Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic

Production · SOC 51-4031

0.0% AI Exposure — Low

$46,330

Median Annual Salary

Average

O*NET Outlook

18,600

Proj. Annual Openings

171,200

Employment (OEWS 2025)

100/100

AI Resiliency Score

AI exposure from the Anthropic Economic Index (2025); salary from BLS; skills from O*NET. See /sources.

AI Exposure Analysis

AI Exposure0.0%

AI Resiliency100/100

Exposure BandLow

Sector Avg. Exposure0.8%

1.Operations Monitoring

2.Operation and Control

3.Monitoring

4.Quality Control Analysis

5.Active Listening

O*NET occupation profile

Set up, operate, or tend machines to saw, cut, shear, slit, punch, crimp, notch, bend, or straighten metal or plastic material.

Common titles: Die Setter, Fabrication Operator, Machine Operator, Machine Setter, Press Brake Operator, Press Operator

•Measure completed workpieces to verify conformance to specifications, using micrometers, gauges, calipers, templates, or rulers.
•Examine completed workpieces for defects, such as chipped edges or marred surfaces and sort defective pieces according to types of flaws.
•Read work orders or production schedules to determine specifications, such as materials to be used, locations of cutting lines, or dimensions and tolerances.
•Start machines, monitor their operations, and record operational data.
•Set up, operate, or tend machines to saw, cut, shear, slit, punch, crimp, notch, bend, or straighten metal or plastic material.

•Measure dimensions of completed products or workpieces to verify conformance to specifications.
•Inspect metal, plastic, or composite products.
•Sort materials or products for processing, storing, shipping, or grading.
•Apply lubricants or coolants to workpieces.
•Operate cutting equipment.

Microsoft Excel · hotMicrosoft Office software · hotMicrosoft Outlook · hotSAP software · hotStriker Systems SS-Punch

Occupations Shown

0.5%

Avg AI Exposure

Bright Outlook