Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
Set up, operate, or tend machines that cut or slice materials, such as glass, stone, cork, rubber, tobacco, food, paper, or insulating material.
Most important skills
- Operations Monitoring
- Operation and Control
- Quality Control Analysis
- Reading Comprehension
- Monitoring
- Equipment Maintenance
- Troubleshooting
- Active Listening
Key knowledge
- Production and Processing
- English Language
- Mechanical
- Computers and Electronics
- Administration and Management
- Education and Training
- Mathematics
- Engineering and Technology
What the work involves
- Examine, measure, and weigh materials or products to verify conformance to specifications, using measuring devices, such as rulers, micrometers, or scales.
- Set up, operate, or tend machines that cut or slice materials, such as glass, stone, cork, rubber, tobacco, food, paper, or insulating material.
- Stack and sort cut material for packaging, further processing, or shipping, according to types and sizes of material.
- Review work orders, blueprints, specifications, or job samples to determine components, settings, and adjustments for cutting and slicing machines.
- Type instructions on computer keyboards, push buttons to activate computer programs, or manually set cutting guides, clamps, and knives.
- Remove defective or substandard materials from machines, and readjust machine components so that products meet standards.
- Press buttons, pull levers, or depress pedals to start and operate cutting and slicing machines.
- Adjust machine controls to alter position, alignment, speed, or pressure.
Strongest interest areas (O*NET): Realistic, Conventional, Investigative.
Qualifications and licensing
- Most common education
- High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED) (92% of expert ratings)
- Related experience
- None (39.1%)
- On-the-job training
- Anything beyond short demonstration, up to and including 1 month (30%)
- Preparation level
- O*NET job zone 2: Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed
- Licensing
- Not yet verified. Check your state licensing board.
Check before planning
- Licensing for Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders is not yet verified for any state: check the state licensing board before planning.
Limits
- Distributions show what current workers or occupational experts report, not legal minimums.
- Requirements vary by employer and state; time to qualify is not estimated.
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0); BLS Employment Projections · dataset 2026.10.8 · method e3-qualification-1.0.0
Work environment
How the typical conditions of this occupation compare with 911 occupations in O*NET (very low = the lowest fifth).
Levels are relative. Most occupations involve a lot of contact with people, for example, so “very low” can still mean regular contact; the last column shows what workers actually reported.
| Condition | Level | Compared with other occupations | Most common answer (O*NET survey) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Contact with others | Moderate | Higher on contact with others than 58% of occupations compared | 68% of surveyed respondents chose “Constant contact with others” |
| Dealing with the public | Low | Lower on dealing with the public than 65% of occupations compared | 38% of surveyed respondents chose “Extremely important” |
| Teamwork | Very high | Higher on teamwork than 82% of occupations compared | 65% of surveyed respondents chose “Extremely important” |
| Freedom to make decisions | Low | Lower on freedom to make decisions than 74% of occupations compared | 46% of surveyed respondents chose “Some freedom” |
| Time pressure | Moderate | Lower on time pressure than 56% of occupations compared | 55% of surveyed respondents chose “Every day” |
| Conflict situations | Low | Lower on conflict situations than 73% of occupations compared | 32% of surveyed respondents chose “Never” |
| Dealing with unpleasant or angry people | Low | Lower on dealing with unpleasant or angry people than 74% of occupations compared | 33% of surveyed respondents chose “Never” |
| Consequence of error | High | Higher on consequence of error than 71% of occupations compared | 45% of surveyed respondents chose “Extremely serious” |
Work-pressure profile
- Time pressure: moderate
- Conflict situations: low
- Dealing with unpleasant or angry people: low
- Consequence of error: high
Each part is shown on its own. There is no combined stress score, and conditions vary by employer and role.
Full answer distributions
Contact with others
- No contact with others: 0%
- Occasional contact with others: 8.44%
- Contact with others about half the time: 2.07%
- Contact with others most of the time: 21.06%
- Constant contact with others: 68.43%
n = 17, Incumbent 08/2026
Dealing with the public
- Not important at all: 28.29%
- Fairly important: 16.26%
- Important: 15.79%
- Very important: 1.96%
- Extremely important: 37.7%
n = 17, Incumbent 08/2026
Teamwork
- Not important at all: 0%
- Fairly important: 1.21%
- Important: 0.86%
- Very important: 33.23%
- Extremely important: 64.7%
n = 17, Incumbent 08/2026
Freedom to make decisions
- No freedom: 0%
- Very little freedom: 4.41%
- Limited freedom: 29.63%
- Some freedom: 45.8%
- A lot of freedom: 20.17%
n = 17, Incumbent 08/2026
Time pressure
- Never: 12.57%
- Once a year or more but not every month: 12.57%
- Once a month or more but not every week: 14.64%
- Once a week or more but not every day: 5.13%
- Every day: 55.09%
n = 17, Incumbent 08/2026
Conflict situations
- Never: 32.04%
- Once a year or more but not every month: 29.22%
- Once a month or more but not every week: 10.78%
- Once a week or more but not every day: 14.53%
- Every day: 13.43%
n = 17, Incumbent 08/2026
Dealing with unpleasant or angry people
- Never: 32.91%
- Once a year or more but not every month: 22.16%
- Once a month or more but not every week: 18.94%
- Once a week or more but not every day: 26%
- Every day: 0%
n = 17, Incumbent 08/2026
Consequence of error
- Not serious at all: 16.2%
- Fairly serious: 13.43%
- Serious: 23.37%
- Very serious: 1.72%
- Extremely serious: 45.28%
n = 17, Incumbent 08/2026
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O*NET-SOC 51-9032.00 · SOC 51-9032 (exact, high confidence) · dataset 2026.10.8