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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.
Other titles employers use
Breakdown Mill Operator · Calender Operator · Cold Mill Operator · Machine Operator · Mill Operator · Rolling Mill Operator · Roughing Mill Operator · Temper Mill Operator
Inside the work
What you would actually do.
6 responsibilities that define the role, before job titles and workplaces change the details.
- 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.
- Manipulate controls and observe dial indicators to monitor, adjust, and regulate speeds of machine mechanisms.
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
- Quality Control Analysis
- Monitoring
- Speaking
- Active Listening
Subjects to know
- Mechanical
- Production and Processing
- English Language
- Education and Training
Useful strengths
- Problem Sensitivity
- Control Precision
- Reaction Time
- Near Vision
- Rate Control
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 | 3.3 | Shared rooms, but not shoulder to shoulder |
| On your feet | 4.3 | Standing or moving for most of it |
| Talking face to face | 4.5 | Continuous — the job is conversations |
| Working with your hands | 4.2 | Handling tools, instruments or materials |
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 87%
- A certificate or some college 13%
Tools of the work
Technology you may use.
- Electronic mail software
- Internet browser 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
- 2,320
- Job openings each year
- 240
- Expected hiring change, 2022–2032
- 6.4%
Compare every available state
| State | People doing it | Job openings each year | Expected change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 2,320 | 240 | 6.4% |
| Texas | 1,750 | 180 | −1.1% |
| Indiana | 1,600 | 150 | −11.6% |
| California | 1,400 | 140 | −12.5% |
| Pennsylvania | 1,400 | 130 | −11.9% |
| Ohio | 1,390 | 130 | −11.5% |
| Illinois | 1,360 | 140 | −3.5% |
| Tennessee | 1,290 | 130 | — |
| Kentucky | 1,230 | 120 | −7.5% |
| South Carolina | 1,010 | 100 | 3.1% |
| Michigan | 990 | 100 | −12.4% |
| West Virginia | 750 | 80 | 1.4% |
| Arkansas | 700 | 70 | 9.4% |
| Iowa | 630 | 60 | −1.6% |
| Georgia | 510 | 50 | 6.3% |
| Missouri | 500 | 50 | — |
| Connecticut | 490 | 50 | −5.8% |
| New York | 480 | 0 | −15.8% |
| New Jersey | 460 | 50 | −4.2% |
| Maryland | 390 | 40 | −15.2% |
| Washington | 360 | 40 | 5.9% |
| Arizona | 330 | 40 | 3.1% |
| Florida | 330 | 30 | — |
| Nebraska | 300 | 30 | −3.2% |
| Wisconsin | 290 | 30 | −6.5% |
| Colorado | 270 | 30 | −6.9% |
| Oregon | 250 | 30 | — |
| Virginia | 230 | 20 | −14.8% |
| North Carolina | 210 | 20 | −4.5% |
| Minnesota | 200 | 20 | −4.8% |
| Mississippi | 190 | 20 | −5.0% |
| Utah | 150 | 20 | 7.1% |
| Louisiana | 140 | 10 | 7.7% |
| Massachusetts | 130 | 10 | — |
| Oklahoma | 130 | 10 | −7.1% |
| South Dakota | 120 | 10 | — |
| Kansas | 90 | 10 | −10.0% |
| Puerto Rico | 70 | 10 | −12.5% |
| New Hampshire | 60 | 10 | — |
| Montana | 30 | 0 | — |
| Vermont | 30 | 0 | −25.0% |
| Idaho | 20 | 0 | — |
| Maine | 20 | 0 | −33.3% |
| Nevada | 20 | 0 | — |
Career to college
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Where to study
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