53,330.

Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 2,330 workers, indicating sustained demand.

Forward outlook: Projected annual decline is -4.6%, 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.