How much does a metal machine operator make?
Answer: A typical metal machine operator in the United States makes $47,720 a year (median, May 2025, US Bureau of Labor Statistics).
Line up 100 people; this is the one in the middle (median). about 61,000 people work in this job. About the same as the US-wide typical pay ($50,980).
If 100 people had this job
Lowest at bottom-left, highest at top-rightHover over a person to see their yearly pay
Metal machine operator pay in the United States (May 2025, median and spread)
| Lower earner (10th from bottom) | Typical person (median) | Higher earner (10th from top) | People in this job |
|---|---|---|---|
| $36,700 | $47,720 | $63,710 | about 61,000 |
| State | Typical person (median) | People in this job |
|---|---|---|
| North Carolina | $53,330 | about 3,000 |
| Nebraska | $52,360 | about 510 |
| Minnesota | $51,830 | about 900 |
| New Jersey | $51,180 | about 750 |
| Pennsylvania | $51,150 | about 3,000 |
Why does pay differ?
In the US, experienced operators and people with useful skills or credentials may earn more. Pay also differs by factory type and location, and overtime or night-shift extra pay can matter too.
What if you lived in a different state?
Pay varies a lot by state in the USTop 5 and bottom 3 states, typical (median) yearly pay.
What does a metal machine operator do?
Set up, operate, or tend machines to extrude or draw thermoplastic or metal materials into tubes, rods, hoses, wire, bars, or structural shapes.
What's a typical day like?
They pick dies and adjust machine controls, then tend the line as metal is drawn into a set shape and size. They wind finished material into rolls, clean the work area, and make small equipment repairs.
How to get this job
In the US, most new operators have a high school diploma or GED and learn the machines on the job. Training may last from a few days to a year, and an aluminum-extrusion press operator apprenticeship is another route.
High school plus some training (preparation level 2 of 5)
Good for people who like building and doing and keeping things organized.
Did you know?
Some steel wire is made as thin as 0.001 inch across and can be drawn through diamond dies.
Similar jobs
Jobs using similar skills (O*NET)Earn more in the same field
Production jobs that pay a bit moreSources and data
Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (bls.gov); descriptions and related jobs from O*NET 31.0. Figures as of May 2025, full-time yearly pay (hourly × 2,080 hours). bls.gov/oes · O*NET OnLine
Pages used for the text
- www.onetonline.org/link/summary/51-4021.00
- www.bls.gov/oes/2023/may/oes514021.htm
- www.bls.gov/careeroutlook/2015/article/wage-differences.htm
- kids.britannica.com/students/article/wire/277766
Data: US BLS OEWS, May 2025 · 1 USD = 150 JPY