Explore This Path
Metal & Plastic Drilling Machine Operator
💰 Earn $45K-$57K
📚 High School Diploma or GED
⏱️ 6–12 Month Training
📈 -9.5% Job Growth
- Perfect for those who love precision and working with their hands on intricate tasks.
- Essential role in manufacturing, ensuring high-quality metal and plastic components.
- Operate advanced machinery to shape materials for countless everyday products.
What Metal & Plastic Drilling Machine Operators DoSet up, operate, or tend drilling machines to drill, bore, ream, mill, or countersink metal or plastic work pieces.
- Verify conformance of machined work to specifications, using measuring instruments, such as calipers, micrometers, or fixed or telescoping gauges.
- Study machining instructions, job orders, or blueprints to determine dimensional or finish specifications, sequences of operations, setups, or tooling requirements.
- Move machine controls to lower tools to workpieces and to engage automatic feeds.
- Verify that workpiece reference lines are parallel to the axis of table rotation, using dial indicators mounted in spindles.
- Establish zero reference points on workpieces, such as at the intersections of two edges or over hole locations.
Metal & Plastic Drilling Machine Operators Education, Salary, and GrowthOnly you can decide how much you need to earn — but knowing what it actually costs to live in your area can help. The Family Budget Calculator can guide you.
Minimum EducationHigh School Diploma or GED
Career ProspectsRisky (Decreasing by 5% or more)
Training Time6 months to 1 year
Job Openings400 Annually
Median earnings
California Median
$49,080
Most earn within this range
median ▾
$45K25th percentile
$57K75th percentile
National Median
$49,080
Most earn within this range
median ▾
$42K25th percentile
$58K75th percentile
Is This Career Right For You?
YOU Like
- Thinking and problem solving
- Using data or completing tasks
- Working with my hands
you value
- Having support
- Job security
- Personal relationships
you are skilled in
- Operations Monitoring
- Monitoring
- Critical Thinking
- Reading Comprehension
- Complex Problem Solving
- Mathematics
Go Deeper: Metal & Plastic Drilling Machine Operators Explained
Metal & Plastic Drilling Machine OperatorExplore career pathways, key skills, and what each role has to offer.
How Do You Train for This Career?
Learn about the education and training paths that can lead to this career — and what to expect from each one.
Vocational SchoolA vocational school typically equips students with specialized skills and practical training in specific trades or occupations, enhancing their employability and providing direct pathways to relevant careers.
🎓 Skills-Focused
⏱️ Finish in 6 months - 2 years
Associate's DegreeAn associate's degree typically provides graduates with foundational knowledge and skills for entry-level jobs in the graduate's industry, or serves as a stepping stone towards further education.
🎓 College
⏱️ Finish in 2-3 years
Bachelor's DegreeA bachelor's degree typically results in increased knowledge about a variety of academic subjects, specialized knowledge in a focused field of study, and is considered the foundational qualification for many careers.
🎓 College
⏱️ Finish in 4-5+ years
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Updated April 2026. Data sourced from O*NET and Bureau of Labor Statistics.
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