Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic Salary: $53,330 Median Pay (2026 stats)
TL;DR
About 18,970 lathe and turning machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic nationally earn a mean of $53,330. Employment in the series shown rose about 8% from the first to the last year; projections imply about 4.6% annual decline.
Key Statistics
Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic: what the data shows
Common questions about lathe and turning machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic careers, answered from BLS OEWS and O*NET in this repository.
What is a lathe and turning machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic?
Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic is tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics under SOC 51-4034.
U.S. employment in our OEWS extract is about 18,970 workers.
What does a lathe and turning machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic do?
O*NET work activities rated highest for this occupation include Controlling Machines and Processes, Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials, Getting Information, Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards, Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings, Handling and Moving Objects, and related tasks. See Work Activities for the full list.
How much does a lathe and turning machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic make?
BLS national median annual wage: $48,620 (May 2024 in our extract).
Mean annual wage in our occupational extract: $53,330 — higher than the median, which often reflects top earners in the distribution.
| Wage percentile | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $39,346 |
| 25th percentile | $44,117 |
| Median (50th) | $48,898 |
| 75th percentile | $61,169 |
| 90th percentile | $74,568 |
What education do you need?
For Lathe and Turning 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, Quality Control Analysis, Monitoring, Active Listening, Reading Comprehension, and knowledge areas including Mathematics, Mechanical, English Language, Education and Training. See Education & Skills for detail.
Is lathe and turning machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic in demand?
Historical employment trend in our series implies about 4.6% annual decline (compound rate in the extract).
Five-year projected employment change: -20.9%.
Ten-year projected employment change: -37.4%.
Current U.S. headcount: 18,970.
We report federal series only—compare wages, growth, and openings against your target market.
Where do lathe and turning 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 | 18,970 | 18.8% |
| Cross-industry, Private Ownership only | 18,970 | 18.8% |
| Manufacturing | 18,000 | 17.9% |
| Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing | 10,900 | 10.8% |
| Machine Shops; Turned Product; and Screw, Nut, and Bolt Manufacturing | 6,560 | 6.5% |
| Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3321, 3322, 3325, 3326, and 3329 only) | 3,980 | 4.0% |
See Industry for charts.
What degrees lead to this career?
Common majors for Lathe and Turning 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | 129,850 | $46,060 |
| Drilling and Boring Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | 5,310 | $46,630 |
| 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 Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic workforce.
Employment Over Time
18,970 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 18,970 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 18,970 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.