How to hire lathe and turning machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic
A job description you can copy, interview questions tied to the real work, and what to pay. Free.
$24.34U.S. median hourly pay
$43,250–$60,700Middle half, yearly
16,710People 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 controls and change tool settings to keep dimensions within specified tolerances. • Compute unspecified dimensions and machine settings, using knowledge of metal properties and shop mathematics. • Crank machines through cycles, stopping to adjust tool positions and machine controls to ensure specified timing, clearances, and tolerances. • Inspect sample workpieces to verify conformance with specifications, using instruments such as gauges, micrometers, and dial indicators. • Move controls to set cutting speeds and depths and feed rates, and to position tools in relation to workpieces. • Move toolholders manually or by turning handwheels, or engage automatic feeding mechanisms to feed tools to and along workpieces. • Replace worn tools, and sharpen dull cutting tools and dies, using bench grinders or cutter-grinding machines. • Study blueprints, layouts or charts, and job orders for information on specifications and tooling instructions, and to determine material requirements and operational sequences. 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 active listening, monitoring and reading comprehension skills • Working knowledge of production and processing, mechanical and engineering and technology • [Anything else you would really turn someone away for] Pay and benefits [Pay range]. For reference, the U.S. median for this job is $24.34 an hour ($50,620 a year). [Benefits, schedule and anything else candidates should know.] How to apply [Apply on JAI Bot. Every applicant hears back.]
Interview questions for lathe and turning machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic
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 and change tool settings to keep dimensions within specified tolerances. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to compute unspecified dimensions and machine settings, using knowledge of metal properties and shop mathematics. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to crank machines through cycles, stopping to adjust tool positions and machine controls to ensure specified timing, clearances, and tolerances. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to inspect sample workpieces to verify conformance with specifications, using instruments such as gauges, micrometers, and dial indicators. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- 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?
- 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 lathe and turning machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic do
- Adjust machine controls and change tool settings to keep dimensions within specified tolerances.
- Compute unspecified dimensions and machine settings, using knowledge of metal properties and shop mathematics.
- Crank machines through cycles, stopping to adjust tool positions and machine controls to ensure specified timing, clearances, and tolerances.
- Inspect sample workpieces to verify conformance with specifications, using instruments such as gauges, micrometers, and dial indicators.
- Move controls to set cutting speeds and depths and feed rates, and to position tools in relation to workpieces.
- Move toolholders manually or by turning handwheels, or engage automatic feeding mechanisms to feed tools to and along workpieces.
- Replace worn tools, and sharpen dull cutting tools and dies, using bench grinders or cutter-grinding machines.
- Study blueprints, layouts or charts, and job orders for information on specifications and tooling instructions, and to determine material requirements and operational sequences.
Skills that matter most
Education, experience and outlook for lathe and turning machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic
- 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: -11.3% over ten years, declining · about 1,400 openings a year (BLS)
What to pay lathe and turning machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic
Pay depends a lot on where the job is. Highest and lowest median yearly pay by state:
| State | Median yearly pay |
|---|---|
| Massachusetts | $60,870 |
| California | $60,180 |
| Pennsylvania | $57,020 |
| Illinois | $54,930 |
| New York | $50,760 |
| Texas | $48,020 |
| Michigan | $46,680 |
| Tennessee | $40,730 |
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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.