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Skilled Trades

Adhesive Bonding Machine Operators and Tenders

Operate or tend bonding machines that use adhesives to join items for further processing or to form a completed product. Processes include joining veneer sheets into plywood; gluing paper; or joining rubber and rubberized fabric parts, plastic, simulated leather, or other materials.

Median salary

$45,210

Typical range

$31k – $60k

Job outlook

+1% (about average)

AI exposure

Plan a path to Adhesive Bonding Machine Operators and Tenders

Education

Typical entry: No degree required

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Typical progression

  1. Junior Adhesive Bonding Machine Operators and Tenders

    Entry / Junior

    $31,290

    ~2 yrs to advance

  2. Adhesive Bonding Machine Operators and Tenders

    Established

    $45,210

    ~3 yrs to advance

  3. Senior Adhesive Bonding Machine Operators and Tenders

    Senior

    $52,815

Key skills

A typical day

  • Align and position materials being joined to ensure accurate application of adhesive or heat sealing.
  • Adjust machine components according to specifications such as widths, lengths, and thickness of materials and amounts of glue, cement, or adhesive required.
  • Monitor machine operations to detect malfunctions and report or resolve problems.
  • Start machines, and turn valves or move controls to feed, admit, apply, or transfer materials and adhesives, and to adjust temperature, pressure, and time settings.
  • Fill machines with glue, cement, or adhesives.

Fields of study

Any field

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