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Skilled Trades

Rolling Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic

Set up, operate, or tend machines to roll steel or plastic forming bends, beads, knurls, rolls, or plate, or to flatten, temper, or reduce gauge of material.

Median salary (BLS)

$50,140

10th–90th percentile (BLS)

$38k – $70k

Job outlook

No separate BLS projection for this specific role

AI exposure

Plan a path to Rolling Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic

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Education

Typical entry: No degree required

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How to qualify

EstimateLicense required

Cost to qualify

$100–$2,600

Time to qualify

3.1 yr

Renewal

$50/yr

  1. 1

    Registered apprenticeship (paid)

    Experience

    Earn-while-you-learn training — apprentices are paid during the program; fees are tools/books, not tuition.

    $0–$2,000 · 36 months · varies by state source

  2. 2

    Journeyman exam & state/local license

    License

    Most states and municipalities test and license journeyman-level trades workers.

    $100–$600 · 1 months · varies by state · renews every 2 yr source

Estimated typical U.S. route for "Rolling Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic" — built from BLS education requirements and College Board 2024–25 average published prices (public, in-state tuition + fees + books). Not yet verified against a specific state's licensing rules — confirm with your state licensing board or program.

Typical progression

  1. Junior Rolling Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic

    Entry / Junior

    $37,690

    ~2 yrs to advance

  2. Rolling Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic

    Established

    $50,140

    ~3 yrs to advance

  3. Senior Rolling Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic

    Senior

    $60,225

Key skills

A typical day

  • •Monitor machine cycles and mill operation to detect jamming and to ensure that products conform to specifications.
  • •Adjust and correct machine set-ups to reduce thicknesses, reshape products, and eliminate product defects.
  • •Start operation of rolling and milling machines to flatten, temper, form, and reduce sheet metal sections and to produce steel strips.
  • •Examine, inspect, and measure raw materials and finished products to verify conformance to specifications.
  • •Read rolling orders, blueprints, and mill schedules to determine setup specifications, work sequences, product dimensions, and installation procedures.

Fields of study

Any field

Top colleges for Skilled Trades

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Reputation-based selection; stats shown are outcome data per school.