# Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic

US SOC code 51-4031. Markdown version of https://futurehistory.earth/timeline/51-4031

Also called: Press machine operator, Punch press operator, Sheet metal press operator, Metal cutting machine operator, Blanking press operator.

## In brief

In May 2025, [BLS](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip) counted **171,200** US metal and plastic cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, with median pay of **$46,330** a year. Of the BLS counts since 2003, the highest was **269,640**, in May 2006. The earliest figure here is [an estimate](https://www.referenceforbusiness.com/industries/Fabricated-Metal/Automotive-Stampings.html) of **60,000** from 1914, not measured the same way as today's count. The last full technology era in this work: CAD/CAM offline programming, 1995 to 2015.

## What the sources say

### Official outlook

BLS projects employment to decline 10.5% from 2025 to 2035. Source: [BLS Employment Projections 2025-35](https://data.bls.gov/projections/nationalMatrix?queryParams=51-4031&ioType=o).

### AI exposure studies

- **2%** of this job's tasks are exposed to large language models. Not a forecast of job losses. [Eloundou and others, 2023](https://github.com/openai/GPTs-are-GPTs/blob/main/data/occ_level.csv)

Data as of BLS OEWS May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025-35. BLS publishes these counts as yearly survey snapshots and cautions against reading them as a precise trend. In May 2021 BLS changed how it estimates these counts (a model-based method using three years of survey data) and moved fully to the 2018 occupation codes, so part of a change across 2021 can come from the method rather than the work.

## Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic employment and pay by year

- On record since: 1795
- Latest US employment: 171,200 (May 2025). Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 [4]
- Latest US median pay: $46,330 (May 2025). Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 [6]
- Outlook: -10.5% by 2035. Source: BLS Employment Projections 2025-35 [19]

### All 29 years of cited US data

| Year | US employment | Annual pay (median unless marked) | Source |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1914 | 60,000 (estimate) | n/a | Est., Automotive Stampings [1] |
| 1944 | 280,000 (estimate) | $2,392 (estimate) | Est., Faces of Steel [2] |
| 1972 | 380,000 (estimate) | n/a | Est., Automotive Stampings [1] |
| 1982 | 280,000 (estimate) | n/a | Est., Automotive Stampings [1] |
| 1986 | n/a | $22,000 (estimate) | Est., Faces of Steel [5] |
| 2000 | 351,050 | n/a | BLS OEWS 2000 [3] |
| 2003 | 260,560 | $25,210 | BLS OEWS May 2003 [4] |
| 2004 | 248,800 | $25,900 | BLS OEWS May 2004 [4] |
| 2005 | 265,480 | $25,980 | BLS OEWS May 2005 [4] |
| 2006 | 269,640 | $26,340 | BLS OEWS May 2006 [4] |
| 2007 | 254,160 | $27,240 | BLS OEWS May 2007 [4] |
| 2008 | 242,970 | $28,160 | BLS OEWS May 2008 [4] |
| 2009 | 209,730 | $29,160 | BLS OEWS May 2009 [4] |
| 2010 | 182,170 | $29,370 | BLS OEWS May 2010 [4] |
| 2011 | 181,160 | $29,720 | BLS OEWS May 2011 [4] |
| 2012 | 182,570 | $29,690 | BLS OEWS May 2012 [4] |
| 2013 | 187,640 | $29,950 | BLS OEWS May 2013 [4] |
| 2014 | 190,250 | $30,680 | BLS OEWS May 2014 [4] |
| 2015 | 194,670 | $31,280 | BLS OEWS May 2015 [4] |
| 2016 | 192,800 | $32,370 | BLS OEWS May 2016 [4] |
| 2017 | 188,520 | $33,060 | BLS OEWS May 2017 [4] |
| 2018 | 186,640 | $34,460 | BLS OEWS May 2018 [4] |
| 2019 | 195,040 | $35,610 | BLS OEWS May 2019 [4] |
| 2020 | 179,300 | $36,980 | BLS OEWS May 2020 [4] |
| 2021 | 179,630 | $37,630 | BLS OEWS May 2021 [4] |
| 2022 | 182,460 | $39,340 | BLS OEWS May 2022 [4] |
| 2023 | 179,230 | $42,400 | BLS OEWS May 2023 [4] |
| 2024 | 174,430 | $45,590 | BLS OEWS May 2024 [4] |
| 2025 | 171,200 | $46,330 | BLS OEWS May 2025 [4] |

## Sources (78)

### Employment series

1. [Automotive Stampings — Industry Description and History (Reference for Business, SIC 3465)](https://www.referenceforbusiness.com/industries/Fabricated-Metal/Automotive-Stampings.html), Reference for Business / Advameg
2. [Faces of Steel: People and History of Acklin Stamping Plant, Toledo Ohio (Toledo's Attic)](https://toledosattic.org/exhibit-collections/commercial-industrial-history/faces-acklin-stamping?showall=1), Toledo's Attic / Toledo history archive
3. [BLS OES 2000 national estimates (flat file)](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oes00nat.zip), Bureau of Labor Statistics
4. BLS OEWS, national cross-industry estimates (flat file), Bureau of Labor Statistics. Editions: [2003](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm03nat.zip), [2004](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm04nat.zip), [2005](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm05nat.zip), [2006](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm06nat.zip), [2007](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm07nat.zip), [2008](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm08nat.zip), [2009](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm09nat.zip), [2010](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm10nat.zip), [2011](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm11nat.zip), [2012](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm12nat.zip), [2013](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm13nat.zip), [2014](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm14nat.zip), [2015](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm15nat.zip), [2016](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm16nat.zip), [2017](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm17nat.zip), [2018](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm18nat.zip), [2019](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm19nat.zip), [2020](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm20nat.zip), [2021](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm21nat.zip), [2022](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm22nat.zip), [2023](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm23nat.zip), [2024](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm24nat.zip), [2025](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip)

### Wage series

5. [Faces of Steel: Acklin Stamping Plant — press operator rate $1.15/hour in October 1944](https://toledosattic.org/exhibit-collections/commercial-industrial-history/faces-acklin-stamping?showall=1), Toledo's Attic / Toledo history archive
6. BLS OEWS, national cross-industry estimates (flat file), Bureau of Labor Statistics. Editions: [2003](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm03nat.zip), [2004](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm04nat.zip), [2005](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm05nat.zip), [2006](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm06nat.zip), [2007](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm07nat.zip), [2008](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm08nat.zip), [2009](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm09nat.zip), [2010](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm10nat.zip), [2011](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm11nat.zip), [2012](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm12nat.zip), [2013](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm13nat.zip), [2014](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm14nat.zip), [2015](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm15nat.zip), [2016](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm16nat.zip), [2017](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm17nat.zip), [2018](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm18nat.zip), [2019](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm19nat.zip), [2020](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm20nat.zip), [2021](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm21nat.zip), [2022](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm22nat.zip), [2023](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm23nat.zip), [2024](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm24nat.zip), [2025](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip)

### Tool eras

7. [Pioneers of Hydraulics: Joseph Bramah — patent of March 31, 1795 for the hydraulic press (STAUFF)](https://stauff.com/en/blog/knowledge/pioneers-of-hydraulics---part-1---joseph-bramah), STAUFF / Engineering history
8. [The History of Factory Presses: Where It Started and Where It's Going (Air-Hydraulics, Inc.)](https://www.airhydraulics.com/blog/the-history-of-factory-presses-where-it-started-and-where-its-going/), Air-Hydraulics, Inc.
9. [Progressive Stamping Dies: A Brief History (Bruderer, citing J.L. Lewis 1897 and Ed Stouten 1953)](https://bruderer.co.uk/company-news/progressive-stamping-dies-brief-history/), Bruderer UK
10. [Automotive Stampings Industry History: Dodge Brothers 1914 all-steel body order (Reference for Business)](https://www.referenceforbusiness.com/industries/Fabricated-Metal/Automotive-Stampings.html), Reference for Business / Advameg
11. [OSHA — Punch presses and the revised standard for mechanical power presses (1975 standard interpretation)](https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/standardinterpretations/1975-07-29), Occupational Safety and Health Administration
12. [Faces of Steel: Acklin Stamping Plant — safety program, lost-time days 5,000 (1950-54) to 498 (1955)](https://toledosattic.org/exhibit-collections/commercial-industrial-history/faces-acklin-stamping?showall=1), Toledo's Attic / Toledo history archive
13. [CNC Machining History: Complete Timeline (3ERP, citing 1952 MIT development and 1970s adoption)](https://www.3erp.com/blog/cnc-machining-history/), 3ERP / Manufacturing history
14. [TRUMPF TruTops Boost: CAD/CAM integration, automated NC program generation from CAD geometry](https://www.trumpf.com/en_US/products/software/programming-software/trutops-boost/), TRUMPF
15. [The Fabricator: Offline press brake programming shaping precision sheet metal (CAD/CAM adoption)](https://www.thefabricator.com/thefabricator/article/cadcamsoftware/offline-press-brake-programming-is-shaping-the-future-of-precision-sheet-metal), The Fabricator / FMA
16. [Cobot-powered stamping automation improved by training (The Fabricator, cobot machine tending)](https://www.thefabricator.com/thefabricator/article/automationrobotics/cobot-powered-stamping-automation-improved-by-training), The Fabricator / FMA
17. [BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook: Metal and Plastic Machine Workers (2024-34 projections: -7%)](https://www.bls.gov/ooh/production/metal-and-plastic-machine-workers.htm), Bureau of Labor Statistics
18. [CNC Automation 2026 and Beyond: AI-Driven Machine Shops, Lights-Out Production (cnccode.com)](https://cnccode.com/2025/12/03/cnc-automation-2026-beyond-ai-driven-machine-shops-lights-out-production-and-smart-robotics-revolution/), CNCCode.com

### Forecasts and exposure studies

19. [BLS Employment Projections 2025-35, National Employment Matrix: 51-4031 Cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic (2025: 171.0 thousand; 2035: 153.1 thousand; -10.5%)](https://data.bls.gov/projections/nationalMatrix?queryParams=51-4031&ioType=o), Bureau of Labor Statistics
20. [Eloundou, Manning, Mishkin & Rock (2023), "GPTs are GPTs", occupation-level exposure data occ\_level.csv (O\*NET-SOC 51-4031.00, human-rated β 0.02)](https://github.com/openai/GPTs-are-GPTs/blob/main/data/occ_level.csv), OpenAI

### Historical notes

21. [Pioneers of Hydraulics: Joseph Bramah (STAUFF)](https://stauff.com/en/blog/knowledge/pioneers-of-hydraulics---part-1---joseph-bramah), STAUFF / Engineering history
22. [Progressive Stamping Dies: A Brief History (Bruderer, citing J.L. Lewis 1897)](https://bruderer.co.uk/company-news/progressive-stamping-dies-brief-history/), Bruderer UK
23. [Automotive Stampings Industry History (Reference for Business, SIC 3465)](https://www.referenceforbusiness.com/industries/Fabricated-Metal/Automotive-Stampings.html), Reference for Business / Advameg
24. [Faces of Steel: Acklin Stamping Plant — UAW organization 1937, Lewis Mattox (Toledo's Attic)](https://toledosattic.org/exhibit-collections/commercial-industrial-history/faces-acklin-stamping?showall=1), Toledo's Attic / Toledo history archive
25. [OSHA — Mechanical power presses standard (29 CFR 1910.217) and 1975 interpretation letter](https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/standardinterpretations/1975-07-29), Occupational Safety and Health Administration

### Predecessors & successors

26. [A Brief History of Stamping (European Springs): transition from blacksmith craft to industrial press operations](https://www.europeansprings.com/a-brief-history-of-stamping/), European Springs
27. [Stamping Press History (Lee Industrial Contracting): early press operators from general factory labor pool](https://www.leecontracting.com/stamping-press-history/), Lee Industrial Contracting

### Present-day analysis

- [O\*NET 30.3: Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic (51-4031.00)](https://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/51-4031.00), accessed 2026-06-05
- [BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook: Metal and Plastic Machine Workers (2024-34 projections: -7%)](https://www.bls.gov/ooh/production/metal-and-plastic-machine-workers.htm), accessed 2026-06-05
- [BLS OES May 2024: 51-4031, 174,700 employed, $45,590 median annual wage](https://www.bls.gov/oes/2023/may/oes514031.htm), accessed 2026-06-05
- [Eloundou et al. 2024: GPTs are GPTs (Science)](https://arxiv.org/abs/2303.10130), accessed 2026-06-05
- [CNC Automation 2026 and Beyond: AI-Driven Machine Shops, Lights-Out Production (cnccode.com)](https://cnccode.com/2025/12/03/cnc-automation-2026-beyond-ai-driven-machine-shops-lights-out-production-and-smart-robotics-revolution/), accessed 2026-06-05
- [Amada Bending Automation Systems: robotic loading and unloading cells](https://www.amada.com/america/bending-automation), accessed 2026-06-05
- [Amada FabriVISION: non-contact laser inspection, 80%+ inspection time reduction](https://www.amada.com/america/fabrivision), accessed 2026-06-05

How to read these figures: https://futurehistory.earth/methodology. Every figure links to its own source; gaps stay gaps.