How To Become A Lathe Set Up Operator: What It Is and Career Path

What is a lathe set up operator and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a lathe set up operator. For example, did you know that they make an average of $19.46 an hour? That's $40,481 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow -8% and produce -83,800 job opportunities across the U.S.

ScoreLathe Set Up OperatorUS Average

Salary

3.2

Avg. Salary $40,481

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

6.0

Growth rate -8%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

6.5

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.87%

Asian 5.94%

Black or African American 4.78%

Hispanic or Latino 14.36%

Unknown 5.42%

White 68.63%

Gender

female 5.38%

male 94.62%

Age - 43

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 43

Stress level

6.0

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity level

7.3

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

4.1

Work life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a lathe set up operator

Explore lathe set up operator education requirements

Most common lathe set up operator degrees

High School Diploma

44.6 %

Associate

23.1 %

Bachelor's

11.5 %

Start to develop specific lathe set up operator skills

Skills	Percentages
Calipers	11.58%
FANUC	10.93%
Lathe Machines	10.44%
Okuma	6.94%
Aerospace	6.71%

Complete relevant lathe set up operator training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 3-6 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New lathe set up operators learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a lathe set up operator based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real lathe set up operator resumes.

Research lathe set up operator duties and responsibilities

Set up and run CNC lathes with Fanuc controls.
Set up and edit program as needed for Okuma LB35, Mazak lathe machine.
Experience running Haas mills, lathes, and Leadwell CNC lathes.
Experience running Mazak CNC lathe and mills.

Prepare your lathe set up operator resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your lathe set up operator resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a lathe set up operator resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable lathe set up operator resume templates

Build a professional lathe set up operator resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your lathe set up operator resume.