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.
Most important skills
- Operations Monitoring
- Operation and Control
- Monitoring
- Speaking
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Listening
- Critical Thinking
- Troubleshooting
Key knowledge
- Production and Processing
- Mechanical
- Computers and Electronics
- Mathematics
- Engineering and Technology
- Food Production
- English Language
- Public Safety and Security
What the work involves
- Adjust machine components to regulate speeds, pressures, and temperatures, and amounts, dimensions, and flow of materials or ingredients.
- Examine, measure, and weigh materials or products to verify conformance to standards, using measuring devices such as templates, micrometers, or scales.
- Monitor machine operations and observe lights and gauges to detect malfunctions.
- Press control buttons to activate machinery and equipment.
- Turn controls to adjust machine functions, such as regulating air pressure, creating vacuums, and adjusting coolant flow.
- Review work orders, specifications, or instructions to determine materials, ingredients, procedures, components, settings, and adjustments for extruding, forming, pressing, or compacting machines.
- Record and maintain production data, such as meter readings, and quantities, types, and dimensions of materials produced.
- Notify supervisors when extruded filaments fail to meet standards.
Strongest interest areas (O*NET): Realistic, Conventional, Investigative.
Qualifications and licensing
- Most common education
- High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED) (78.2% of respondents)
- Related experience
- Over 1 year, up to and including 2 years (22.9%)
- On-the-job training
- Over 3 months, up to and including 6 months (40.5%)
- 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 Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting 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 | Low | Lower on contact with others than 72% of occupations compared | 47% of surveyed respondents chose “Constant contact with others” |
| Dealing with the public | Very low | Lower on dealing with the public than 90% of occupations compared | 58% of surveyed respondents chose “Not important at all” |
| Teamwork | Moderate | Lower on teamwork than 59% of occupations compared | 60% of surveyed respondents chose “Extremely important” |
| Freedom to make decisions | Very low | Lower on freedom to make decisions than 87% of occupations compared | 42% of surveyed respondents chose “Some freedom” |
| Time pressure | Moderate | Higher on time pressure than 55% of occupations compared | 44% of surveyed respondents chose “Every day” |
| Conflict situations | Moderate | Lower on conflict situations than 57% of occupations compared | 27% of surveyed respondents chose “Once a week or more but not every day” |
| Dealing with unpleasant or angry people | High | Higher on dealing with unpleasant or angry people than 64% of occupations compared | 30% of surveyed respondents chose “Once a week or more but not every day” |
| Consequence of error | High | Higher on consequence of error than 60% of occupations compared | 26% of surveyed respondents chose “Extremely serious” |
Work-pressure profile
- Time pressure: moderate
- Conflict situations: moderate
- Dealing with unpleasant or angry people: high
- 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: 0.91%
- Occasional contact with others: 15.28%
- Contact with others about half the time: 9.48%
- Contact with others most of the time: 27%
- Constant contact with others: 47.33%
n = 40, Incumbent 07/2016
Dealing with the public
- Not important at all: 57.75%
- Fairly important: 11.75%
- Important: 9.18%
- Very important: 0.71%
- Extremely important: 20.61%
n = 39, Incumbent 07/2016
Teamwork
- Not important at all: 0.24%
- Fairly important: 15.55%
- Important: 12.96%
- Very important: 10.8%
- Extremely important: 60.47%
n = 40, Incumbent 07/2016
Freedom to make decisions
- No freedom: 7.76%
- Very little freedom: 8.05%
- Limited freedom: 24.57%
- Some freedom: 42.12%
- A lot of freedom: 17.49%
n = 40, Incumbent 07/2016
Time pressure
- Never: 6.62%
- Once a year or more but not every month: 5.01%
- Once a month or more but not every week: 21.42%
- Once a week or more but not every day: 23.45%
- Every day: 43.5%
n = 40, Incumbent 07/2016
Conflict situations
- Never: 21.18%
- Once a year or more but not every month: 24.74%
- Once a month or more but not every week: 20.64%
- Once a week or more but not every day: 26.7%
- Every day: 6.74%
n = 40, Incumbent 07/2016
Dealing with unpleasant or angry people
- Never: 21.36%
- Once a year or more but not every month: 14.5%
- Once a month or more but not every week: 19.49%
- Once a week or more but not every day: 29.78%
- Every day: 14.86%
n = 39, Incumbent 07/2016
Consequence of error
- Not serious at all: 16.49%
- Fairly serious: 18.1%
- Serious: 19.91%
- Very serious: 19.86%
- Extremely serious: 25.65%
n = 40, Incumbent 07/2016
Is this career right for me? Find jobs with conditions you prefer
Where people with this background could move
- Analyze
Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
Closeness 95/100
- Analyze
Extruding and Forming Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Synthetic and Glass Fibers
Closeness 95/100
- Analyze
Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
Closeness 95/100
- Analyze
Engine and Other Machine Assemblers
Closeness 94/100
- Analyze
Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
Closeness 94/100
- Analyze
Adhesive Bonding Machine Operators and Tenders
Closeness 94/100
Find more alternativesCompare skills with another job
O*NET-SOC 51-9041.00 · SOC 51-9041 (exact, high confidence) · dataset 2026.10.8