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

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

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

The average machine set up operator salary is $35,823. The most common degree is a high school diploma degree with an business major. It usually takes 1-2 years of experience to become a machine set up operator. Machine set up operators with a Forklift Safety and Inspector certification earn more money. Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow -8% and produce -83,800 job opportunities across the U.S.

ScoreMachine Set Up OperatorUS Average

Salary

2.8

Avg. Salary $35,823

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 5.99%

Black or African American 4.82%

Hispanic or Latino 14.56%

Unknown 5.43%

White 68.33%

Gender

female 13.45%

male 86.55%

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 machine set up operator

Explore machine set up operator education requirements

Most common machine set up operator degrees

High School Diploma

49.1 %

Associate

18.7 %

Diploma

12.9 %

Start to develop specific machine set up operator skills

Skills	Percentages
CNC Machines	13.12%
Calipers	10.48%
Micrometers	8.67%
CNC Lathes	6.26%
Quality Checks	5.05%

Complete relevant machine set up operator training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 3-6 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New machine 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 machine set up operator based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real machine set up operator resumes.

Research machine set up operator duties and responsibilities

Perform trial runs on new CNC programs, working with programming and tooling to achieve satisfactory parts.
Used micrometers and calipers to determine require tolerances.
Follow ISO and QS standard operating procedures.
Panel control, fanuc control, & dynapath.

Prepare your machine set up operator resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your machine 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 machine 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 machine set up operator resume templates

Build a professional machine 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 machine set up operator resume.

Apply for machine set up operator jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a machine set up operator job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

How do machine set up operators rate their job?

-/5

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Machine set up operator reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on Aug 2019

Cons

Short time at work that to day U not working we will call you when we have busy I need a full time job not part time

Pros

It challenging I love challenge to work as a operator it a very challenging job

A zippia user wrote a review on May 2019