Metal & Plastic Extruding Machine Operator

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Metal & Plastic Extruding Machine Operator

Perfect for those who love transforming raw materials into essential products.
Play a crucial role in shaping materials for industries like construction and manufacturing.
Operate machines that turn metal and plastic into diverse, precise shapes.

💰 Earn $37K-$49K

📚 High School Diploma or GED

⏱️ 6–12 MONTH TRAINING

📈 2% JOB GROWTH

Metal & Plastic Extruding Machine Operator

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What You’ll Do

Set up, operate, or tend machines to extrude or draw thermoplastic or metal materials into tubes, rods, hoses, wire, bars, or structural shapes.

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.

Scoop

Minimum Education

High School Diploma or GED

Career Prospects

Good (Increasing by 1-5%)

Training Time

6 months to 1 year

Job Openings

6,700 Annually

Median Earnings

$43,950 in California

$44,390 Nationally

$25K

$50K

$75K

$100K

$125K

$150K

$175K

$200K

$225K

$250K

Best For You If...

YOU Like 💕

Using data or completing tasks
Working with my hands

You are skilled in 💫

Equipment Selection
Critical Thinking
Monitoring
Operation and Control
Operations Monitoring
Quality Control Analysis

You value 🙏

Having support
Having freedom
Personal relationships

Deep Dive

Metal & Plastic Extruding Machine Operator

Explore career pathways, key skills, and what each role has to offer.

Pathways to this Career

Learn about the education and training paths that can lead to this career — and what to expect from each one.

Vocational School

A vocational school typically equips students with specialized skills and practical training in specific trades or occupations, enhancing their employability and providing direct pathways to relevant careers.

🎓 Skills-Focused

⏱️ FINISH IN 6 months - 2 years

Associate's Degree

An associate's degree typically provides graduates with foundational knowledge and skills for entry-level jobs in the graduate's industry, or serves as a stepping stone towards further education.

🎓 College

⏱️ FINISH IN 2-3 years

Bachelor's Degree

A bachelor's degree typically results in increased knowledge about a variety of academic subjects, specialized knowledge in a focused field of study, and is considered the foundational qualification for many careers.

🎓 College

⏱️ FINISH IN 4-5+ years