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Overview
Router operators set up and run routing machines that cut or hollow out hard materials such as wood, plastics, composites, aluminium, steel and foam.
In job descriptions, look for CNC or multi-spindle routers, blueprints, cutting locations, workpiece measurement, tool changes, production data, quality control, waste removal, machine monitoring and test runs.
Explore this occupation
Open in Job ExplorerWhat the work can involve
Router operators work at cutting machines where drawings, tools, materials and measurements must match. The work includes setup, test runs, monitoring, removing finished workpieces and checking dimensions.
Skills and specializations
Useful strengths include blueprint reading, choosing tools, operating CNC or multi-spindle routers, measuring parts, handling wood, plastic or metal, recording production data and removing cutting waste.
Salary context
Salary context depends on material type, machine complexity, CNC responsibility, tolerance level, production pace, tool setup, quality checks and whether the role covers several machines. This guide does not provide salary amounts.
Career paths
Career paths can move toward CNC setter, machining technician, production lead, quality control, tool preparation or specialist routing work with composites, wood or aluminium.
Good to know
Check whether vacancies mention CNC routers, multi-spindle machines, materials, drawing tolerances, tool changes, test runs, quality records or automated-machine monitoring.
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 router 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: 2
Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
51-4035.00
Close relationship
The occupations are closely related, but the official mapping does not treat them as exact equivalents.
Open in O*NETLathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
51-4034.00
Close relationship
The occupations are closely related, but the official mapping does not treat them as exact equivalents.
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
router setter
multi-spindle routing machine tender
router tender
cnc router operative
cnc router tender
cnc router setter
CNC router operator
multi-spindle routing machine setter
multi-spindle routing machine operative
multi-spindle routing machine operator
multi-spindle routing machinist
router operative
Occupation group
Metal working machine tool setters and operators (7223)
Source facts
| ESCO URI | http://data.europa.eu/esco/occupation/98164d70-93a8-409c-aa9f-7d56314f4d7f |
|---|---|
| ESCO code | 7223.17 |
| ISCO group | 7223 |
| Concept type | Occupation |