Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
Set up, operate, or tend lathe and turning machines to turn, bore, thread, form, or face metal or plastic materials, such as wire, rod, or bar stock.
16,710 people do this job in the US. $50,620 a year.
of the working time. Estimate.
- 38%
- 0%
- 62%
Measured, from Anthropic's usage data (2025). Counts help on part of a task.
On the chosen pace and reliability. Estimate.
Share of the working time within reach, now to 2030
What each choice means: , , , , . Every pace starts from .
At this date and pace, models finish tasks up to 4.4 h long four times in five.
How far this has come
With GPT-4, measured in March 2023, 0% of this job's working time was within reach at . With Claude 3.7 Sonnet, measured in February 2025, 1%. With Claude Mythos Preview (early), measured in April 2026, 26%. Today's estimate: 30%.
A backcast: today's task data with the best model METR had measured by each date. It shows how fast the models have moved, not what anyone forecast at the time.
The tasks
Sorted by . 18 tasks from .
| Task | Kind | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Program computer numerical control machines.Done daily by most who do it. | 23% | 1.7 h25 min to 3.3 h | 65%Half by now | |
| Crank machines through cycles, stopping to adjust tool positions and machine controls to ensure specified timing, clearances, and tolerances.Done several times a day by most who do it. | 7% | 25 min8 min to 1.3 h | Stays with people | |
| Mount attachments, such as relieving or tracing attachments, to perform operations, such as duplicating contours of templates or trimming workpieces.Done daily by most who do it. | 7% | 38 min13 min to 1.7 h | Stays with people | |
| Install holding fixtures, cams, gears, and stops to control stock and tool movement, using hand tools, power tools, and measuring instruments.Done daily by most who do it. | 7% | 33 min13 min to 1.7 h | Stays with people | |
| Study blueprints, layouts or charts, and job orders for information on specifications and tooling instructions, and to determine material requirements and operational sequences.Done daily by most who do it. | 7% | 21 min8 min to 50 min | 100%Half by now | |
| Lift metal stock or workpieces manually or using hoists, and position and secure them in machines, using fasteners and hand tools.Done several times a day by most who do it. | 7% | 21 min8 min to 50 min | Stays with people | |
| Replace worn tools, and sharpen dull cutting tools and dies, using bench grinders or cutter-grinding machines.Done several times a day by most who do it. | 6% | 21 min8 min to 50 min | Stays with people | |
| Adjust machine controls and change tool settings to keep dimensions within specified tolerances.Done daily by most who do it. | 5% | 13 min4 min to 33 min | Stays with people | |
| Compute unspecified dimensions and machine settings, using knowledge of metal properties and shop mathematics.Done daily by most who do it. | 5% | 21 min8 min to 42 min | 100%Half by now | |
| Inspect sample workpieces to verify conformance with specifications, using instruments such as gauges, micrometers, and dial indicators.Done daily by most who do it. | 5% | 13 min4 min to 29 min | Stays with people | |
| Start lathe or turning machines and observe operations to ensure that specifications are met.Done daily by most who do it. | 5% | 13 min4 min to 38 min | Stays with people | |
| Position, secure, and align cutting tools in toolholders on machines, using hand tools, and verify their positions with measuring instruments.Done daily by most who do it. | 4% | 21 min8 min to 50 min | Stays with people |
Within reach, per task: the share of the task's time whose instances are short enough for a model to finish at the chosen date, pace and reliability. Half by: the date half of that time comes within reach.
Jobs that share skills with this one
From O*NET's related occupations. Within reach now and by the end of 2028, long-run pace, four in five.
- Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic18% now, 18% by 2028
- Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic18% now, 18% by 2028
- Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic13% now, 13% by 2028
- Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing7% now, 7% by 2028
- Tool Grinders, Filers, and Sharpeners6% now, 6% by 2028
- Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic7% now, 7% by 2028
Where this job works
The industry groups that employ the most of it (BLS, May 2025).
- Machine Shops; Turned Product; and Screw, Nut, and Bolt Manufacturing6,200 people
- Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3321, 3322, 3325, 3326, and 3329 only)3,160 people
- Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing980 people
- Machinery Manufacturing (3331, 3332, 3334, and 3339 only)950 people
- Metalworking Machinery Manufacturing940 people
Where the most of these jobs are
The metro areas with the most people in it (BLS, May 2025).