Graders and sorters, agricultural products
SOC Code: 45-2041
Graders and sorters, agricultural products carries a 37% AI exposure score (Medium automation risk), with a median annual wage of $35,430 and -5.4% projected employment growth from 2024 to 2034 (BLS), affecting approximately 38,900 workers. Full task breakdown, skills, and employer data are below.
Proportion of tasks susceptible to AI automation (O*NET analysis)
At 37% AI exposure, Graders and sorters, agricultural products sits 0 points above the 37.2% average across 832 U.S. occupations - more exposed than 59% of them. Most of its core tasks still require human judgment.
Career outlook score
19/100
Graders and sorters, agricultural products, weighted across 3 of 3 tracked dimensions
A weighted composite of median wage, projected growth, and AI-automation security (inverted exposure), each benchmarked against every other tracked occupation. It describes this occupation's standing across those three dimensions, not a guarantee of future outcomes.
- Median wage F $35,430
Annual median wage, percentile rank vs all tracked occupations
- Projected growth F -5.4%
Projected employment change, 2024-2034, BLS Employment Projections
- AI exposure (inverted) D 37% exposure
Lower O*NET task-automability scores lower risk; this dimension scores security, not exposure
Home health and personal care aides is #1 of 832 occupations by employment (4.3M, AI exposure rank #392 at 35%) vs. Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks #1 by AI task exposure (95%, employment rank #17 at 1.6M).
Automation-risk inventory
Exclusive cut of 832 occupations by PlainWorkforce automation-risk band. Orthogonal to the continuous AI-exposure distribution chart below and to this occupation's single risk badge, this is the corpus band mix, with Graders and sorters, agricultural products in the Medium band.
Credential × growth standing
Open entry on a declining BLS line
Typical entry is No credential (109/832) while growth is Declining (111/832). This is the crowded high-risk corner of the map - automation and headcount pressure compound without a degree moat.
Where Graders and sorters, agricultural products sits among all occupations
AI-exposure score distribution across 832 U.S. occupations (O*NET task analysis). This occupation is marked in rose.
Where Graders and sorters, agricultural products sits by AI exposure
AI-exposure score distribution across U.S. occupations (O*NET task analysis)
37% Around the middle lower than 41% of 832 occupations
Occupations, banded by AI-exposure score
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more occupations. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count and share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source O*NET task data (U.S. Department of Labor) · BLS 2024–2034
Source: O*NET task data (U.S. Department of Labor); AI-exposure scores are PlainWorkforce's analysis. As of BLS 2024–2034.
Graders and sorters, agricultural products vs. its occupational neighbors
AI exposure (horizontal) vs projected 2024–2034 growth (vertical) for occupations in the same SOC group. Graders and sorters, agricultural products is marked in rose; the top-left corner is the most future-proof.
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034 (growth) and O*NET (AI-exposure analysis by PlainWorkforce).
Employment Projections
Where This Score Comes From
Graders and sorters, agricultural products's Medium automation-risk tier is computed from O*NET Database 30.0 task-level analysis, where each documented task the occupation performs is evaluated against current generative AI, robotic process automation, and machine-learning capabilities. A score below 40% reflects tasks anchored in physical dexterity, unstructured environments, or high-touch human interaction that current AI cannot reliably replicate.
The employment, wage, and education figures above come from a second, separate federal source: BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034, matched to the O*NET task data by Standard Occupational Classification (SOC 45-2041) code, with the wage figure cross-validated against the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024 survey. BLS figures are presented exactly as published, with no adjustment on our part; the SOC-code match is what lets Graders and sorters, agricultural products be compared directly against every other tracked occupation on the same basis, not just roles that happen to share a job title.
For career planners, this profile should be read alongside the task, skill, and knowledge breakdowns below and the list of employers whose workforce composition includes Graders and sorters, agricultural products. Adjacent occupations shown further down offer lateral moves that preserve industry knowledge while potentially reducing exposure.
Education & Entry Requirements
Top Tasks (O*NET)
- 1. Place products in containers according to grade and mark grades on containers.
- 2. Weigh products or estimate their weight, visually or by feel.
- 3. Discard inferior or defective products or foreign matter, and place acceptable products in containers for further processing.
- 4. Grade and sort products according to factors such as color, species, length, width, appearance, feel, smell, and quality to ensure correct processing and usage.
- 5. Record grade or identification numbers on tags or on shipping, receiving, or sales sheets.
Key Skills Required
- Monitoring
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Critical Thinking
- Coordination
- Reading Comprehension
- Writing
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Time Management
- Active Learning
Knowledge Areas
- Production and Processing
- English Language
- Mechanical
- Food Production
- Education and Training
- Foreign Language
- Public Safety and Security
- Administration and Management
- Customer and Personal Service
- Mathematics
Frequently Asked Questions
Will AI replace Graders and sorters, agricultural products?
Graders and sorters, agricultural products has an AI exposure score of 37%, indicating a medium level of automation risk. The majority of tasks in this role require human judgment, creativity, or physical presence that AI cannot easily replicate.
What is the job outlook for Graders and sorters, agricultural products?
According to BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034, Graders and sorters, agricultural products is projected to decline by 5.4% over the decade. Current employment stands at approximately 38,900 workers.
What skills are needed for Graders and sorters, agricultural products?
Key skills for Graders and sorters, agricultural products include Monitoring, Active Listening, Speaking, and others. Typical entry-level education is No formal educational credential.
How much do Graders and sorters, agricultural products earn?
The median annual wage for Graders and sorters, agricultural products is $35,430, according to BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2024). Actual earnings vary by location, experience, industry, and employer. The BLS publishes detailed wage percentiles by region in its Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program.
What education is required for Graders and sorters, agricultural products?
The typical entry-level education for Graders and sorters, agricultural products is No formal educational credential. Employers generally expect None of related work experience. On-the-job training typically involves Short-term on-the-job training. Requirements can vary by employer and specialization.
Which companies employ Graders and sorters, agricultural products?
Graders and sorters, agricultural products roles exist across many industries and employers. Workforce composition is estimated from BLS industry-occupation employment distributions matched to SEC-registered public companies.
AI Exposure Rating
Medium automation risk based on 5 analyzed tasks. Most tasks require human judgment and are resistant to automation.
Nationwide occupations with similar workforce profiles
Two data-derived peer sets for Graders and sorters, agricultural products: AI-exposure neighbors and BLS 2034 growth neighbors (distinct comparison neighborhoods, cross-occupation).
Similar AI exposure score
Nearest O*NET task-automability scores nationwide (37% here).
- Aircraft cargo handling supervisors · AI exposure 37%
- Bakers · AI exposure 37%
- Cleaning, washing, and metal pickling equipment operators and tenders · AI exposure 37%
- Construction and building inspectors · AI exposure 37%
Similar projected growth (2024–2034)
Nearest BLS employment change rates nationwide (-5.4% here).
- Packers and packagers, hand · growth -5.4%
- Broadcast announcers and radio disc jockeys · growth -5.5%
- Customer service representatives · growth -5.5%
- Jewelers and precious stone and metal workers · growth -5.5%
Peers are nearest-neighbor matches on published BLS + O*NET metrics among occupations with ≥10,000 workers in 2024; corpus ranks above sort the full tracked set.
Related Occupations
Showing 6 of 10 occupations with a comparable automation-risk profile.
What to do with this
Use Graders and sorters, agricultural products' numbers above to compare, not just read in isolation.
- Compare Graders and sorters, agricultural products side by side against another occupation on wage, growth, and AI exposure. Workforce comparison tool
- Understand how the AI exposure score above is actually calculated before treating it as a verdict. Reading AI exposure scores
- See the full ranked list of occupations with the lowest automation exposure nationwide. Safest occupations from AI
AI exposure scores estimate task automatability from O*NET data; they are not a certainty of job loss, and BLS growth projections are estimates, not guarantees.
Data sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections 2024–2034 and O*NET Database 30.0. Employment figures are rounded. Wage data from BLS Occupational Employment Statistics (OES).