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Boston Career Explorer

Production

Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic

Set up, operate, or tend lathe and turning machines to turn, bore, thread, form, or face metal or plastic materials, such as wire, rod, or bar stock.

Also called: CNC Lathe Operator (Computer Numerical Control Lathe Operator), CNC Setup Operator (Computer Numerical Control Setup Operator), Lathe Operator, Machine Operator, Numerical Control Operator (NC Operator), Screw Machine Operator

Median pay in Greater Boston
$61,890
$29.75/hr
Jobs in Greater Boston
510
Massachusetts 2024–2034
−11.8%
40 openings a year
Typical U.S. entry requirement
High school diploma or equivalent
plus Moderate-term on-the-job training

Greater Boston: Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area, May 2025. Growth and openings: Massachusetts statewide projection.

Pay range in Greater Boston

Yearly pay in Greater Boston by percentile
10th25thMedian75th90th
$47,320$48,980$61,890$70,100$80,440

10% of workers earn less than the first figure and 10% earn more than the last.

What you’d do

  • Adjust machine controls and change tool settings to keep dimensions within specified tolerances.
  • Move controls to set cutting speeds and depths and feed rates, and to position tools in relation to workpieces.
  • Study blueprints, layouts or charts, and job orders for information on specifications and tooling instructions, and to determine material requirements and operational sequences.
  • Inspect sample workpieces to verify conformance with specifications, using instruments such as gauges, micrometers, and dial indicators.
  • Replace worn tools, and sharpen dull cutting tools and dies, using bench grinders or cutter-grinding machines.
  • Move toolholders manually or by turning handwheels, or engage automatic feeding mechanisms to feed tools to and along workpieces.

AI and this job

AI exposure: how much of this job’s work AI tools can do or help with, based on national research. It is not a forecast of job loss.

Lower exposure12 of 100

The index averages three national research measures, each shown as a percentile of all jobs:

  • AIOE 14
  • Language-model AIOE 13
  • GPTs-are-GPTs 9

Observed AI use today: Little or none (Anthropic Economic Index)

This job has lower AI exposure, and observed AI use is little or none. AI tools could help with reading job orders and blueprints or tracking measurements. Hands-on work like setting up the machine, checking parts with gauges, and changing or sharpening tools is not something AI tools do. The bigger change is more automated, programmable machines, and Massachusetts is projected to need about 11.8% fewer of these workers by 2034.

Likely to change

  • Reading job orders and planning operation steps
  • Tracking measurements and tolerance checks

Still relies on people

  • Setting up machines and changing tools by hand
  • Judging part quality with gauges and micrometers

What federal projections say

“Productivity change - share decreases as manufacturers are expected to use more CNC, automated, and programmable machinery to perform some functions or tasks previously done by these workers.”
BLS Employment Projections 2025–35, factors affecting this job (U.S.)

Written with AI from the data on this page. Check with a career coach before making a decision.

Next steps from here

Related jobs that build on what you already do.

  • Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers

    Checking workpieces against specifications and measuring them carries over directly. Welding has projected growth of 4.2% and a similar median pay in Boston.

    Pay difference
    +$1,880 median
    AI exposure
    Lower
    MA growth
    +4.2%
    To get started
    High school diploma or equivalent

  • Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists

    You already work with precision instruments and lathes. This job uses those skills to repair vehicles and pays more, with 5.1% projected growth.

    Pay difference
    +$13,880 median
    AI exposure
    Lower
    MA growth
    +5.1%
    To get started
    High school diploma or equivalent

  • Structural Iron and Steel Workers

    Reading blueprints and checking exact measurements carry over. This apprenticeship-based trade has a high Boston median pay and 6.1% projected growth.

    Pay difference
    +$58,950 median
    AI exposure
    Lower
    MA growth
    +6.1%
    To get started
    High school diploma or equivalent

Training near Boston

College and school programs in the Boston metro area that lead to this job, with 2023-24 completions (IPEDS).

No college programs near Boston map to this job. Many people enter through on-the-job training or apprenticeship.

Talk to a career coach at the Office of Workforce Development about apprenticeships and City partner programs.

Related occupations

Talk to a career coach

A coach at the Office of Workforce Development can help you plan your next step, and connect you with training, apprenticeships and City partner programs that are not listed here.

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