Extruding and drawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic
Set up, operate, or tend machines to extrude or draw thermoplastic or metal materials into tubes, rods, hoses, wire, bars, or structural shapes.
Extruding and drawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic set up, operate, or tend machines to extrude or draw thermoplastic or metal materials into tubes, rods, hoses, wire, bars, or structural shapes. The role reports a median annual salary of $46,980 in the US and is showing modest growth of 1% over the next decade. Entry typically requires a High school diploma or equivalent, and shows moderate AI exposure (0.56 on a 0-1 scale) — some tasks are being automated but the role adapts. The most in-demand skills for the role include Operations Monitoring, Operation and Control, Quality Control Analysis, Monitoring, Critical Thinking.
Pay in the UK
UK: median £32,871 a year for Metal making and treating process operatives (ONS ASHE 2025, full-time)
UK jobs are grouped differently; this is the closest UK occupation group (ONS SOC 2020 8115). ONS rates this estimate reasonably precise. 2025 provisional figures; ONS revises them a year later. Source: ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (Open Government Licence)
Pay in India (occupation group)
No official India pay figure for this career: it falls in more than one occupation group, and the Government of India's labour survey (PLFS) publishes pay only by occupation group.
Top skills
Knowledge you'll build
- Production and Processing
- Mathematics
- English Language
- Administration and Management
- Computers and Electronics
- Mechanical
- Public Safety and Security
- Customer and Personal Service
What you'd actually do
- Measure and examine extruded products to locate defects and to check for conformance to specifications, adjusting controls as necessary to alter products.
- Determine setup procedures and select machine dies and parts, according to specifications.
- Start machines and set controls to regulate vacuum, air pressure, sizing rings, and temperature, and to synchronize speed of extrusion.
- Reel extruded products into rolls of specified lengths and weights.
- Install dies, machine screws, and sizing rings on machines that extrude thermoplastic or metal materials.
- Change dies on extruding machines, according to production line changes.
Tools & technology you'd use
Frequently asked questions
What does Extruding and drawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic do?
Set up, operate, or tend machines to extrude or draw thermoplastic or metal materials into tubes, rods, hoses, wire, bars, or structural shapes.
How much does Extruding and drawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic earn?
The median annual salary for Extruding and drawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic in the US is $46,980.
What is the job outlook for Extruding and drawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic?
The role is showing modest growth of 1% over the next decade. Current US employment is approximately 66,000 workers.
How do I become extruding and drawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic?
The typical entry education is a High school diploma or equivalent. Building a foundation in the top skills below will strengthen your application.
What skills does Extruding and drawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic need?
The most in-demand skills for this role include Operations Monitoring, Operation and Control, Quality Control Analysis, Monitoring, Critical Thinking, Judgment and Decision Making. These are the skills O*NET identifies as most important for competent performance.
Will AI replace Extruding and drawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic?
Our AI-durability model gives Extruding and drawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic a score of 0.56 on a 0-1 scale (higher = more exposure). That places it at moderate AI exposure — some tasks are being automated but the role adapts. Learning to work with AI tools rather than against them is the path forward.
How hard is it to enter this field?
Extruding and drawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic has low barrier to entry — generally accessible — you can enter with basic credentials and on-the-job learning.