How to hire multiple 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.
$22.68U.S. median hourly pay
$39,420–$57,800Middle half, yearly
124,590People 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 • Change worn machine accessories, such as cutting tools or brushes, using hand tools. • Inspect workpieces for defects, and measure workpieces to determine accuracy of machine operation, using rules, templates, or other measuring instruments. • Observe machine operation to detect workpiece defects or machine malfunctions, adjusting machines as necessary. • Position, adjust, and secure stock material or workpieces against stops, on arbors, or in chucks, fixtures, or automatic feeding mechanisms, manually or using hoists. • Read blueprints or job orders to determine product specifications and tooling instructions and to plan operational sequences. • Select, install, and adjust alignment of drills, cutters, dies, guides, and holding devices, using templates, measuring instruments, and hand tools. • Set machine stops or guides to specified lengths as indicated by scales, rules, or templates. • Set up and operate machines, such as lathes, cutters, shears, borers, millers, grinders, presses, drills, or auxiliary machines, to make metallic and plastic workpieces. 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, active listening, critical thinking, reading comprehension and speaking skills • Working knowledge of production and processing, mechanical and mathematics • [Anything else you would really turn someone away for] Pay and benefits [Pay range]. For reference, the U.S. median for this job is $22.68 an hour ($47,180 a year). [Benefits, schedule and anything else candidates should know.] How to apply [Apply on JAI Bot. Every applicant hears back.]
Interview questions for multiple 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 change worn machine accessories, such as cutting tools or brushes, using hand tools. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to inspect workpieces for defects, and measure workpieces to determine accuracy of machine operation, using rules, templates, or other measuring instruments. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to observe machine operation to detect workpiece defects or machine malfunctions, adjusting machines as necessary. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to position, adjust, and secure stock material or workpieces against stops, on arbors, or in chucks, fixtures, or automatic feeding mechanisms, manually or using hoists. 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 a time you had to understand a request or problem that was explained poorly. How did you make sure you got it right?
- Describe a decision at work where the obvious answer was wrong. How did you work out the better choice?
- 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 multiple machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic do
- Change worn machine accessories, such as cutting tools or brushes, using hand tools.
- Inspect workpieces for defects, and measure workpieces to determine accuracy of machine operation, using rules, templates, or other measuring instruments.
- Observe machine operation to detect workpiece defects or machine malfunctions, adjusting machines as necessary.
- Position, adjust, and secure stock material or workpieces against stops, on arbors, or in chucks, fixtures, or automatic feeding mechanisms, manually or using hoists.
- Read blueprints or job orders to determine product specifications and tooling instructions and to plan operational sequences.
- Select, install, and adjust alignment of drills, cutters, dies, guides, and holding devices, using templates, measuring instruments, and hand tools.
- Set machine stops or guides to specified lengths as indicated by scales, rules, or templates.
- Set up and operate machines, such as lathes, cutters, shears, borers, millers, grinders, presses, drills, or auxiliary machines, to make metallic and plastic workpieces.
Skills that matter most
Education, experience and outlook for multiple 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: +0.6% over ten years, little or no change · about 11,600 openings a year (BLS)
What to pay multiple 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 |
|---|---|
| West Virginia | $76,080 |
| Kentucky | $54,960 |
| Missouri | $53,160 |
| Nebraska | $50,960 |
| Virginia | $50,600 |
| Georgia | $38,810 |
| Rhode Island | $38,720 |
| Mississippi | $36,330 |
See multiple machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic pay in every state
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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.