Spark erosion machine operator
Also known as: electrical discharge machine operative, electrical discharge machine setter, electrical discharge machine set up technician, electrical sealing machine operator, electrical discharge machine eroder, electrical discharge machine set up operator
About this occupation
Spark erosion machine operators set up and tend spark erosion machines designed to cut excess material from a metal workpiece by the use of electrical discharges, or sparks, caused by electric voltage and separated by a dielectric liquid, which removes pieces of metal from the electrodes These applications can involve transmission and optical microscopy.
Essential skills and knowledge
- consult technical resources
- dispose of cutting waste material
- supply machine
- troubleshoot
- operate precision measuring equipment
- quality standards
- set up the controller of a machine
- remove processed workpiece
- tend spark erosion machine
- types of metal
- metal eroding technology
- remove inadequate workpieces
Typical tasks and preparation
From the related US occupation profile Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders (O*NET 51-4122.00). Linked by an official crosswalk: related, not identical; details vary by country.
- Read blueprints, work orders, or production schedules to determine product or job instructions or specifications.
- Inspect, measure, or test completed metal workpieces to ensure conformance to specifications, using measuring and testing devices.
- Record operational information on specified production reports.
- Correct problems by adjusting controls or by stopping machines and opening holding devices.
- Set up, operate, or tend welding machines that join or bond components to fabricate metal products or assemblies.
- Select torch tips, alloys, flux, coil, tubing, or wire, according to metal types or thicknesses, data charts, or records.
- Typical education (US)
- Post-Secondary Certificate
- Preparation
- Job Zone 2 of 5
- Interests
- Realistic, Conventional, Investigative
Top skills: Operations Monitoring, Operation and Control, Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, Speaking, Critical Thinking
US median pay: US$47,920 a year (2025), 31,600 employed. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Subjects this work relies on
How important each subject's knowledge is in the job itself, rated by people doing it (1 to 5).
- Business Studies or EntrepreneurshipO*NET: Administration and ManagementVery important (3.5)
- Technical DrawingO*NET: DesignImportant (3.1)
O*NET data describe work in the United States; requirements differ by country. This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. CareerProof Global has modified all or some of this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.
Preparation needed
Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed
- Most common education (US)
- Post-Secondary Certificate
- Education
- Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
- Experience
- Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience. For example, landscaping and groundskeeping workers might require very little training or previous experience, while agricultural equipment operators can benefit from on-the job training.
- Training
- Ranges from a few days to one year of on-the-job training.
O*NET data describe work in the United States; requirements differ by country. This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. CareerProof Global has modified all or some of this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.
Related occupations
Occupations O*NET links to this one by similar work, skills and knowledge.
- Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers
- Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
- Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters
- Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
- Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers
- Electrical and Electronic Equipment Assemblers
- Industrial Machinery Mechanics
- Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
- Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
- Tool Grinders, Filers, and Sharpeners
O*NET data describe work in the United States; requirements differ by country. This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. CareerProof Global has modified all or some of this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.