Your work. Your records.
Extrusion Operator Workplace Records Guide
Extruding and drawing work links dies, material and machine conditions across a continuous run. When defects or output become an employment concern, identify the setup you received and the changes you were authorized to make during your part of the shift.
Call now(800) 800-5555Free initial case evaluation. Representation depends on work state and case eligibility. This guide explains record preparation; it does not determine whether a legal claim exists.
A record map for your role
What to organize first
Run condition
Note whether you inherited a stable run, a startup or a known unresolved problem.
Change authority
Record who approved a die, material or control change without retaining protected settings.
Quality response
Identify when a defect was reported and the instruction to adjust, inspect or stop the run.
Start with the work you actually do
Set up, operate, or tend machines to extrude or draw thermoplastic or metal materials into tubes, rods, hoses, wire, bars, or structural shapes.
O*NET classifies this occupation as Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic (51-4021.00). Its description covers a typical occupation, not every workplace or individual job. It does not establish employee status, overtime eligibility or employer misconduct.
- Measure and examine extruded products to locate defects and to check for conformance to specifications, adjusting controls as necessary to alter products.Source task 8473 · updated 08/2026
- Start machines and set controls to regulate vacuum, air pressure, sizing rings, and temperature, and to synchronize speed of extrusion.Source task 8477 · updated 08/2026
- Determine setup procedures and select machine dies and parts, according to specifications.Source task 8474 · updated 08/2026
- Troubleshoot, maintain, and make minor repairs to equipment.Source task 8480 · updated 08/2026
A reference point for your pay records
May 2025 wage estimates by state
Compare your pay records with published BLS estimates for Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic (SOC 51-4021). These describe an occupation across employers. They are not a required pay rate, an overtime calculation, or evidence of discrimination or unpaid wages.
Select your work state to see its published pay range. No personal pay information is requested or sent.
The 25th and 75th percentiles mark the middle half of the estimated wage distribution; the median is its midpoint. Actual pay can differ with experience, employer, location and duties. Hourly and annual figures are shown as published, without converting one into the other.
All published state estimates for this occupation
| State | Hourly 25th | Hourly median | Hourly 75th | Annual median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $17.80 | $22.93 | $24.91 | $47,690 |
| Arizona | $18.66 | $21.64 | $22.97 | $45,000 |
| Arkansas | $22.75 | $24.11 | $27.77 | $50,150 |
| Connecticut | $22.42 | $24.15 | $27.42 | $50,230 |
| Delaware | $21.94 | $22.18 | $27.80 | $46,140 |
| Florida | $17.48 | $19.10 | $22.81 | $39,730 |
| Georgia | $21.03 | $23.27 | $29.69 | $48,410 |
| Idaho | $16.45 | $16.68 | $22.01 | $34,700 |
| Indiana | $20.33 | $23.76 | $27.39 | $49,420 |
| Iowa | $19.00 | $22.71 | $26.92 | $47,240 |
| Kansas | $18.13 | $22.25 | $24.22 | $46,270 |
| Kentucky | $22.10 | $24.04 | $27.00 | $50,000 |
| Louisiana | $21.36 | $23.04 | $37.36 | $47,930 |
| Maine | $21.46 | $22.38 | $30.47 | $46,550 |
| Michigan | $18.08 | $21.70 | $24.48 | $45,140 |
| Minnesota | $22.55 | $24.92 | $29.03 | $51,830 |
| Mississippi | $17.71 | $21.26 | $24.59 | $44,220 |
| Missouri | $18.57 | $22.14 | $24.93 | $46,050 |
| Nebraska | $22.91 | $25.17 | $28.11 | $52,360 |
| New Hampshire | $23.99 | $24.14 | $32.70 | $50,210 |
| New Mexico | $21.68 | $21.96 | $24.20 | $45,670 |
| New York | $22.12 | $23.52 | $26.90 | $48,930 |
| North Carolina | $21.38 | $25.64 | $27.33 | $53,330 |
| Ohio | $18.66 | $22.28 | $25.34 | $46,340 |
| Oklahoma | $17.65 | $18.66 | $22.11 | $38,820 |
| Pennsylvania | $21.95 | $24.59 | $29.03 | $51,150 |
| Rhode Island | $24.04 | $29.50 | $32.19 | $61,350 |
| South Dakota | $22.70 | $23.86 | $24.96 | $49,620 |
| Tennessee | $19.04 | $22.86 | $25.49 | $47,550 |
| Texas | $19.60 | $22.06 | $24.06 | $45,890 |
| Utah | $20.97 | $23.56 | $26.98 | $49,000 |
| Vermont | $21.30 | $28.47 | $33.44 | $59,220 |
| Virginia | $19.49 | $21.74 | $25.27 | $45,220 |
| West Virginia | $17.88 | $21.40 | $22.80 | $44,510 |
| Wisconsin | $20.63 | $24.15 | $31.14 | $50,230 |
| Wyoming | $18.26 | $22.09 | $23.85 | $45,950 |
“Not published” preserves unavailable or suppressed source cells. “Above reporting limit” preserves a top-coded source value without inventing a number. A missing state estimate does not establish service eligibility. The data describe wage and salary employment; they do not measure self-employment income.
Source: BLS May 2025 state workbook · OEWS tables · BLS technical notes. Use your own schedule, pay statement and compensation terms to identify the question you want reviewed.
Describe the setup handover
Record the product type, die assignment and whether the machine was starting up or already running. Note missing parts or material changes you reported. Keep startup adjustment periods distinct from normal production when explaining the work sequence.
Trace inspection and adjustment
Describe the dimensional or surface issue you observed and when it was reviewed. Record who directed a control adjustment or maintenance handoff. Separate a defect seen in the finished product from an unconfirmed theory about its cause.
Protect process specifications
Do not export die drawings, formulations, machine recipes or customer specifications. Use your own schedule and permitted assignment messages. Identify where the official setup, quality and maintenance records are maintained for authorized review.
Choose your next step
Review the workplace retaliation guide, unpaid wages guide, or discrimination guide if those concerns fit your experience. A job title alone does not establish a claim.
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