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Job outlook for machine set up operators in the United States
Machine set up operator job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected machine set up operator job growth rate is -8% from 2018-2028.
About -83,800 new jobs for machine set up operators are projected over the next decade.
Machine set up operator salaries have increased 11% for machine set up operators in the last 5 years.
There are over 963,270 machine set up operators currently employed in the United States.
There are 61,986 active machine set up operator job openings in the US.
The average machine set up operator salary is $35,823.
Are machine set up operator jobs in demand?
Machine set up operator job and salary trends over time
Machine set up operator jobs over time
Machine set up operator job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 963,270 | 0.29% |
| 2020 | 393,276 | 0.12% |
| 2019 | 1,052,680 | 0.31% |
| 2018 | 409,690 | 0.12% |
| 2017 | 399,236 | 0.12% |
Average machine set up operator salary over time
Machine set up operator salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $35,823 | $17.22 | +3.4% |
| 2025 | $34,646 | $16.66 | +1.4% |
| 2024 | $34,171 | $16.43 | +2.1% |
| 2023 | $33,455 | $16.08 | +3.6% |
| 2022 | $32,304 | $15.53 | +2.3% |
Machine set up operator jobs by state
Most common states for machine set up operators
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 1,245 | 18% |
| 2 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 126 | 18% |
| 3 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 157 | 15% |
| 4 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 186 | 14% |
| 5 | Alaska | 739,795 | 105 | 14% |
| 6 | New Jersey | 9,005,644 | 911 | 10% |
| 7 | Wisconsin | 5,795,483 | 592 | 10% |
| 8 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 448 | 8% |
| 9 | Hawaii | 1,427,538 | 98 | 7% |
| 10 | Ohio | 11,658,609 | 732 | 6% |
| 11 | Indiana | 6,666,818 | 411 | 6% |
| 12 | Iowa | 3,145,711 | 181 | 6% |
| 13 | Nebraska | 1,920,076 | 112 | 6% |
| 14 | Pennsylvania | 12,805,537 | 598 | 5% |
| 15 | Illinois | 12,802,023 | 581 | 5% |
| 16 | North Carolina | 10,273,419 | 513 | 5% |
| 17 | Georgia | 10,429,379 | 485 | 5% |
| 18 | Tennessee | 6,715,984 | 339 | 5% |
| 19 | Michigan | 9,962,311 | 379 | 4% |
| 20 | Connecticut | 3,588,184 | 142 | 4% |
Most common cities for machine set up operators
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Holyoke | 2 | 5% | $44,448 |
| 2 | Addison | 1 | 3% | $36,885 |
| 3 | Elk Grove Village | 1 | 3% | $36,916 |
| 4 | Farmington Hills | 2 | 2% | $36,970 |
| 5 | Bristol | 1 | 2% | $44,349 |
| 6 | Chicopee | 1 | 2% | $44,455 |
| 7 | Downers Grove | 1 | 2% | $36,835 |
| 8 | Milwaukee | 3 | 1% | $34,315 |
| 9 | Allentown | 1 | 1% | $41,105 |
| 10 | Buffalo | 1 | 0% | $36,654 |
| 11 | Cleveland | 1 | 0% | $35,167 |
Machine Set Up Operator job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of machine set up operator experts
Precision Machined Products Association
What type of skills will young Machine Set Up Operators need?
Miles Free: Skills are essential, but most of our precision machining shops hire for attitude. We will help reliable candidates develop the skills that they need. If we look at employers having wants and needs: want - someone that knows their software. Needs - someone that knows how to adjust code; we'll teach them our software. Wants - excellent math skills. Requires the ability to do high school algebra, geometry, and trig.
Needs - people that can communicate an issue verbally and in writing.
That's where we see it. Critical thinking, ability to understand problems and their potential causes, ability to work well with others, without this, even a super-competent technically skilled person will probably find themselves changing jobs many times.