Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
Set up, operate, or tend lathe and turning machines to turn, bore, thread, form, or face metal or plastic materials, such as wire, rod, or bar stock.
Most important skills
- Operations Monitoring
- Operation and Control
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Listening
- Monitoring
- Equipment Maintenance
- Quality Control Analysis
- Judgment and Decision Making
Key knowledge
- Production and Processing
- Mechanical
- Engineering and Technology
- Education and Training
- Administration and Management
- Customer and Personal Service
- English Language
- Mathematics
What the work involves
- Inspect sample workpieces to verify conformance with specifications, using instruments such as gauges, micrometers, and dial indicators.
- Study blueprints, layouts or charts, and job orders for information on specifications and tooling instructions, and to determine material requirements and operational sequences.
- Adjust machine controls and change tool settings to keep dimensions within specified tolerances.
- Move controls to set cutting speeds and depths and feed rates, and to position tools in relation to workpieces.
- Start lathe or turning machines and observe operations to ensure that specifications are met.
- Select cutting tools and tooling instructions, according to written specifications or knowledge of metal properties and shop mathematics.
- Crank machines through cycles, stopping to adjust tool positions and machine controls to ensure specified timing, clearances, and tolerances.
- Lift metal stock or workpieces manually or using hoists, and position and secure them in machines, using fasteners and hand tools.
Strongest interest areas (O*NET): Realistic, Conventional, Investigative.
Qualifications and licensing
- Most common education
- High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED) (31.6% of respondents)
- Related experience
- Over 1 year, up to and including 2 years (19.4%)
- On-the-job training
- Over 6 months, up to and including 1 year (22.8%)
- 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 Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic 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 | Very low | Lower on contact with others than 97% of occupations compared | 37% of surveyed respondents chose “Occasional contact with others” |
| Dealing with the public | Low | Lower on dealing with the public than 73% of occupations compared | — |
| Teamwork | Very low | Lower on teamwork than 88% of occupations compared | — |
| Freedom to make decisions | Very low | Lower on freedom to make decisions than 98% of occupations compared | 39% of surveyed respondents chose “No freedom” |
| Time pressure | Very low | Lower on time pressure than 88% of occupations compared | 43% of surveyed respondents chose “Once a week or more but not every day” |
| Conflict situations | Very low | Lower on conflict situations than 98% of occupations compared | — |
| Dealing with unpleasant or angry people | Very low | Lower on dealing with unpleasant or angry people than 98% of occupations compared | — |
| Consequence of error | Very low | Lower on consequence of error than 90% of occupations compared | — |
Work-pressure profile
- Time pressure: very low
- Conflict situations: very low
- Dealing with unpleasant or angry people: very low
- Consequence of error: very low
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: 0.15%
- Occasional contact with others: 36.69%
- Contact with others about half the time: 6.68%
- Contact with others most of the time: 36.59%
- Constant contact with others: 19.9%
n = 25, Incumbent 08/2024
Dealing with the public
- Not important at all: 20.77%
- Fairly important: 17.32%
- Important: 22.62%
- Very important: suppressed by O*NET (low precision)
- Extremely important: 1.18%
n = 25, Incumbent 08/2024
Teamwork
- Not important at all: 0%
- Fairly important: 16.02%
- Important: 27.31%
- Very important: suppressed by O*NET (low precision)
- Extremely important: 19.58%
n = 24, Incumbent 08/2024
Freedom to make decisions
- No freedom: 38.71%
- Very little freedom: 1.1%
- Limited freedom: 15.06%
- Some freedom: 21.63%
- A lot of freedom: suppressed by O*NET (low precision)
n = 25, Incumbent 08/2024
Time pressure
- Never: 27.23%
- Once a year or more but not every month: 0.07%
- Once a month or more but not every week: 10.78%
- Once a week or more but not every day: 43.37%
- Every day: 18.56%
n = 25, Incumbent 08/2024
Conflict situations
- Never: suppressed by O*NET (low precision)
- Once a year or more but not every month: suppressed by O*NET (low precision)
- Once a month or more but not every week: 18.44%
- Once a week or more but not every day: 0%
- Every day: 1.14%
n = 25, Incumbent 08/2024
Dealing with unpleasant or angry people
- Never: suppressed by O*NET (low precision)
- Once a year or more but not every month: suppressed by O*NET (low precision)
- Once a month or more but not every week: 2.37%
- Once a week or more but not every day: 2.07%
- Every day: 1.62%
n = 24, Incumbent 08/2024
Consequence of error
- Not serious at all: suppressed by O*NET (low precision)
- Fairly serious: suppressed by O*NET (low precision)
- Serious: 17.47%
- Very serious: 2.95%
- Extremely serious: 1.66%
n = 25, Incumbent 08/2024
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O*NET-SOC 51-4034.00 · SOC 51-4034 (exact, high confidence) · dataset 2026.10.8