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Overview
Drilling machine operators set up, program and control machines that drill holes with computer-controlled rotating cutting tools.
In job descriptions, look for blueprints, tooling instructions, CNC drilling, drill depth, rotation speed, machine maintenance, measurements, workpiece setup and quality checks.
Explore this occupation
Open in Job ExplorerWhat the work can involve
Drilling machine operator work centres on setup, tooling instructions, CNC controls and accurate holes in workpieces. The operator reads drawings, secures material, sets drill depth and rotation speed, monitors cutting and maintains the machine.
Skills and specializations
Important skills include blueprint reading, CNC drilling setup, tool selection, measurement, feed and speed adjustment, and safe workpiece clamping. Specialization can develop around multi-spindle machines, drilling mills, reaming, broaching or inspection.
Salary context
Salary context depends on machine complexity, tolerance demands, material type, programming responsibility, maintenance tasks and production pace. A full setup role is different from a machine-tending role with limited adjustments.
Career paths
Experience may start with machine tending, metalworking support or basic CNC operation. Development can lead to full setup responsibility, programming adjustments, inspection duties, cell coordination or broader machine-tool operation.
Good to know
Check whether the operator mainly loads parts or also sets up and programs machines. Good adverts name drawing use, tooling changes, drill sizes, tolerances, measuring equipment and quality responsibility.
Editorial note
This guide is editorial career context. It is not official labour-market statistics or role-specific salary data.
Map overview
Click the map to search for drilling machine operator jobs.
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O*NET relationships
See occupations connected to this ESCO occupation in the official O*NET–ESCO mapping. The relationship type comes from the source and is not a ranking or recommendation.
O*NET relationships: 3
Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas
47-5023.00
Close relationship
The occupations are closely related, but the official mapping does not treat them as exact equivalents.
Open in O*NETRotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas
47-5012.00
Close relationship
The occupations are closely related, but the official mapping does not treat them as exact equivalents.
The official mapping connects this O*NET occupation to more than one exact ESCO occupation.
Drilling and Boring Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
51-4032.00
O*NET occupation is broader
The O*NET occupation covers a broader field of work than this ESCO occupation.
Open in O*NETSource and method
These relationships come from the official European Commission O*NET–ESCO crosswalk.
Relationship direction: O*NET occupation to ESCO occupation.
Several O*NET occupations can point to the same ESCO occupation, and one O*NET occupation can point to several ESCO occupations.
AltoTrail preserves the source relationship type. The order is technical and does not show which occupation is best, most relevant or recommended.
AltoTrail validates and presents the source relationships without adding ranking or recommendation semantics.
Alternative labels
CNC drilling machine operator
drill punch operative
gang drill operator
drilling machine inspector
drilling mill operator
multiple-spindle vertical drilling mill set-up operator
drilling and broaching technician
drilling machine worker
computer numerical controlled drilling machine operator
drill set-up operative
foot drill operative
horizontal drilling milling machine set-up operator
drill set-up operator
drill setup operator
drill setup operative
driller and broacher
adzing and drilling machine operator
vertical drilling mill operator
gang drill operative
foot drill operator
drilling machine tender
drill and reamer technician
drilling machine operative
driller and reamer
drill punch operator
computer controlled drilling machine operator
Occupation group
Metal working machine tool setters and operators (7223)
Source facts
| ESCO URI | http://data.europa.eu/esco/occupation/ebe42b55-4801-493f-af18-04a35ebfbb9c |
|---|---|
| ESCO code | 7223.5 |
| ISCO group | 7223 |
| Concept type | Occupation |