Rolling Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
Also called: Bar Finish Operator, Bar Roller, Barrel Roller, Barrel Roller Operator, Bed Operator, Brass Roller, Breakdown Coordinator, Breakdown Mill Operator
Set up, operate, or tend machines to roll steel or plastic forming bends, beads, knurls, rolls, or plate, or to flatten, temper, or reduce gauge of material.
What Rolling Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic do
Typical tasks
- Monitor machine cycles and mill operation to detect jamming and to ensure that products conform to specifications.
- Adjust and correct machine set-ups to reduce thicknesses, reshape products, and eliminate product defects.
- Start operation of rolling and milling machines to flatten, temper, form, and reduce sheet metal sections and to produce steel strips.
- Examine, inspect, and measure raw materials and finished products to verify conformance to specifications.
- Read rolling orders, blueprints, and mill schedules to determine setup specifications, work sequences, product dimensions, and installation procedures.
- Manipulate controls and observe dial indicators to monitor, adjust, and regulate speeds of machine mechanisms.
- Set distance points between rolls, guides, meters, and stops, according to specifications.
- Calculate draft space and roll speed for each mill stand to plan rolling sequences and specified dimensions and tempers.
- Install equipment such as guides, guards, gears, cooling equipment, and rolls, using hand tools.
- Position, align, and secure arbors, spindles, coils, mandrels, dies, and slitting knives.
- Fill oil cups, adjust valves, and observe gauges to control flow of metal coolants and lubricants onto workpieces.
- Activate shears and grinders to trim workpieces.
Typical path into the job (BLS)
Rolling Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic salary
The median annual wage for Rolling Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic is $50,140 (BLS OEWS May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025–35, national). The lowest 10 percent earn less than $37,690 and the highest 10 percent earn more than $70,310. The mean annual wage is $53,220.
The mean hourly wage of $25.00 is 3.4× the federal minimum wage of $7.25. State minimums are higher in most large states. Minimum wage by state →
How does your pay compare with people your age?
Your numbers are not sent or stored. The comparison uses this occupation's BLS wage percentiles, adjusted for age with BLS median weekly earnings by age group (Q3 2026).
Pay by percentile
Annual wage percentiles from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). Percentiles are a good proxy for pay by experience.
Projected pay for Rolling Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic (3, 5 and 10 years)est.
Today $50,140 → in 3 years $53,900 → in 5 years $56,500 → in 10 years $63,700 (10-year range $54,800–$74,000). The model assumes pay growth of +2.4% per year.
What drives the annual growth rate
Projected pay = current pay × (1 + annual growth)^years. The annual growth rate starts from a base wage-growth rate and adds or subtracts labor demand (BLS projected employment growth), wage momentum and AI replacement risk for each occupation. Projections are not guarantees. How it is calculated →
Outlook score for Rolling Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
Each component is a percentile rank among all occupations in the same country (0–100). Weights: labor demand 25, wage momentum / openings 15, pay level 15, AI resistance 25, aging workforce 10 (Japan only), entry barrier 10.
Will AI replace Rolling Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic? AI replacement risk
How AI is changing this job
A written analysis for this occupation is being prepared.
AI replacement risk compares the parts of a job that are easy to hand to AI or software (processing information, documentation, repetitive computer work) with the parts that are hard to automate (physical work, working closely with people, judgment in unpredictable settings), using O*NET work activities, work context, skills and knowledge. The result is a relative position among all occupations in the country, scaled to 0–100%. Methodology →
Labor demand for Rolling Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
Employment projections are from the BLS Employment Projections program (2025–35). Annual openings include both new jobs and replacement of workers who leave the occupation.
Skills, education and requirements for Rolling Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
Key skills
O*NET skill level ratings (0–7).
Key knowledge areas
What the work involves
Important abilities
Education of workers
Training before entry
Related work experience
Job Zone 2 — some preparation needed (O*NET)
Difficulty of entry: ★☆☆☆☆ Easy to enter (from education, training, experience and Job Zone)
How to become Rolling Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
A step-by-step guide for this occupation is being prepared. The education, training and experience data above show the typical path.
Career path and how to earn more as Rolling Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
Career-path guidance is being prepared. Pay by percentile is shown in the Pay section.