Helpers--production workers
SOC Code: 51-9198
Helpers--production workers carries a 29% AI exposure score (Medium automation risk), with a median annual wage of $38,220 and -8.9% projected employment growth from 2024 to 2034 (BLS), affecting approximately 168,500 workers. Full task breakdown, skills, and employer data are below.
Proportion of tasks susceptible to AI automation (O*NET analysis)
At 29% AI exposure, Helpers--production workers sits 8 points below the 37.2% average across 832 U.S. occupations - more exposed than 26% of them. Most of its core tasks still require human judgment.
Career outlook score
29/100
Helpers--production workers, 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 $38,220
Annual median wage, percentile rank vs all tracked occupations
- Projected growth F -8.9%
Projected employment change, 2024-2034, BLS Employment Projections
- AI exposure (inverted) B 29% 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 Helpers--production workers in the Medium band.
Credential × growth standing
Open entry on a declining BLS line
Typical entry is HS / some college (333/832) 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 Helpers--production workers sits among all occupations
AI-exposure score distribution across 832 U.S. occupations (O*NET task analysis). This occupation is marked in rose.
Where Helpers--production workers sits by AI exposure
AI-exposure score distribution across U.S. occupations (O*NET task analysis)
29% Lower than most lower than 74% 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.
Helpers--production workers vs. its occupational neighbors
AI exposure (horizontal) vs projected 2024–2034 growth (vertical) for occupations in the same SOC group. Helpers--production workers 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
Helpers--production workers'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 51-9198) 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 Helpers--production workers 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 Helpers--production workers. Adjacent occupations shown further down offer lateral moves that preserve industry knowledge while potentially reducing exposure.
Education & Entry Requirements
Top Tasks (O*NET)
- 1. Load and unload items from machines, conveyors, and conveyances.
- 2. Count finished products to determine if product orders are complete.
- 3. Operate machinery used in the production process, or assist machine operators.
- 4. Place products in equipment or on work surfaces for further processing, inspecting, or wrapping.
- 5. Examine products to verify conformance to quality standards.
- 6. Measure amounts of products, lengths of extruded articles, or weights of filled containers to ensure conformance to specifications.
- 7. Separate products according to weight, grade, size, or composition of materials used to produce them.
- 8. Turn valves to regulate flow of liquids or air, to reverse machines, to start pumps, or to regulate equipment.
- 9. Mark or tag identification on parts.
- 10. Start machines or equipment to begin production processes.
Key Skills Required
- Active Listening
- Monitoring
- Speaking
- Critical Thinking
- Operations Monitoring
- Reading Comprehension
- Social Perceptiveness
- Coordination
- Operation and Control
- Quality Control Analysis
Knowledge Areas
- Mechanical
- Production and Processing
- Mathematics
- English Language
- Public Safety and Security
- Education and Training
- Administration and Management
- Computers and Electronics
- Transportation
- Customer and Personal Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Will AI replace Helpers--production workers?
Helpers--production workers has an AI exposure score of 29%, 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 Helpers--production workers?
According to BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034, Helpers--production workers is projected to decline by 8.9% over the decade. Current employment stands at approximately 168,500 workers.
What skills are needed for Helpers--production workers?
Key skills for Helpers--production workers include Active Listening, Monitoring, Speaking, and others. Typical entry-level education is High school diploma or equivalent.
How much do Helpers--production workers earn?
The median annual wage for Helpers--production workers is $38,220, 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 Helpers--production workers?
The typical entry-level education for Helpers--production workers is High school diploma or equivalent. 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 Helpers--production workers?
Helpers--production workers 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 10 analyzed tasks. Most tasks require human judgment and are resistant to automation.
Nationwide occupations with similar workforce profiles
Two data-derived peer sets for Helpers--production workers: AI-exposure neighbors and BLS 2034 growth neighbors (distinct comparison neighborhoods, cross-occupation).
Similar AI exposure score
Nearest O*NET task-automability scores nationwide (29% here).
- Biochemists and biophysicists · AI exposure 29%
- Construction managers · AI exposure 29%
- Crane and tower operators · AI exposure 29%
- Electrical and electronics repairers, powerhouse, substation, and relay · AI exposure 29%
Similar projected growth (2024–2034)
Nearest BLS employment change rates nationwide (-8.9% here).
- Gas plant operators · growth -8.8%
- Textile winding, twisting, and drawing out machine setters, operators, and tenders · growth -9.0%
- Welding, soldering, and brazing machine setters, operators, and tenders · growth -9.0%
- Procurement clerks · growth -8.7%
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 81 occupations with a comparable automation-risk profile.
What to do with this
Use Helpers--production workers' numbers above to compare, not just read in isolation.
- Compare Helpers--production workers 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).