Manual Machinist

Alternative Job Titles for Machinists

• CNC Machinist (Computer Numeric Controlled Machinist)
• CNC Machinist (Computer Numerically Controlled Machinist)
• Gear Machinist
• Machine Repair Person
• Machinist
• Maintenance Machinist
• Manual Lathe Machinist
• Production Machinist
• Tool Room Machinist

Job Tasks and Activities for Machinists

• Advise clients about the materials being used for finished products.
• Advise others on ways to improve processes or products.
• Align and secure holding fixtures, cutting tools, attachments, accessories, or materials onto machines.
• Assemble electromechanical or hydraulic systems.
• Assemble machine tools, parts, or fixtures.
• Calculate dimensions of workpieces, products, or equipment.
• Calculate dimensions or tolerances, using instruments, such as micrometers or vernier calipers.
• Check work pieces to ensure that they are properly lubricated or cooled.
• Conduct test runs of production equipment.
• Confer with engineering, supervisory, or manufacturing personnel to exchange technical information.
• Confer with numerical control programmers to check and ensure that new programs or machinery will function properly and that output will meet specifications.
• Create diagrams or blueprints for workpieces or products.
• Design fixtures, tooling, or experimental parts to meet special engineering needs.
• Design tools, fixtures, or other devices for production equipment.
• Determine metal or plastic production methods.
• Diagnose equipment malfunctions.
• Diagnose machine tool malfunctions to determine need for adjustments or repairs.
• Disassemble equipment for maintenance or repair.
• Dismantle machines or equipment, using hand tools or power tools to examine parts for defects and replace defective parts where needed.
• Dispose of scrap or waste material in accordance with company policies and environmental regulations.
• Dispose of trash or waste materials.
• Draw guide lines or markings on materials or workpieces using patterns or other references.
• Establish work procedures for fabricating new structural products, using a variety of metalworking machines.
• Evaluate machining procedures and recommend changes or modifications for improved efficiency or adaptability.
• Exchange information with colleagues.
• Fit and assemble parts to make or repair machine tools.
• Install experimental parts or assemblies, such as hydraulic systems, electrical wiring, lubricants, or batteries into machines or mechanisms.
• Install mechanical components in production equipment.
• Install repaired parts into equipment or install new equipment.
• Lay out, measure, and mark metal stock to display placement of cuts.
• Machine parts to specifications, using machine tools, such as lathes, milling machines, shapers, or grinders.
• Maintain machine tools in proper operational condition.
• Maintain production or processing equipment.
• Measure dimensions of completed products or workpieces to verify conformance to specifications.
• Measure materials to mark reference points, cutting lines, or other indicators.
• Measure, examine, or test completed units to check for defects and ensure conformance to specifications, using precision instruments, such as micrometers.
• Monitor equipment operation to ensure proper functioning.
• Monitor lubrication of equipment or workpieces.
• Monitor the feed and speed of machines during the machining process.
• Mount attachments or tools onto production equipment.
• Operate cutting equipment.
• Operate equipment to verify operational efficiency.
• Operate grinding equipment.
• Operate metal or plastic forming equipment.
• Operate welding equipment.
• Plan production or operational procedures or sequences.
• Prepare fabrics or materials for processing or production.
• Prepare working sketches for the illustration of product appearance.
• Program computers or electronic instruments, such as numerically controlled machine tools.
• Program equipment to perform production tasks.
• Replace worn equipment components.
• Review blueprints or other instructions to determine operational methods or sequences.
• Separate scrap waste and related materials for reuse, recycling, or disposal.
• Set up or operate metalworking, brazing, heat-treating, welding, or cutting equipment.
• Set up, adjust, or operate basic or specialized machine tools used to perform precision machining operations.
• Sort recyclable materials.
• Study sample parts, blueprints, drawings, or engineering information to determine methods or sequences of operations needed to fabricate products.
• Support metalworking projects from planning and fabrication through assembly, inspection, and testing, using knowledge of machine functions, metal properties, and mathematics.
• Test experimental models under simulated operating conditions, for purposes such as development, standardization, or feasibility of design.
• Test materials, solutions, or samples.

Interests for Machinists

• Realistic
  Designing, building, or repairing equipment, materials, or structures, engaging in physical activity, or working outdoors.
• Conventional
  Following procedures and regulations to organize information or data, typically in a business setting.
• Investigative
  Studying and researching scientific subjects and human behavior.

Skills for Machinists

In order of importance

• Operation and Control
  Using equipment or systems.
  Importance: 56/100
• Operations Monitoring
  Watching gauges, dials, or display screens to make sure a machine is working.
  Importance: 53/100
• Critical Thinking
  Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
  Importance: 53/100
• Monitoring
  Keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements.
  Importance: 53/100
• Quality Control Analysis
  Testing how well a product or service works.
  Importance: 50/100
• Speaking
  Talking to others.
  Importance: 50/100
• Coordination
  Changing what is done based on other people's actions.
  Importance: 50/100
• Complex Problem Solving
  Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
  Importance: 50/100
• Active Listening
  Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
  Importance: 50/100
• Troubleshooting
  Figuring out what is causing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs to not work.
  Importance: 50/100
• Mathematics
  Using math to solve problems.
  Importance: 47/100
• Reading Comprehension
  Reading work-related information.
  Importance: 47/100
• Equipment Maintenance
  Planning and doing the basic maintenance on equipment.
  Importance: 47/100
• Time Management
  Managing your time and the time of other people.
  Importance: 47/100
• Repairing
  Repairing machines or systems using the right tools.
  Importance: 47/100
• Social Perceptiveness
  Understanding people's reactions.
  Importance: 47/100
• Judgment and Decision Making
  Thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one.
  Importance: 44/100
• Active Learning
  Figuring out how to use new ideas or things.
  Importance: 44/100
• Equipment Selection
  Deciding what kind of tools and equipment are needed to do a job.
  Importance: 41/100
• Installation
  Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs.
  Importance: 38/100
• Systems Analysis
  Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in the future will affect it.
  Importance: 38/100
• Writing
  Writing things for co-workers or customers.
  Importance: 38/100
• Systems Evaluation
  Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.
  Importance: 38/100
• Instructing
  Teaching people how to do something.
  Importance: 38/100
• Negotiation
  Bringing people together to solve differences.
  Importance: 35/100
• Service Orientation
  Looking for ways to help people.
  Importance: 31/100
• Persuasion
  Talking people into changing their minds or their behavior.
  Importance: 31/100
• Learning Strategies
  Using the best training or teaching strategies for learning new things.
  Importance: 28/100
• Management of Personnel Resources
  Selecting and managing the best workers for a job.
  Importance: 25/100
• Operations Analysis
  Figuring out what a product or service needs to be able to do.
  Importance: 25/100
• Technology Design
  Making equipment and technology useful for customers.
  Importance: 22/100
• Management of Material Resources
  Managing equipment and materials.
  Importance: 19/100
• Programming
  Writing computer programs.
  Importance: 19/100
• Management of Financial Resources
  Making spending decisions and keeping track of what is spent.
  Importance: 16/100
• Science
  Using scientific rules and strategies to solve problems.
  Importance: 13/100

Knowledge for Machinists

In order of importance

• Mathematics
  Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
  Importance: 62/100
• Mechanical
  Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
  Importance: 58/100
• Production and Processing
  Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
  Importance: 57/100
• Design
  Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
  Importance: 50/100
• English Language
  Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
  Importance: 43/100
• Engineering and Technology
  Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
  Importance: 43/100
• Customer and Personal Service
  Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
  Importance: 35/100
• Computers and Electronics
  Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
  Importance: 34/100
• Education and Training
  Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
  Importance: 31/100
• Physics
  Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub-atomic structures and processes.
  Importance: 30/100
• Administration and Management
  Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
  Importance: 28/100
• Administrative
  Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.
  Importance: 26/100
• Building and Construction
  Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.
  Importance: 21/100
• Personnel and Human Resources
  Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.
  Importance: 20/100
• Transportation
  Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.
  Importance: 17/100
• Chemistry
  Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.
  Importance: 16/100
• Public Safety and Security
  Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
  Importance: 16/100
• Economics and Accounting
  Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data.
  Importance: 12/100
• Telecommunications
  Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
  Importance: 11/100
• Communications and Media
  Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.
  Importance: 9/100
• Sales and Marketing
  Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
  Importance: 9/100
• Biology
  Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
  Importance: 8/100
• Psychology
  Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
  Importance: 8/100
• Foreign Language
  Knowledge of the structure and content of a foreign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.
  Importance: 8/100
• Sociology and Anthropology
  Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins.
  Importance: 7/100
• Law and Government
  Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
  Importance: 7/100
• Medicine and Dentistry
  Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
  Importance: 6/100
• Fine Arts
  Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.
  Importance: 6/100
• Philosophy and Theology
  Knowledge of different philosophical systems and religions. This includes their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and their impact on human culture.
  Importance: 6/100
• Therapy and Counseling
  Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.
  Importance: 1/100
• Geography
  Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.
  Importance: 1/100
• History and Archeology
  Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.
  Importance: 1/100

Physical Abilities for Machinists

In order of importance

• Arm-Hand Steadiness
  Keeping your arm or hand steady.
  Importance: 66/100
• Finger Dexterity
  Putting together small parts with your fingers.
  Importance: 66/100
• Manual Dexterity
  Holding or moving items with your hands.
  Importance: 66/100
• Control Precision
  Quickly changing the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.
  Importance: 63/100
• Problem Sensitivity
  Noticing when problems happen.
  Importance: 56/100
• Selective Attention
  Paying attention to something without being distracted.
  Importance: 56/100
• Near Vision
  Seeing details up close.
  Importance: 56/100
• Deductive Reasoning
  Using rules to solve problems.
  Importance: 56/100
• Information Ordering
  Ordering or arranging things.
  Importance: 53/100
• Rate Control
  Changing when and how fast you move based on how something else is moving.
  Importance: 53/100
• Multilimb Coordination
  Using your arms and/or legs together while sitting, standing, or lying down.
  Importance: 53/100
• Oral Comprehension
  Listening and understanding what people say.
  Importance: 53/100
• Visualization
  Imagining how something will look after it is moved around or changed.
  Importance: 53/100
• Category Flexibility
  Grouping things in different ways.
  Importance: 50/100
• Written Comprehension
  Reading and understanding what is written.
  Importance: 50/100
• Inductive Reasoning
  Making general rules or coming up with answers from lots of detailed information.
  Importance: 50/100
• Speech Recognition
  Recognizing spoken words.
  Importance: 50/100
• Reaction Time
  Quickly moving your hand, finger, or foot based on a sound, light, picture or other command.
  Importance: 50/100
• Flexibility of Closure
  Seeing hidden patterns.
  Importance: 50/100
• Perceptual Speed
  Quickly comparing groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.
  Importance: 50/100
• Oral Expression
  Communicating by speaking.
  Importance: 50/100
• Speech Clarity
  Speaking clearly.
  Importance: 50/100
• Far Vision
  Seeing details that are far away.
  Importance: 47/100
• Mathematical Reasoning
  Choosing the right type of math to solve a problem.
  Importance: 47/100
• Extent Flexibility
  Bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching with your body, arms, and/or legs.
  Importance: 44/100
• Number Facility
  Adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing.
  Importance: 44/100
• Wrist-Finger Speed
  Making fast, simple, repeated movements of your fingers, hands, and wrists.
  Importance: 44/100
• Trunk Strength
  Using your lower back and stomach.
  Importance: 44/100
• Auditory Attention
  Paying attention to one sound while there are other distracting sounds.
  Importance: 44/100
• Written Expression
  Communicating by writing.
  Importance: 44/100
• Time Sharing
  Doing two or more things at the same time.
  Importance: 41/100
• Response Orientation
  Quickly deciding if you should move your hand, foot, or other body part.
  Importance: 41/100
• Originality
  Creating new and original ideas.
  Importance: 41/100
• Hearing Sensitivity
  Telling the difference between sounds.
  Importance: 41/100
• Fluency of Ideas
  Coming up with lots of ideas.
  Importance: 41/100
• Depth Perception
  Deciding which thing is closer or farther away from you, or deciding how far away it is from you.
  Importance: 41/100
• Static Strength
  Lifting, pushing, pulling, or carrying.
  Importance: 38/100
• Speed of Closure
  Quickly knowing what you are looking at.
  Importance: 35/100
• Visual Color Discrimination
  Noticing the difference between colors, including shades and brightness.
  Importance: 35/100
• Stamina
  Exercising for a long time without getting out of breath.
  Importance: 31/100
• Memorization
  Remembering words, numbers, pictures, or steps.
  Importance: 31/100
• Dynamic Strength
  Exercising for a long time without your muscles getting tired.
  Importance: 31/100
• Gross Body Coordination
  Moving your arms, legs, and mid-section together while your whole body is moving.
  Importance: 28/100
• Speed of Limb Movement
  Quickly moving your arms and legs.
  Importance: 25/100
• Spatial Orientation
  Knowing where things are around you.
  Importance: 25/100
• Gross Body Equilibrium
  Keeping your balance or staying upright.
  Importance: 25/100
• Explosive Strength
  Jumping, sprinting, or throwing something.
  Importance: 22/100
• Sound Localization
  Noticing the direction that a sound came from.
  Importance: 22/100
• Peripheral Vision
  Seeing something to your side when your are looking ahead.
  Importance: 19/100
• Glare Sensitivity
  Seeing something even if there is a glare or very bright light.
  Importance: 16/100
• Dynamic Flexibility
  Quickly and repeatedly bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching out with your body, arms, and/or legs.
  Importance: 16/100
• Night Vision
  Seeing at night or under low light.
  Importance: 13/100

Tools and Technology used by Machinists

• Adjustable angle plate
• Adjustable wrenches
• Angle cutter
• Anvils
• Arbors
• Ball peen hammer
• Bench dog
• Bench vises
• Binocular light compound microscopes
• Blow torch
• Boring machines
• Calipers
• Casting machines
• Center gauge
• Chamfering machine
• Chucks
• Cold chisels
• Column and knee milling machine
• Combination pliers
• Combination wrenches
• Coordinate measuring machines CMM
• Cylinder gauge
• Deburring tool
• Desktop computers
• Dial indicator or dial gauge
• Double ended stud
• Drill press or radial drill
• Drilling machines
• End cut pliers
• Facial shields
• Feeler gauges
• Flat hand file
• Forklifts
• Gage block set
• Gas welding or brazing or cutting apparatus
• Grinders
• Grinding machines
• Hacksaw
• Half round file
• Hammers
• Hand clamps
• Hand reamer
• Height gauges
• Hex keys
• Honing machine
• Horizontal machining center
• Horizontal turning center
• Hydraulic press frames
• Induction heating machine
• Ladders
• Laser printers
• Levels
• Locking pliers
• Machine end mill
• Magnetic tools
• Manual press brake
• Metal band sawing machine
• Metal broaching machines
• Metal cutters
• Metal inert gas welding machine
• Micrometers
• Mill saw file
• Milling machines
• Multi-tasking or universal machining center
• Needlenose pliers
• Personal computers
• Personal digital assistant PDAs or organizers
• Pipe wrenches
• Pitch measuring instruments
• Planing machines
• Plasma arc welding machine
• Platform lift
• Pneumatic sanding machines
• Power buffers
• Power chippers
• Power drills
• Power grinders
• Power planes
• Power sanders
• Power saws
• Protractors
• Pry bars
• Punches or nail sets or drifts
• Putty knives
• Radius gauge
• Ratchets
• Rubber mallet
• Rulers
• Safety glasses
• Saws
• Screwdrivers
• Scribers
• Shaper cutter
• Sharpening stones or tools or kits
• Shears
• Shielded metal arc welding or stick welding machine
• Sine bar
• Sledge hammer
• Slings
• Socket sets
• Spot welding machine
• Squares
• Surface gauge
• Surface grinding machine
• Swaging tools
• Taps
• Telescoping gauge
• Thermal spray machine
• Thread counters or gauges
• Threading die hand tool
• Threading machine
• Tongs
• Tracer or duplicating or contouring lathe
• Traveling column milling machine
• Tube bending machine
• Tungsten inert gas welding machine
• Turret lathe
• Utility knives
• Vertical machining center
• Wave soldering machine
• Wedges
• Welder torch
• Welding masks
• Workshop cranes
• Analytical or scientific software
  • Armchair Machinist software
  • CNC Consulting Machinists' Calculator
  • Kentech Kipware Trig Kalculator
• Computer aided design CAD software
  • 3D Printing software
  • Autodesk AutoCAD
  • Computer aided design CAD software
  • Dassault Systemes CATIA
  • Kentech Kipware Studio
  • OnShape
  • PTC Creo Parametric
  • Siemens NX
  • SolidCAM CAM software
• Computer aided manufacturing CAM software
  • Autodesk Fusion 360
  • Autodesk HSMWorks
  • CNC Mastercam
  • Computer aided manufacturing CAM software
  • Dassault Systemes SolidWorks
  • GRZ Software MeshCAM
  • IMSI TurboCAD
  • JETCAM
  • Mastercam computer-aided design and manufacturing software
  • OneCNC CAD/CAM
  • Vero Software SURFCAM
• Electronic mail software
  • Microsoft Outlook
• Enterprise resource planning ERP software
  • ERP software
  • JobBOSS
  • SAP software
• Industrial control software
  • EditCNC
  • Mazak Mazatrol SMART CNC
• Object or component oriented development software
  • G-code
• Office suite software
  • Microsoft Office software
• Presentation software
  • Microsoft PowerPoint
• Procedure management software
  • Hexagon Metrology PC-DMIS
• Spreadsheet software
  • Microsoft Excel
• Word processing software
  • Microsoft Word

Employment Industries for Machinists

• Machine shops
  64,600 employed
• Machinery manufacturing (3331,2,4,9)
  27,900 employed
• Metalworking machinery manufacturing
  20,600 employed
• Fabricated metal product manufacturing (3321,2,5,6,9)
  19,000 employed
• Aerospace product and parts manufacturing
  15,700 employed
• Motor vehicle parts manufacturing
  13,200 employed
• Turned product and screw, nut, and bolt manufacturing
  10,600 employed
• Temporary help services
  8,900 employed
• Fabricated metal product manufacturing (3323,4)
  8,400 employed
• Engine, turbine, and power transmission equipment manufacturing
  7,400 employed