Job description

Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators and Tenders, Metal and Plastic set up, operate, or tend machines to extrude or draw thermoplastic or metal materials into tubes, rods, hoses, wire, bars, or structural shapes.

• Measure and examine extruded products to locate defects and to check for conformance to specifications, adjusting controls as necessary to alter products.
• Determine setup procedures and select machine dies and parts, according to specifications.
• Start machines and set controls to regulate vacuum, air pressure, sizing rings, and temperature, and to synchronize speed of extrusion.
• Reel extruded products into rolls of specified lengths and weights.

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Salary

Extruding Machine Operators with little to no experience tend to make between $23840 and $28290 while the more experienced ones can earn over $44050 per year.

One of the easiest ways to increase your salary as an Extruding and Drawing Machine Setter, Operator and Tender, Metal and Plastic is to move to a higher paying state like IA. Right now, the highest paying states for Extruding Machine Operators are IA, CT, SC, RI and MN.

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

Three other factors that can increase your salary as an Extruding and Drawing Machine 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 Extruding Machine 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 an Extruding and Drawing Machine Setter, Operator and Tender, Metal and Plastic.

What is the job like

61% of Extruding Machine Operators said they were satisfied with their job and 46% 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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