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Metal working machine operative

Metal working machine operatives operate machines to cut, shape, abrade and otherwise machine metal, use hand and power tools to remove surplus metal and rough surfaces from castings, forgings or other metal parts, and clean, smooth and polish metal workpieces.

Tasks

  • Selects and secures polishing head to machine tool, prepares head with emery, grease or other substance, sets speed and angle of polishing head, and operates controls to feed polishing head to workpiece or vice versa.
  • Smoothes rough surfaces with hand tools, abrasive belts and wheels, compressed air, jets of vapour, or blasting with shot, grit, sand or other abrasive material.
  • Operates burning, chipping and grinding equipment to remove defects from metal parts, and files, chisels, burns and saws off surplus metal.
  • Withdraws workpiece and examines accuracy using measuring instruments.
  • Sets controls, starts machine and operates controls to feed tool to workpiece or vice versa and repositions workpiece during machining as required.
  • Secures workpiece in drilling, boring, milling, planing, grinding, lapping, honing, electrochemical, or other shaping machines, or loads metal stock on to press.

Typical Education Level

Level 2 NVQ; GCSE at grades A*-C

Will retirement created job openings

In the UK, 21% in this profession are aged 55 or above.* They will likely retire in the next 10 years, creating a demand for new workers

*This is based on national data

£16,068

Average annual earnings

The current average wage for metal working machine operative is £16,068

1,393 positions

Current Employment

The number of jobs in the career for the current year is 1,393. Job counts include both employed and self-employed persons, and do not distinguish between full- and part-time jobs.

jobs

Job Postings

Over the past year, jobs have been posted for metal working machine operative roles.

How well does it pay?

Normal pay for this occupation is £16,068 per year. That is about £1,339 per month or £8.24 per hour. New workers generally start on £16,716, while highly experienced workers can earn as much as £38,762

Is it growing or declining?

This career has remained the same over the last 2 years, and is expected to remain the same over the next 4 years. Currently, 1,393 people are employed in the region.

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