Also called: Laser Operator, Cutting Machine Operator
Runs computer-controlled lasers and plasma torches that cut shapes out of sheets of metal.
You load a big steel sheet onto the table, pull up a nested file with 60 parts packed tightly together, and hit start. A bright laser zips around cutting them out. You sort the parts, knock off any slag and get the next sheet ready.
BLS cutting, punching and press machine setters, operators and tenders; approximate.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
High school diploma, about 0 years after high school. High school plus on-the-job training.
Ways in: On-the-job training, Certification. Training cost: Get paid while you train.
Shrinking (about -3% over 10 years).
High risk for 10 years. Automatic sheet loading, nesting and sorting let one person run several lasers; operator jobs shrink.
Age 18+. One way to start: Apply at fabrication shops or through a staffing agency; new hires are trained on the job
Classes: Shop class, Drafting/CAD class, Geometry.
Official data: O*NET occupation 51-4031.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.