How To Become A Wood Lathe Operator: What It Is and Career Path

What is a wood lathe operator and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

2 min read

There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a wood lathe operator. For example, did you know that they make an average of $15.96 an hour? That's $33,203 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 3% and produce 8,200 job opportunities across the U.S.

ScoreWood Lathe OperatorUS Average

Salary

2.6

Avg. Salary $33,203

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level

5.0

Growth Rate 3%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity

7.5

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.79%

Asian 1.05%

Black or African American 8.14%

Hispanic or Latino 13.39%

Unknown 4.72%

White 71.92%

Gender

female 9.52%

male 90.48%

Age - 45

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 45

Stress Level

5.0

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity Level

7.5

Complexity Level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance

5.1

Work Life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a wood lathe operator

Explore wood lathe operator education requirements

Most common wood lathe operator degrees

High School Diploma

46.2 %

Associate

23.1 %

Bachelor's

15.4 %

Start to develop specific wood lathe operator skills

Skills	Percentages
Hand Tools	63.36%
Machine Operation	31.88%
Computer Numerical Control	4.76%

Complete relevant wood lathe operator training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New wood lathe operators learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a wood lathe operator based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real wood lathe operator resumes.

Research wood lathe operator duties and responsibilities

Operate a hydraulic power barrel system to galvanize plate metal fasteners such as bolts, washers, nuts, etc.
Operate battery of circular saws to cut plastic blocks containing ceramic-coat aluminum rods to length for processing into electronic resistors.
Operate heavy duty lathes, boring machines and mills, planers, shapers and grinders.

Prepare your wood lathe operator resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your wood lathe operator resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a wood lathe operator resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose From 10+ Customizable Wood Lathe Operator Resume templates

Build a professional Wood Lathe Operator resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Wood Lathe Operator resume.

Apply for wood lathe operator jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a wood lathe operator job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

How do wood lathe operators rate their job?