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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.
Other titles employers use
Equipment Technician · Extruder Operator · Extrusion Operator · Extrusion Press Operator · Machine Operator · Metal Inspector · Setup Operator · Wire Mill Operator
Inside the work
What you would actually do.
6 responsibilities that define the role, before job titles and workplaces change the details.
- 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.
- Install dies, machine screws, and sizing rings on machines that extrude thermoplastic or metal materials.
- Change dies on extruding machines, according to production line changes.
Who it suits
Would this work hold your attention?
This career often appeals to people drawn to practical and organizing work.
- Practical
- Building, repairing, using tools, or working outdoors
- Organizing
- Creating order, checking details, and keeping work accurate
Skills and strengths
What you would get good at.
Compare the skills the work relies on, the subjects behind it, and the abilities that make it easier to learn.
Core skills
- Operations Monitoring
- Operation and Control
- Critical Thinking
- Monitoring
- Quality Control Analysis
- Judgment and Decision Making
Subjects to know
- Production and Processing
- Mathematics
- English Language
Useful strengths
- Control Precision
- Manual Dexterity
- Multilimb Coordination
- Reaction Time
- Problem Sensitivity
Working day
Picture yourself doing it.
These measures show how much of the day involves people, movement, conversation, and hands-on work.
| Measure | Out of 5 | What that means here |
|---|---|---|
| Close to other people | 3.0 | Shared rooms, but not shoulder to shoulder |
| On your feet | 4.4 | Standing or moving for most of it |
| Talking face to face | 4.0 | A regular part of the day |
| Working with your hands | 3.9 | Some of the day |
Preparation
How people prepare for this work.
Employers usually ask for a high school diploma. Other routes may also lead into the field.
- High school or less 89%
- A certificate or some college 11%
Tools of the work
Technology you may use.
- Spreadsheet software
- Office suite software
- Electronic mail software
- Presentation software
- Word processing software
- Enterprise resource planning ERP software
- Enterprise application integration software
- Data base user interface and query software
Opportunity near you
See where this work is growing.
Choose a state to compare the size of the field, annual openings, and expected hiring change.
- People doing this work
- 4,480
- Job openings each year
- 440
- Expected hiring change, 2022–2032
- −5.5%
Compare every available state
| State | People doing it | Job openings each year | Expected change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ohio | 4,480 | 440 | −5.5% |
| Tennessee | 4,120 | 430 | 5.4% |
| Pennsylvania | 3,890 | 390 | −2.8% |
| Texas | 3,740 | 380 | — |
| North Carolina | 3,690 | 380 | 2.8% |
| Indiana | 3,210 | 330 | 1.9% |
| California | 3,000 | 300 | −3.2% |
| Alabama | 2,650 | 280 | 10.0% |
| Missouri | 2,600 | 270 | 2.0% |
| Georgia | 2,540 | 280 | 21.5% |
| Illinois | 2,260 | 230 | 3.2% |
| Wisconsin | 2,190 | 230 | 2.8% |
| South Carolina | 2,170 | 230 | 9.0% |
| Kentucky | 1,550 | 160 | 1.3% |
| Michigan | 1,480 | 150 | −5.1% |
| New Jersey | 1,480 | 150 | 2.1% |
| New York | 1,470 | 0 | −16.0% |
| Virginia | 1,430 | 140 | −11.7% |
| Utah | 1,280 | 140 | 19.6% |
| Minnesota | 1,110 | 110 | — |
| Connecticut | 1,080 | 110 | −2.7% |
| Florida | 1,080 | 110 | 4.9% |
| Arkansas | 990 | 100 | −2.0% |
| Washington | 920 | 70 | −11.5% |
| Iowa | 840 | 90 | 3.7% |
| Mississippi | 830 | 90 | 1.2% |
| Kansas | 770 | 80 | −3.8% |
| Oklahoma | 670 | 70 | −1.5% |
| Nebraska | 580 | 60 | 1.8% |
| West Virginia | 500 | 50 | 6.4% |
| New Hampshire | 490 | 50 | 8.9% |
| Colorado | 420 | 40 | 5.0% |
| Arizona | 410 | 50 | 28.1% |
| Massachusetts | 410 | 40 | 2.5% |
| Rhode Island | 410 | 40 | −4.7% |
| Oregon | 400 | 40 | 5.3% |
| Delaware | 390 | 40 | −11.4% |
| Idaho | 350 | 40 | 9.4% |
| Nevada | 310 | 30 | — |
| Puerto Rico | 260 | 30 | 8.3% |
| Louisiana | 250 | 30 | 13.6% |
| Maryland | 240 | 30 | −4.0% |
| Vermont | 140 | 10 | 7.7% |
| New Mexico | 130 | 10 | 18.2% |
| Wyoming | 100 | 10 | 25.0% |
| South Dakota | 70 | 10 | — |
| Maine | 50 | 10 | — |
Career to college
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Where to study
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