Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
SOC 51-4021 · 2024-2034
Set up, operate, or tend machines to extrude or draw thermoplastic or metal materials into tubes, rods, hoses, wire, bars, or structural shapes.
How the U.S. Department of Labor describes this work. Published in English only.
Shrinking -5%
California projects this job will shrink over the next ten years. Fewer openings may mean a harder search.
What California expects of this job
- Typical pay in California
- $46,927per year
- Projected openings
- 3,620
- Projected change
- -5%
- Usually needs
- High school diploma or equivalent
Skills this work uses most
O*NET, the U.S. Department of Labor's occupation database, rates how important each of these is to this work, and they are listed in that order, most important first. The ratings themselves are not shown, because the data carries the number without the scale it was measured on. The names are as published, in English.
- Operations Monitoring
- Operation and Control
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Critical Thinking
- Monitoring
- Quality Control Analysis
Pay by region
| Region | Typical pay in California | Projected openings |
|---|---|---|
| Oakland-Fremont-Berkeley MD (Alameda and Contra Costa Counties) | $53,409 | 240 |
| Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine MD (Orange County) | $47,103 | 690 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad MSA (San Diego County) | $47,031 | 330 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD (Los Angeles County) | $46,200 | 1,150 |
| Modesto MSA (Stanislaus County) | $44,753 | 90 |
| Stockton-Lodi MSA (San Joaquin County) | $44,527 | 70 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura MSA (Ventura County) | $44,076 | 110 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario MSA (Riverside and San Bernardino Counties) | $40,588 | 1,180 |
| Fresno MSA (Fresno and Madera Counties) | $37,889 | 170 |
What the pay actually ranges across
- The lowest-paid tenth earn under
- $38,080
- A quarter earn under
- $40,831
- Half earn under
- $46,927
- Three quarters earn under
- $51,284
- The highest-paid tenth earn over
- $62,157
A median is one point. These are the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics' 2026 figures for California, and they say how far apart the people doing this job actually are. Read them as the spread across everyone already in the work — not as a starting wage and not as a promise about where anyone lands.
Similar work
O*NET, the U.S. Department of Labor's occupation database, names these as occupations involving work similar to this one — its own reading of the job, not a grouping by code. They keep O*NET's order, and only those California publishes a projection for are shown.
| Occupation | Typical pay in California | Projected openings | Projected change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | $48,318 | 9,400 | -5.3% |
| Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | $49,556 | 6,410 | -11.7% |
| Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | $47,878 | 3,160 | 0% |
| Rolling Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | $49,136 | 930 | -9.1% |
| Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders | $47,162 | 3,280 | -6.3% |
| Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders | $49,842 | 4,980 | -3.5% |
Programs that train for this job — 6
Machinist
El Monte Rosemead Adult School · El Monte · $325
Machine Tool Technology Certificate of Achievement
Napa Valley College · Napa · $3,185
Combination Welder Training
Tri-Community Adult Education · Covina · $895
Entry Level CNC (Computer Numerical Control)-NIMS Certified
College of the Canyons · Santa Clarita · $8,800
Uniquely-Abled Academy (UAA-For High Functioning Autism Population) Entry Level
College of the Canyons · Santa Clarita · $11,500
Manufacturing Technology- BC
Kern Community College District · Bakersfield · $4,700