Occupation salary profile

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

SOC 51-4023 BLS OEWS May 2025

Set up, operate, or tend machines to roll steel or plastic forming bends, beads, knurls, rolls, or plate, or to flatten, temper, or reduce gauge of material.

National median · BLS
$50,140
▲ +3.11% YoY
H-1B sponsor median
—
Too few H-1B filings
Average salary · BLS
$53,220
Mean annual wage
U.S. employment
25,250
Jobs (BLS)
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Pay range for Rolling Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic

Annual base pay at each percentile. BLS covers all U.S. workers in this occupation.

Percentile All U.S. workers (BLS)
10th — entry pay$37,690
25th$44,020
Median (50th)$50,140
75th$61,880
90th — top pay$70,310

Hourly ⇄ annual pay

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Monthly—
Every 2 weeks—
Weekly—
Daily—
Based on hrs/week × weeks/year = 2,080 hrs
Projections 2025–2035

Job outlook for Rolling Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic

BLS projects employment of rolling machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic to decline 8.3% from 2025 to 2035, while employment across all occupations grows 3.5%. About 1,900 openings are projected each year, on average, from new jobs and from replacing workers who retire or move to other occupations.

Jobs 2025 → 2035
25,300 → 23,200
-2,100 jobs
Projected change
-8.3%
All occupations: +3.5%
Openings per year
1,900
Average, 2025–2035
Typical entry education
High school diploma or equivalent
No related experience required
On-the-job training
Moderate-term on-the-job training
Preparation needed (O*NET Job Zone 2)
Very Little to Some Preparation Needed. Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
Fastest-declining jobs → Best-paying jobs that need a high school diploma →

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–2035 · BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook →

Skills & tools

Skills needed for Rolling Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic

How important each skill and knowledge area is for this job, rated by O*NET on a 1–5 scale from surveys of workers and occupational analysts.

Top skills
  • Operation and Control4.0
  • Operations Monitoring4.0
  • Quality Control Analysis3.6
  • Monitoring3.5
  • Speaking3.3
  • Active Listening3.1
  • Critical Thinking3.1
  • Active Learning3.0
  • Complex Problem Solving3.0
  • Coordination3.0
Top knowledge areas
  • Mechanical3.9
  • Production and Processing3.5
  • English Language3.4
  • Education and Training3.1
  • Administration and Management2.9
  • Customer and Personal Service2.6
  • Engineering and Technology2.6
  • Mathematics2.6
Software and technology used
Email softwareWeb browser software

Highlighted = in demand: frequently listed in employer job postings for this occupation (O*NET).

Source: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.

About the job

What rolling machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic do

  • Monitor machine cycles and mill operation to detect jamming and to ensure that products conform to specifications.
  • Adjust and correct machine set-ups to reduce thicknesses, reshape products, and eliminate product defects.
  • Start operation of rolling and milling machines to flatten, temper, form, and reduce sheet metal sections and to produce steel strips.
  • Examine, inspect, and measure raw materials and finished products to verify conformance to specifications.
  • Read rolling orders, blueprints, and mill schedules to determine setup specifications, work sequences, product dimensions, and installation procedures.
  • Manipulate controls and observe dial indicators to monitor, adjust, and regulate speeds of machine mechanisms.
  • Set distance points between rolls, guides, meters, and stops, according to specifications.
  • Calculate draft space and roll speed for each mill stand to plan rolling sequences and specified dimensions and tempers.
Also called
Mill OperatorRolling Mill OperatorRoughing Mill OperatorTube Mill OperatorBreakdown Mill OperatorCalender OperatorCold Mill OperatorMachine OperatorTemper Mill OperatorWeld Mill Operator
More job titles for this occupation (80)
Bar Finish OperatorBar RollerBarrel RollerBarrel Roller OperatorBed OperatorBrass RollerBreakdown CoordinatorBreakdown OperatorBulldoggerCaster OperatorCoiler OperatorCold Form OperatorCold HeadermanCold Reduction RollerCold Roll CatcherCold Roll OperatorCold RollerCold Rolling CoordinatorCold Strip FeederCold Strip RollerCold-Mill OperatorCold-Rolling Machine SetterDelivery Table OperatorDrum StraightenerEmbossing Tool SetterEntry Table OperatorFinish Rolls OperatorFinisherFirst LevelerFlange Machine OperatorFlangerFlat Breakdown ProcessorForming OperatorForming Roll OperatorForming SpecialistFoundry ProcessorGuide SetterHigh Speed OperatorHot Mill OperatorHot Mill RollerHot Mill Tin RollerHot RollerHot Strip FinisherHotbed Lever OperatorHotbed OperatorLevelerMangle Roll OperatorMangle RollerManglerManipulatorManipulator OperatorMedart OperatorMetal Sheet Roller OperatorMill Control OperatorMilling OperatorMold OperatorParts FinisherPiercing Machine OperatorPiercing Mill OperatorPipe StraightenerPlastic Straightening Roll OperatorPolishing OperatorPrimary Mill RollerPrimary OperatorReducing Machine OperatorReel OperatorReeling Machine OperatorReeling Machine Setup OperatorRip OperatorRod FinisherRoll Forming Machine OperatorRoll Forming Machine Set Up MechanicRoll Forming Machine Set Up OperatorRoll Forming Machine Set-Up MechanicRoll Forming OperatorRoll OperatorRoll Over Press OperatorRoll SetterRoll Table OperatorRoll Threader Operator

Source: O*NET 31.0 (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0). These are general job titles, not H-1B filings; for titles employers actually filed, see “Job titles” above.