Press Brake Operator job description: duties, skills and qualifications.

Core duties

8

O*NET task statements

O*NET occupation

Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic

O*NET-SOC 51-4031.00

Preparation

Job Zone 1-2 of 5

very little to some preparation

Typical entry education

High school diploma or equivalent

BLS 2025–35

Median pay

$46,330

BLS May 2025

Data Government data groups this job as Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic (O*NET-SOC 51-4031.00). O*NET 31.0 lists “Press Brake Operator” in its Sample of Reported Titles (the titles job holders report) for this occupation only (also listed from O*NET job-incumbent data, the SOC Index, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and employer job postings). 1 other occupation carries it only as an alternate title (from O*NET job-incumbent data), never as a reported title or a SOC Index title. Figures on this page are for that occupation. TryHired has no separate career page for this title yet.

1. Measure completed workpieces to verify conformance to specifications, using micrometers, gauges, calipers, templates, or rulers. importance 4.7 of 5
2. Examine completed workpieces for defects, such as chipped edges or marred surfaces and sort defective pieces according to types of flaws. importance 4.6 of 5
3. Read work orders or production schedules to determine specifications, such as materials to be used, locations of cutting lines, or dimensions and tolerances. importance 4.5 of 5
4. Start machines, monitor their operations, and record operational data. importance 4.5 of 5
5. Set up, operate, or tend machines to saw, cut, shear, slit, punch, crimp, notch, bend, or straighten metal or plastic material. importance 4.4 of 5
6. Test and adjust machine speeds or actions, according to product specifications, using gauges and hand tools. importance 4.2 of 5
7. Load workpieces, plastic material, or chemical solutions into machines. importance 4.2 of 5
8. Turn controls to set cutting speeds, feed rates, or table angles for specified operations. importance 4.0 of 5

Work activities O*NET rates most important here: Making Decisions and Solving Problems, Handling and Moving Objects, Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events, Controlling Machines and Processes and Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials.

Also part of the job

Supplemental tasks O*NET lists for this occupation: less central than the core duties above, and not done in every job.

• Lubricate workpieces with oil.
• Install, align, and lock specified punches, dies, cutting blades, or other fixtures in rams or beds of machines, using gauges, templates, feelers, shims, and hand tools.
• Adjust ram strokes of presses to specified lengths, using hand tools.
• Position, align, and secure workpieces against fixtures or stops on machine beds or on dies.
• Set stops on machine beds, change dies, and adjust components, such as rams or power presses, when making multiple or successive passes.
• Clean and lubricate machines.

Knowledge areas: Production and Processing.

Software O*NET lists for this occupation: Autodesk AutoCAD, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office software, Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft Word, SAP software. These are examples O*NET records for the job, not a list of tools every employer uses or a checklist of what you must know.

• Education: BLS lists a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education.
• Experience: BLS lists no work experience in a related occupation as typical to enter.
• Training on the job: BLS lists moderate-term on-the-job training as typical once hired.
• Preparation: O*NET places the job in Job Zone 1-2 of 5 (very little to some preparation). Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience.
• Licenses and certifications: not listed here. A license is a legal requirement set by a state; a certification is a credential from a private or professional body. Rules vary by state and employer, and a missing entry on this page does not mean none is required: check with your state's licensing board.

Most press brake operators surveyed by O*NET (63%) name a high school diploma or equivalent as the education the job requires.

Job title: Press Brake Operator
[Company] · [City, State] · [Full-time or part-time] · [Pay range, where your state requires one]

About the role
[Company] is hiring a Press Brake Operator to set up, operate, or tend machines to saw, cut, shear, slit, punch, crimp, notch, bend, or straighten metal or plastic material.
[One sentence on your team and why this role matters.]

What you will do
- Measure completed workpieces to verify conformance to specifications, using micrometers, gauges, calipers, templates, or rulers.
- Examine completed workpieces for defects, such as chipped edges or marred surfaces and sort defective pieces according to types of flaws.
- Read work orders or production schedules to determine specifications, such as materials to be used, locations of cutting lines, or dimensions and tolerances.
- Start machines, monitor their operations, and record operational data.
- Set up, operate, or tend machines to saw, cut, shear, slit, punch, crimp, notch, bend, or straighten metal or plastic material.
- Test and adjust machine speeds or actions, according to product specifications, using gauges and hand tools.
- Load workpieces, plastic material, or chemical solutions into machines.
- Turn controls to set cutting speeds, feed rates, or table angles for specified operations.

What we are looking for
- [Education: BLS lists a high school diploma or equivalent as typical for this occupation; set the level this role truly needs]
- [Experience: BLS lists no related work experience as typical to enter; set what this role needs]
- Strength in operations monitoring, operation and control and troubleshooting
- Working knowledge of Production and Processing
- [Software your team uses, e.g. Autodesk AutoCAD or Microsoft Excel]
- [Any license or certification your state or company requires]

[Schedule, benefits and how to apply]

Illustrative: every name, employer, school, date and number in these samples is fictional or a bracketed placeholder. Replace each bracket with your own true details; never copy a result you did not achieve.

Not a real job posting. This template is TryHired's illustration built from government occupational data. It is not an opening at any employer, and no employer wrote it.

For Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic, the median annual wage was $46,330 in May 2025. The median hourly wage was $22.27. BLS estimates about 171,200 jobs in this occupation in the U.S.

BLS projects employment of Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic to decline 10.5% from 2025 to 2035, with about 13,200 openings a year over that period, including openings to replace workers who leave.

• Read a real press brake operator posting next to the core duties above. Duties it repeats, such as “Measure completed workpieces to verify conformance to specifications…”, tell you what that employer weighs most; anything it adds is specific to that team.
• Tailor your resume to the posting, not to this page: describe only press brake operator work you have actually done, with your own results.
• Prepare a story for each of the top-rated skills (operations monitoring and operation and control): a real situation, what you did and what changed.