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

What is a turret lathe 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 turret lathe operator. For example, did you know that they make an average of $18.7 an hour? That's $38,904 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow -8% and produce -83,800 job opportunities across the U.S.

ScoreTurret Lathe OperatorUS Average

Salary

3.0

Avg. Salary $38,904

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

6.0

Growth rate -8%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

6.4

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.87%

Asian 5.42%

Black or African American 4.80%

Hispanic or Latino 14.47%

Unknown 5.43%

White 69.02%

Gender

female 10.79%

male 89.21%

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 turret lathe operator

Explore turret lathe operator education requirements

Most common turret lathe operator degrees

High School Diploma

50.0 %

Bachelor's

16.7 %

Diploma

15.9 %

Start to develop specific turret lathe operator skills

Skills	Percentages
Pallets	38.47%
Hand Tools	14.77%
Calipers	14.64%
Inventory Control	6.94%
Load Trucks	4.90%

Complete relevant turret lathe operator training and internships

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

Research turret lathe operator duties and responsibilities

Use automate systems and RF units to pull, put away and load customer product, in addition to managing inventory
Maintain SPC and record data to assure the part is within control limits; maintain accurate downtime and production records.
Use of CMM equipment to measure parts with a high degree of accuracy and make offsets to cutting machinery if necessary.
Involve in maintaining continuous improvement in documentation and procedures for ISO certification.

Prepare your turret lathe operator resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your turret lathe 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 turret lathe 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 turret lathe operator resume templates

Build a professional turret lathe 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 turret lathe operator resume.