Job description

Drilling and Boring Machine Tool Setters, Operators and Tenders, Metal and Plastic set up, operate, or tend drilling machines to drill, bore, ream, mill, or countersink metal or plastic work pieces.

• Verify conformance of machined work to specifications, using measuring instruments, such as calipers, micrometers, or fixed or telescoping gauges.
• Study machining instructions, job orders, or blueprints to determine dimensional or finish specifications, sequences of operations, setups, or tooling requirements.
• Change worn cutting tools, using wrenches.
• Select and set cutting speeds, feed rates, depths of cuts, and cutting tools, according to machining instructions or knowledge of metal properties.

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Salary

CNC Drilling Operators with little to no experience tend to make between $24960 and $29860 while the more experienced ones can earn over $49930 per year.

One of the easiest ways to increase your salary as a Drilling and Boring Machine Tool Setter, Operator and Tender, Metal and Plastic is to move to a higher paying state like NV. Right now, the highest paying states for CNC Drilling Operators are NV, CT, MD, MA and LA.

However, a higher pay at NV doesn’t guarantee that you will make more because the living expenses at NV might be twice as high than where you are currently at now.

Three other factors that can increase your salary as a Drilling and Boring Machine Tool Setter, Operator and Tender, Metal and Plastic is the degree you hold, the industry you work in, and lastly the company you work for.

Requirements

We asked other CNC Drilling Operators what degree they had when they got the job and most of them said they had a High School Diploma followed by a Post-Secondary Certificate.

Other than that, we also asked them what did they major in and here are the most popular majors that came up.

Pros and Cons

Here are some of the pros and cons of being a Drilling and Boring Machine Tool Setter, Operator and Tender, Metal and Plastic.

What is the job like

61% of CNC Drilling Operators said they were satisfied with their job and 53% said they feel like their job is making other people’s lives better.

Is this right for me

You can read more about these career personality types here.

People who are suitable for this job tends to like work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They like working with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery..

They also like following set procedures and routines. They like working with data and details more than with ideas.

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