Occupation salary profile

Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders

SOC 51-9032 BLS OEWS May 2025

Set up, operate, or tend machines that cut or slice materials, such as glass, stone, cork, rubber, tobacco, food, paper, or insulating material. Excludes “Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic” (51-4031), “Textile Cutting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders” (51-6062), and “Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders” (51-7040).

National median · BLS
$46,570
▲ +1.9% YoY
H-1B sponsor median
—
Too few H-1B filings
Average salary · BLS
$47,460
Mean annual wage
U.S. employment
44,980
Jobs (BLS)
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Pay range for Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders

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

Percentile All U.S. workers (BLS)
10th — entry pay$35,930
25th$39,440
Median (50th)$46,570
75th$53,800
90th — top pay$61,120

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 Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders

BLS projects employment of cutting and slicing machine setters, operators, and tenders to decline 0.9% from 2025 to 2035, while employment across all occupations grows 3.5%. About 5,400 openings are projected each year, on average, from new jobs and from replacing workers who retire or move to other occupations.

Jobs 2025 → 2035
45,900 → 45,500
-400 jobs
Projected change
-0.9%
All occupations: +3.5%
Openings per year
5,400
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
Self-employed
0.6% of workers (2025)
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

Skills & tools

Skills needed for Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders

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
  • Operations Monitoring4.0
  • Operation and Control3.9
  • Quality Control Analysis3.6
  • Monitoring3.1
  • Reading Comprehension3.1
  • Equipment Maintenance3.0
  • Troubleshooting3.0
  • Active Listening2.9
  • Complex Problem Solving2.9
  • Coordination2.9
Top knowledge areas
  • Production and Processing3.9
  • English Language3.5
  • Mechanical3.4
  • Computers and Electronics3.3
  • Administration and Management3.3
  • Education and Training3.1
  • Mathematics3.1
  • Engineering and Technology3.1
Software and technology used
Microsoft ExcelMicrosoft OutlookMicrosoft WordSAP 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 cutting and slicing machine setters, operators, and tenders do

  • Remove defective or substandard materials from machines, and readjust machine components so that products meet standards.
  • Maintain production records, such as quantities, types, and dimensions of materials produced.
  • Start machines to verify setups, and make any necessary adjustments.
  • Press buttons, pull levers, or depress pedals to start and operate cutting and slicing machines.
  • Review work orders, blueprints, specifications, or job samples to determine components, settings, and adjustments for cutting and slicing machines.
  • Adjust machine controls to alter position, alignment, speed, or pressure.
  • Examine, measure, and weigh materials or products to verify conformance to specifications, using measuring devices, such as rulers, micrometers, or scales.
  • Remove completed materials or products from cutting or slicing machines, and stack or store them for additional processing.
Also called
CutterCutter OperatorMachine OperatorPaper CutterCutting Machine OperatorDie Cutter OperatorFlat CutterSheeterSkiver OperatorSlitter
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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.