Occupations / Cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic

BLS occupation 51-4031

Cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic

National employment outlook for the United States, based on official Bureau of Labor Statistics 2025–35 projections.

Projected change-10.5%

Median annual pay$46,330

Annual openings13.2K

Outlook

Employment for cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic is projected to change by -10.5% from 2025 to 2035. BLS estimates about 13.2K openings per year on average; openings include both growth and replacement needs.

What the numbers mean

These are national projections, not current vacancies or a guarantee of future demand. Median pay means half of workers earned more and half earned less in the reference year.

View official BLS source ↗