How to hire cutting and slicing machine setters, operators, and tenders
A job description you can copy, interview questions tied to the real work, and what to pay. Free.
Job description template
Copy it, fill in the brackets, and remove anything that does not fit your job. Keep only must-haves you would really turn someone away for.
[Job title] at [Company name] [City, State] · [Full-time / Part-time] · [Pay range] About the role [Two or three sentences about your team, the work and why it matters.] What you will do • 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. • Maintain production records, such as quantities, types, and dimensions of materials produced. • Press buttons, pull levers, or depress pedals to start and operate cutting and slicing machines. • Remove completed materials or products from cutting or slicing machines, and stack or store them for additional processing. • Remove defective or substandard materials from machines, and readjust machine components so that products meet standards. • Review work orders, blueprints, specifications, or job samples to determine components, settings, and adjustments for cutting and slicing machines. • Start machines to verify setups, and make any necessary adjustments. What you bring • [Required license, certification or years of experience, if any] • [Education, only if you truly need it. Typical to start in this job: High school diploma or equivalent] • Strong monitoring and reading comprehension skills • Working knowledge of production and processing • [Anything else you would really turn someone away for] Pay and benefits [Pay range]. For reference, the U.S. median for this job is $22.39 an hour ($46,570 a year). [Benefits, schedule and anything else candidates should know.] How to apply [Apply on JAI Bot. Every applicant hears back.]
Interview questions for cutting and slicing machine setters, operators, and tenders
Ask every candidate the same questions, in the same order, and write down what they say. Questions about past work show what someone has actually done.
- Tell me about a time you had to adjust machine controls to alter position, alignment, speed, or pressure. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to examine, measure, and weigh materials or products to verify conformance to specifications, using measuring devices, such as rulers, micrometers, or scales. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to maintain production records, such as quantities, types, and dimensions of materials produced. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to press buttons, pull levers, or depress pedals to start and operate cutting and slicing machines. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- How do you keep track of your own work quality during a busy shift or week? Give an example of catching a problem early.
- Tell me about written instructions, a policy or a manual you had to follow closely. How did you make sure you followed it correctly?
- Why this job, and why now? What would make you stay here for the long term?
Good answers name a real situation, what the person did themselves and what happened. Avoid questions about age, family plans, religion, health, national origin or anything else unrelated to the job.
What cutting and slicing machine setters, operators, and tenders do
- 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.
- Maintain production records, such as quantities, types, and dimensions of materials produced.
- Press buttons, pull levers, or depress pedals to start and operate cutting and slicing machines.
- Remove completed materials or products from cutting or slicing machines, and stack or store them for additional processing.
- Remove defective or substandard materials from machines, and readjust machine components so that products meet standards.
- Review work orders, blueprints, specifications, or job samples to determine components, settings, and adjustments for cutting and slicing machines.
- Start machines to verify setups, and make any necessary adjustments.
Skills that matter most
Education, experience and outlook for cutting and slicing machine setters, operators, and tenders
- Typical education to start: High school diploma or equivalent (BLS)
- Related work experience most have: 3 to 6 months (O*NET)
- Training on the job: Moderate-term on-the-job training (BLS)
- Job outlook: -0.9% over ten years, little or no change · about 5,400 openings a year (BLS)
What to pay cutting and slicing machine setters, operators, and tenders
Pay depends a lot on where the job is. Highest and lowest median yearly pay by state:
| State | Median yearly pay |
|---|---|
| Minnesota | $58,260 |
| Colorado | $51,750 |
| Oregon | $51,180 |
| Missouri | $50,930 |
| Washington | $50,430 |
| Florida | $40,540 |
| Alabama | $39,740 |
| Oklahoma | $37,910 |
See cutting and slicing machine setters, operators, and tenders pay in every state
Related hiring guides
- Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing
- Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
- Textile Cutting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
- Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
- Sawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Wood
- Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
- Adhesive Bonding Machine Operators and Tenders
- Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
- Rolling Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
- Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
Post this job on JAI Bot. Free to start: JAI Bot reads every applicant against your must-haves, shows the resume evidence behind each one, and helps you reply to everyone. People make every decision.
Post a job freePay by areaJob duties and skills: 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. JAI Bot has modified this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. Pay: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, May 2025. Interview questions and the job description template: JAI Bot, based on the duties and skills above.