Work Environment

Metal and plastic machine workers held about 1.0 million jobs in 2020. Employment in the detailed occupations that make up metal and plastic machine workers was distributed as follows:

• Cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic - 182,000
• Computer numerically controlled tool operators - 158,400
• Molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic - 157,700
• Multiple machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic - 138,400
• Extruding and drawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic - 70,500
• Grinding, lapping, polishing, and buffing machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic - 69,400
• Plating machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic - 39,300
• Welding, soldering, and brazing machine setters, operators, and tenders - 35,100
• Rolling machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic - 34,500
• Computer numerically controlled tool programmers - 27,100
• Lathe and turning machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic - 23,700
• Heat treating equipment setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic - 16,900
• Foundry mold and coremakers - 15,800
• Milling and planing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic - 15,700
• Metal-refining furnace operators and tenders - 15,100
• Forging machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic - 13,700
• Drilling and boring machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic - 9,100
• Pourers and casters, metal - 7,100
• Model makers, metal and plastic - 3,400
• Patternmakers, metal and plastic - 2,400

Injuries and Illnesses

These workers often operate powerful, high-speed machines that can be dangerous and must observe safety rules. Operators usually wear protective equipment, such as safety glasses, earplugs, and steel-toed boots, to guard against flying particles of metal or plastic, machine noise, and heavy objects, respectively.

Other required safety equipment varies by work setting and machine. For example, respirators are common for those in the plastics industry who work near materials that emit dangerous fumes or dust.

Welding, soldering, and brazing machine setters, operators, and tenders have one of the highest rates of injuries and illnesses of all occupations.

Work Schedules

Most metal and plastic machine workers are employed full time. Some work more than 40 hours per week. Because many manufacturers run their machinery for extended periods, evening and weekend work is also common.

Job Outlook

Overall employment of metal and plastic machine workers is projected to decline 2 percent from 2020 to 2030.

Despite declining employment, about 103,100 openings for metal and plastic machine workers are projected each year, on average, over the decade. All of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to other occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.

Employment

One of the most important factors influencing employment of these occupations is the use of labor-saving machinery. Many firms are adopting technologies such as computer numerically controlled (CNC) tools and robots to improve quality and lower production costs. The switch to CNC equipment requires computer programmers instead of machine setters, operators, and tenders. Therefore, demand for manual tool operators and tenders is likely to be reduced while demand for CNC programmers is expected to be strong.

The demand for metal and plastic machine workers is also affected by the demand for the parts they produce. Both the plastic and metal manufacturing industries face foreign competition that limits the orders for parts produced in this country. Some U.S. manufacturers have moved their production to foreign countries, reducing jobs for machine setters and operators. However, some companies are bringing jobs back to the United States from overseas, and this is expected to continue over the coming decade.

Earnings

Most metal and plastic machine workers are employed full time. Some work more than 40 hours per week. Because many manufacturers run their machinery for extended periods, evening and weekend work also is common.