How to become a milling and planing machine setter, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic

Q: How do I become a milling and planing machine setter, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic?

The typical entry-level education is usually requires a high school diploma or ged, though some occupations may not..

Q: How much does a milling and planing machine setter, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic make?

The median pay in the United States is $52,800 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025).

Set up, operate, or tend milling or planing machines to mill, plane, shape, groove, or profile metal or plastic work pieces.

Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.Typical entry-level education

$52,800Median pay a year

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 milling and planing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic do

Verify alignment of workpieces on machines, using measuring instruments such as rules, gauges, or calipers.
Compute dimensions, tolerances, and angles of workpieces or machines according to specifications and knowledge of metal properties and shop mathematics.
Select cutting speeds, feed rates, and depths of cuts, applying knowledge of metal properties and shop mathematics.
Turn valves or pull levers to start and regulate the flow of coolant or lubricant to work areas.
Remove workpieces from machines, and check to ensure that they conform to specifications, using measuring instruments such as microscopes, gauges, calipers, and micrometers.
Move controls to set cutting specifications, to position cutting tools and workpieces in relation to each other, and to start machines.

Skills that matter most

Critical Thinking
Monitoring
Active Listening
Reading Comprehension
Speaking
Writing
Mathematics
Active Learning

Is milling and planing machine setter, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic a good career?

On the numbers, this job is close to the average across occupations. Median pay is 4% above 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

Washington $86,460
Connecticut $79,300
Kentucky $66,440
Illinois $63,360
Nebraska $59,630

Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic salary by state and city

Sources: O*NET® 31.0 (CC BY 4.0, USDOL/ETA) and BLS Employment Projections 2025–35. Pay: BLS OEWS May 2025.