Also called: Stamping Press Operator, Punch Press Operator, Die Setter
Runs presses that slam steel coils into car doors, appliance parts and brackets, sometimes dozens of parts per minute.
Your press is the size of a house. You help set a new die, feed in the coil, and watch parts fly out the far end. You check them against a gauge every hour and stop the line if a part cracks. Die setters who change tools earn more.
BLS cutting, punching and press machine setters.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
High school diploma, about 0 years after high school. High school diploma; trained on the job.
Ways in: On-the-job training. Training cost: Get paid while you train.
Shrinking (about -3% over 10 years). Cutting, punching and press machine setters overall.
High risk for 10 years. High-speed stamping lines with transfer robots need very few operators; openings keep shrinking.
Age 18+. One way to start: Apply at stamping plants or through a staffing agency; new hires are trained on the job
Classes: Shop class, Algebra.
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.