How to hire extruding, forming, pressing, and compacting machine setters, operators, and tenders
A job description you can copy, interview questions tied to the real work, and what to pay. Free.
$22.00U.S. median hourly pay
$38,360–$52,580Middle half, yearly
58,770People in this job in the U.S.
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 components to regulate speeds, pressures, and temperatures, and amounts, dimensions, and flow of materials or ingredients. • Clear jams, and remove defective or substandard materials or products. • Examine, measure, and weigh materials or products to verify conformance to standards, using measuring devices such as templates, micrometers, or scales. • Monitor machine operations and observe lights and gauges to detect malfunctions. • Notify supervisors when extruded filaments fail to meet standards. • Press control buttons to activate machinery and equipment. • Record and maintain production data, such as meter readings, and quantities, types, and dimensions of materials produced. • Review work orders, specifications, or instructions to determine materials, ingredients, procedures, components, settings, and adjustments for extruding, forming, pressing, or compacting machines. 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, speaking, active listening, critical thinking and reading comprehension skills • Working knowledge of production and processing and mechanical • [Anything else you would really turn someone away for] Pay and benefits [Pay range]. For reference, the U.S. median for this job is $22.00 an hour ($45,760 a year). [Benefits, schedule and anything else candidates should know.] How to apply [Apply on JAI Bot. Every applicant hears back.]
Interview questions for extruding, forming, pressing, and compacting 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 components to regulate speeds, pressures, and temperatures, and amounts, dimensions, and flow of materials or ingredients. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to clear jams, and remove defective or substandard materials or products. 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 standards, using measuring devices such as templates, micrometers, or scales. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to monitor machine operations and observe lights and gauges to detect malfunctions. 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.
- Explain something technical from your last job as you would to a new coworker.
- Tell me about a time you had to understand a request or problem that was explained poorly. How did you make sure you got it right?
- 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 extruding, forming, pressing, and compacting machine setters, operators, and tenders do
- Adjust machine components to regulate speeds, pressures, and temperatures, and amounts, dimensions, and flow of materials or ingredients.
- Clear jams, and remove defective or substandard materials or products.
- Examine, measure, and weigh materials or products to verify conformance to standards, using measuring devices such as templates, micrometers, or scales.
- Monitor machine operations and observe lights and gauges to detect malfunctions.
- Notify supervisors when extruded filaments fail to meet standards.
- Press control buttons to activate machinery and equipment.
- Record and maintain production data, such as meter readings, and quantities, types, and dimensions of materials produced.
- Review work orders, specifications, or instructions to determine materials, ingredients, procedures, components, settings, and adjustments for extruding, forming, pressing, or compacting machines.
Skills that matter most
Education, experience and outlook for extruding, forming, pressing, and compacting machine setters, operators, and tenders
- Typical education to start: High school diploma or equivalent (BLS)
- Related work experience most have: 6 months to 1 year (O*NET)
- Training on the job: Moderate-term on-the-job training (BLS)
- Job outlook: +1.5% over ten years, little or no change · about 5,200 openings a year (BLS)
What to pay extruding, forming, pressing, and compacting 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 |
|---|---|
| Pennsylvania | $53,580 |
| Minnesota | $52,070 |
| South Carolina | $51,620 |
| Virginia | $49,390 |
| Iowa | $49,340 |
| Alabama | $38,650 |
| Texas | $37,710 |
| Kentucky | $36,180 |
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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.