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Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic

Typical education: High school diplomaLower pressure

What they do

Set up, operate, or tend forging machines to taper, shape, or form metal or plastic parts.

Kinds of work

  • Realistic: Hands-on work with tools, machines, plants or animals, often outdoors.
  • Conventional: Organizing information, following clear procedures and working with data and details.

Lower pressure: How much pressure workers in this job report: deadlines, conflict, dealing with upset people, the cost of mistakes, responsibility for others' safety, competition and long hours. It varies a lot from one employer to the next. Source: U.S. Department of Labor worker surveys.

Pay, tasks and more

Salary

United States $49,030 Median per year · $23.57/hr Most earn $36,800–$68,720

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025.

What you might do

  • Start machines to produce sample workpieces, and observe operations to detect machine malfunctions and to verify that machine setups conform to specifications.
  • Read work orders or blueprints to determine specified tolerances and sequences of operations for machine setup.
  • Remove dies from machines when production runs are finished.
  • Repair, maintain, and replace parts on dies.
  • Repair, maintain, and replace parts on dies.
  • Select, align, and bolt positioning fixtures, stops, and specified dies to rams and anvils, forging rolls, or presses and hammers.

Job outlook

United States
17% fewer jobs by 2035, declining · about 600 openings a year

Openings include new jobs and jobs left by workers who retire or change careers. Projections: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. "Bright Outlook": U.S. Department of Labor.

Where they work

  • Fabricated metal product manufacturing39.2%
  • Turned product and screw, nut, and bolt manufacturing11.8%
  • Motor vehicle parts manufacturing10.4%
  • Machinery manufacturing4.8%
  • Plastics product manufacturing4.6%

Share of all workers in this career. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Employment Matrix.

Experience before this job: 6 months to 1 year

Some people start through an apprenticeship: paid training on the job, often with classes. Search apprenticeships on Apprenticeship.gov (opens in a new tab) ↗

Career path

How people usually get into this career, from school to their first job and beyond.

Typical education: High school diplomaExperience before this job: 6 months to 1 year

This is an entry-level job. You usually need a high school diploma, and most people learn the work on the job over about 6 months to 1 year. Many people in this field start as machine operators or helpers and then move into forging machine roles.

  1. High school diploma

    4 years

    Build math, shop, and safety skills that show you can handle precise measurements and machinery. This is the basic requirement for almost every job in this field.

  2. Entry-level Metal Production Machine Operator

    6 months - 1 year

    Learn to run and tend metal-shaping machines under supervision, read work orders, and follow safety rules. This hands-on experience is what prepares you to set up a forging machine.

  3. Forging Machine Setter, Operator, or Tender

    Ongoing

    Set up forging machines to shape metal or plastic parts, run them safely, and keep them producing good parts. This is the career itself.

Where it can lead

  1. Tool and Die Maker

    2-4 years of experience first

    You move from running machines to building the tools and dies that shape the parts. This usually takes an apprenticeship or certificate and strong precision measuring skills.

  2. Production Supervisor

    3-5 years of experience first

    You oversee a team of machine operators, schedule work, and check quality. Moving up usually means showing reliability, good safety habits, and clear communication with others.

What you can do now

Ideas for high school and college students.

In high school

  • Take shop or metal technology classesHands-on work with tools and machines gives you a head start on how factory equipment works.
  • Take geometry and algebraSetting up machines involves reading measurements, angles, and specifications, so these skills matter every day.
  • Join a trade or technical student clubClubs focused on skilled trades build teamwork, practical skills, and a network of people in manufacturing.
  • Get a part-time job in a warehouse or factoryAny production job teaches you to follow procedures, work safely, and keep a steady pace.
  • Practice reading simple technical drawingsMany machine jobs start with a drawing or work order, so being able to read one is useful early on.

In college

  • Enroll in a manufacturing or machining technology programA community college certificate in manufacturing or machining teaches machine setup, blueprint reading, and safety in a way employers recognize.
  • Take a course in blueprint reading or CAD basicsReading and drawing technical plans helps you understand how parts are designed and what a machine needs to produce them.
  • Look for a campus job in a shop, lab, or maintenance departmentHands-on work with equipment builds experience and shows employers you can handle machinery responsibly.
  • Pursue a workplace safety certificationSafety training is valued in forging and metal shops, and it can make you a stronger candidate for entry-level roles.
  • Seek a summer internship or co-op at a metal or manufacturing plantWorking inside a forging or metalworking facility lets you learn the process firsthand and make useful industry contacts.

Tips for getting started

  • Ask a shop or plant if you can visit or shadow a machine operator. Seeing the work up close helps you decide if it fits you.
  • Get comfortable with basic math like fractions, decimals, and measurement, since setting machines depends on exact numbers.
  • Look for part-time or summer work in manufacturing, warehouses, or factories. Even general production work teaches safety habits and how a shop runs.

Related jobs that often lead here

Related jobs a step up

Education, experience and related careers: U.S. Department of Labor. The step-by-step path, where it can lead and what you can do now were written by AI as typical examples; many people take other ways.

College majors that lead here

Majors: U.S. Department of Education and BLS (CIP–SOC crosswalk). Earnings and debt: College Scorecard, typical across U.S. colleges.

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