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

What is a machine tool operator and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

The average machine tool operator salary is $36,999. The most common degree is a associate degree degree with an business major. It usually takes 1-2 years of experience to become a machine tool operator. Machine tool operators with a Certified Machine Tool Sales Engineer (CMTSE) 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 Tool OperatorUS Average

Salary

2.9

Avg. Salary $36,999

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 6.03%

Black or African American 4.85%

Hispanic or Latino 14.73%

Unknown 5.43%

White 68.09%

Gender

female 10.24%

male 89.76%

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

7.2

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 tool operator

Explore machine tool operator education requirements

Most common machine tool operator degrees

Associate

35.4 %

High School Diploma

32.7 %

Bachelor's

16.5 %

Start to develop specific machine tool operator skills

Skills	Percentages
Hand Tools	15.51%
CNC Machines	10.26%
Machine Tools	9.55%
Grinders	9.18%
Drill Presses	8.01%

Complete relevant machine tool operator training and internships

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

Research machine tool operator duties and responsibilities

Operate Fanuc controls for Mori-Seki and Okuma CNC lathes.
Perform duties in compliance with ISO, QS-9000 and TQM principles and standards.
Adhere to GMP and HACCP plans within regulations.
Execute rig up and the maintenance of wellhead isolation tools as well as high-pressure well controls.

Prepare your machine tool operator resume

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

Build a professional machine tool 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 tool operator resume.

Apply for machine tool operator jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a machine tool 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 tool operators rate their job?

-/5

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Machine tool operator reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on May 2019

Pros

There is something new all the time ,one day your doing parts for a water pump,and the next day you could be doing parts going to Mars I did on the land,rover

Cons

If your not careful what you are doing you can put a whole order in the trash or break a brooch