Best programs to become a lathe and turning machine tool setter
You do not need a college degree to become a lathe and turning machine tool setter. BLS lists a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education. The field of study that leads most directly to this job is Machine Tool Technology/Machinist (IPEDS completions).
1 college program at 228 schools trains lathe and turning machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic, graduating 3,489 people a year (IPEDS completions). The job pays a median of $50,620 (BLS OEWS May 2025).
About 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.
Best programs to study to become a lathe and turning machine tool setter
Ranked by graduates per year (IPEDS completions). Graduate earnings and debt are College Scorecard figures for people who finished the program, reported at the 4-digit CIP level, so specializations within one field share a figure. That is a different measurement from the occupation-wide wages further down this page.
| # | Program | Graduates / yr | Share of pipeline | Schools | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CIP 48.0501 | 3,489 | 100.0% | 228 | $36,566 | $9,429 |
Top 50 schools by graduates into this job
Counting every feeder program a school offers, not just its largest one.
Fields of study that lead to this job
Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level, the tier our program pages are built on. Numbers are graduates per year.
What lathe and turning machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic earn
What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.
Top-paying states
Top-paying metro areas
Job outlook
Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, 2024 to 2034.
Where the jobs are, state by state
Pick a state for in-state pay, the schools there, and the programs they run.
| State | Median pay | Jobs | Concentration | Schools | Graduates / yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | $60,180 | 2,600 | 1.33× | 28 | 424 |
| South Carolina | $49,490 | 370 | 1.49× | 13 | 285 |
| Texas | $48,020 | 2,150 | 1.42× | 10 | 263 |
| Tennessee | $40,730 | 700 | 1.99× | 21 | 254 |
| Kansas | $47,310 | 90 | 0.57× | 6 | 194 |
| Colorado | $71,670 | 150 | 0.49× | 6 | 167 |
| Oklahomamoderate | $43,680 | 240 | 1.30× | 4 | 166 |
| Wisconsin | $51,020 | 340 | 1.07× | 12 | 142 |
| Minnesota | $61,000 | 150 | 0.46× | 5 | 104 |
| Nebraskamoderate | $47,350 | 120 | 1.11× | 3 | 89 |
| Pennsylvania | $57,020 | 580 | 0.89× | 12 | 84 |
| Michigan | $46,680 | 1,540 | 3.26× | 10 | 74 |
| Missouri | $48,950 | 160 | 0.51× | 7 | 68 |
| Oregonmoderate | $41,640 | 40 | 0.19× | 4 | 66 |
| Louisianamoderate | $50,560 | 90 | 0.43× | 4 | 63 |
| Arkansasmoderate | $39,060 | 190 | 1.33× | 4 | 61 |
| Illinois | $54,930 | 1,260 | 1.92× | 7 | 60 |
| Nevadamoderate | $58,240 | 60 | 0.34× | 3 | 51 |
| Indianalimited | $49,420 | 710 | 2.08× | 2 | 46 |
| Iowamoderate | $50,370 | 180 | 1.05× | 4 | 42 |
| Mainemoderate | $64,800 | 80 | 1.17× | 3 | 27 |
| New Yorkmoderate | $50,760 | 530 | 0.51× | 3 | 26 |
| Ohio | $49,880 | 1,180 | 1.97× | 5 | 25 |
| Arizonalimited | $55,840 | 110 | 0.33× | 2 | 22 |
| Alabamalimited | $58,490 | 100 | 0.45× | 1 | 7 |
| New Jerseylimited | $48,180 | 190 | 0.41× | 1 | 5 |
| New Hampshirelimited | $48,980 | 150 | 2.02× | 1 | 4 |
| Massachusettslimited | $60,870 | 690 | 1.76× | 1 | 3 |
| West Virginialimited | $53,660 | 50 | 0.64× | 1 | 3 |
| Marylandlimited | $54,860 | 60 | 0.20× | 1 | 1 |
Skills and knowledge
From O*NET, the U.S. Department of Labor's occupational database. Importance is a 1 to 5 scale.
What they do day to day
- 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.
- Study blueprints, layouts or charts, and job orders for information on specifications and tooling instructions, and to determine material requirements and operational sequences.
- Inspect sample workpieces to verify conformance with specifications, using instruments such as gauges, micrometers, and dial indicators.
- Replace worn tools, and sharpen dull cutting tools and dies, using bench grinders or cutter-grinding machines.
- Move toolholders manually or by turning handwheels, or engage automatic feeding mechanisms to feed tools to and along workpieces.
- Compute unspecified dimensions and machine settings, using 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.
Skills
- Monitoring3.0
- Active Listening3.0
- Reading Comprehension3.0
- Speaking2.8
- Critical Thinking2.6
- Writing2.3
- Mathematics2.1
- Learning Strategies2.0
Knowledge areas
- Production and Processing4.0
- Mechanical3.6
- Engineering and Technology3.6
- Education and Training3.3
- Administration and Management3.3
- Customer and Personal Service3.3
Abilities
- Control Precision3.8
- Arm-Hand Steadiness3.8
- Near Vision3.5
- Finger Dexterity3.3
- Multilimb Coordination3.1
- Manual Dexterity3.1
Core activities
- Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings4.3
- Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials4.1
- Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards4.1
- Controlling Machines and Processes4.1
- Making Decisions and Solving Problems4.0
- Working with Computers4.0
How to get in
How to become a lathe and turning machine tool setter
- Typical entry education
- High school diploma or equivalent
- On-the-job training
- Moderate-term on-the-job training
Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience. For example, landscaping and groundskeeping workers might require very little training or previous experience, while agricultural equipment operators can benefit from on-the job training.
Ranges from a few days to one year of on-the-job training.
Every major mapped to this job
The official federal mapping behind the rankings above.
All 1 majors mapped to Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic1 of them graduated someone in the latest IPEDS year. NCES CIP 2020 → SOC 2018 crosswalk.+
- 48.0501Machine Tool Technology/Machinist
Related careers
Jobs O*NET identifies as close to this one, with their own pay and outlook.
Common questions
What degree do you need to become a lathe and turning machine tool setter?+
You do not need a college degree to become a lathe and turning machine tool setter. BLS lists a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education. The field of study that leads most directly to this job is Machine Tool Technology/Machinist (IPEDS completions).
Which college majors lead to becoming a lathe and turning machine tool setter?+
The field of study that leads most directly to this job is Machine Tool Technology/Machinist (IPEDS completions). In all, the NCES CIP-to-SOC crosswalk maps 1 program to this job, which graduates about 3,489 people a year.
How much do lathe and turning machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic earn?+
The median is $50,620 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). The middle range runs from $36,670 at the 10th percentile to $69,700 at the 90th. This is pay for people already working in the occupation, not the same thing as graduate earnings one year after finishing a degree.
Is demand for lathe and turning machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic growing?+
BLS projects a -13.6% change in employment between 2024 and 2034, decline, with roughly 1,500 openings a year nationally once retirements and job changes are counted.
How many schools offer programs for this career?+
228 institutions reported graduates from at least one of the 1 program that feed this occupation in IPEDS 2024-25. Rankings on this page use graduates per year, because the federal data publishes no enrollment count by program.
What other job titles do lathe and turning machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic work under?+
Employers advertise this work under many names. O*NET records Lathe Operator, Setup Operator, Machine Operator, CNC Lathe Operator (Computer Numerical Control Lathe Operator) among the most commonly reported, all mapping to SOC 51-4034.
About the data on this page
Rankings use IPEDS completions 2024-25, degrees awarded per year. That is the closest federal measure of how many people a program puts into a career, because no federal dataset publishes enrollment by program. Wages and employment come from BLS OEWS May 2025, growth and openings from BLS Employment Projections 2024-34, and which majors lead to which jobs from the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk. Occupation descriptions, tasks, skills and tools are O*NET 30.3 (CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor/ETA).
BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics
May 2025Wages, employment counts, location quotients and metro breakdowns.
BLS Employment Projections
2024–34Projected growth, annual openings and typical entry-level education.
IPEDS Completions
2024-25 (provisional)Graduates per year by program and institution — the ranking metric.
College Scorecard, Field of Study
2020-21 cohortsMedian graduate earnings one year after completion, and median debt.
Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes
latest availableGraduate earnings 1/5/10 years out, where the state participates.
NCES CIP 2020 and the CIP-to-SOC 2018 crosswalk
CIP 2020 / SOC 2018Which college programs officially lead to this occupation.
O*NET Database 30.3
30.3Tasks, skills, knowledge, tools, job zone and alternate job titles.
Official source →CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor / ETA
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