Occupational Employment Statistics

DETAILED OCCUPATION DATA

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

Occupational Description:
Set up, operate, or tend lathe and turning machines to turn, bore, thread, form, or face metal or plastic materials, such as wire, rod, or bar stock.

Occupational Employment Statistics(OES) Wage Data
First Quarter 2025

Geography	Employment	Emp SE*	Percentiles
Geography	Employment	Emp SE*	Mean	10th	25th	Median	75th	90th
Central Minnesota	30	9	$26.00/hr	$20.30/hr	$22.36/hr	$23.37/hr	$30.76/hr	$35.24/hr

Leading Industries for Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic

Industry	OES Employment (Statewide)	OES Median Wage (Statewide)
Manufacturing	150	$28.26/hr

Other Regional Data for Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic

Geography	Employment	Median Wage	Projections % Change 2022-2032
Northwest Minnesota	N/A	N/A	N/A
Southeast Minnesota	N/A	N/A	N/A
Duluth MN-WI MSA	N/A	N/A	N/A
Grand Forks ND-MN MSA	N/A	N/A	N/A
La Crosse WI-MN MSA	N/A	N/A	N/A
St Cloud MN MSA	N/A	N/A	N/A
Northwest Balance of State	N/A	N/A	N/A
Northeast Balance of State	N/A	N/A	N/A
Southeast Balance of State	N/A	N/A	N/A
Central Minnesota	30	$23.37/hr	-2.3%
Seven County Mpls-St Paul, MN	110	$30.75/hr	-7.7%
Minneapolis-St Paul-Bloomington MN-WI MSA	130	$30.75/hr	N/A
Minnesota	150	$28.26/hr	-6.0%

Related Occupations

Occupations	Employment	Median Wage	Projections % Change -
Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic	140	$23.85/hr	N/A
Drilling and Boring Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic	120	$21.91/hr	-11.1%
Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders	1,330	$27.58/hr	1.9%
Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic	1,490	$24.04/hr	-4.0%
Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders	360	$28.26/hr	-4.6%
Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic	5,570	$24.90/hr	-3.5%
Extruding and Forming Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Synthetic and Glass Fibers	N/A	$25.08/hr	1.4%
Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders	1,950	$27.26/hr	-5.6%
Tool Grinders, Filers, and Sharpeners	60	$25.27/hr	-9.1%
Adhesive Bonding Machine Operators and Tenders	N/A	$27.11/hr	2.6%

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

Refill, change, and monitor the level of fluids, such as oil and coolant, in machines.
Replace worn tools, and sharpen dull cutting tools and dies, using bench grinders or cutter-grinding machines.
Turn valve handles to direct the flow of coolant onto work areas or to coat disks with spinning compounds.
Install holding fixtures, cams, gears, and stops to control stock and tool movement, using hand tools, power tools, and measuring instruments.
Select cutting tools and tooling instructions, according to written specifications or knowledge of metal properties and shop mathematics.
Adjust machine controls and change tool settings to keep dimensions within specified tolerances.
Lift metal stock or workpieces manually or using hoists, and position and secure them in machines, using fasteners and hand tools.
Start lathe or turning machines and observe operations to ensure that specifications are met.
Inspect sample workpieces to verify conformance with specifications, using instruments such as gauges, micrometers, and dial indicators.
Compute unspecified dimensions and machine settings, using knowledge of metal properties and shop mathematics.