How to become an extruding, forming, pressing, and compacting machine setters, operators, and tenders
Set up, operate, or tend machines, such as glass-forming machines, plodder machines, and tuber machines, to shape and form products such as glassware, food, rubber, soap, brick, tile, clay, wax, tobacco, or cosmetics.
Steps to get there
Most employers expect usually requires a high school diploma or ged, though some occupations may not..Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience. For example, landscaping and groundskeeping workers might require very little training or previous experience, while agricultural equipment operators can benefit from on-the job training.
What extruding, forming, pressing, and compacting machine setters, operators, and tenders do
- Monitor machine operations and observe lights and gauges to detect malfunctions.
- Turn controls to adjust machine functions, such as regulating air pressure, creating vacuums, and adjusting coolant flow.
- Clean dies, arbors, compression chambers, and molds, using swabs, sponges, or air hoses.
- Adjust machine components to regulate speeds, pressures, and temperatures, and amounts, dimensions, and flow of materials or ingredients.
- Press control buttons to activate machinery and equipment.
- Examine, measure, and weigh materials or products to verify conformance to standards, using measuring devices such as templates, micrometers, or scales.
Skills that matter most
- Monitoring
- Speaking
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Listening
- Critical Thinking
- Writing
- Active Learning
- Mathematics
Is extruding, forming, pressing, and compacting machine setters, operators, and tenders a good career?
On the numbers, this job is close to the average across occupations. Median pay is 10% below the all-occupation median. Whether it fits you depends on the work itself, the schooling you are willing to do and where you want to live.
Where it pays most
- Maine $57,990
- Pennsylvania $53,580
- Vermont $52,340
- Minnesota $52,070
- South Carolina $51,620
Sources: O*NET® 31.0 (CC BY 4.0, USDOL/ETA) and BLS Employment Projections 2025–35. Pay: BLS OEWS May 2025.