Multiple machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic
SOC Code: 51-4081
Multiple machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic carries a 29% AI exposure score (Medium automation risk), with a median annual wage of $46,060 and -0.5% projected employment growth from 2024 to 2034 (BLS), affecting approximately 131,000 workers. Full task breakdown, skills, and employer data are below.
Proportion of tasks susceptible to AI automation (O*NET analysis)
At 29% AI exposure, Multiple machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic 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
41/100
Multiple machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic, 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 $46,060
Annual median wage, percentile rank vs all tracked occupations
- Projected growth F -0.5%
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 Multiple machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic in the Medium band.
Credential × growth standing
Open entry with non-declining BLS pace
Multiple machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic keeps an HS / some college bar (333 of 832) and sits in Slow growth (245 of 832). Lower formal gates with a non-shrinking employment line - skill and AI desks matter more than credentials here.
Where Multiple machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic sits among all occupations
AI-exposure score distribution across 832 U.S. occupations (O*NET task analysis). This occupation is marked in rose.
Where Multiple machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic 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.
Multiple machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic vs. its occupational neighbors
AI exposure (horizontal) vs projected 2024–2034 growth (vertical) for occupations in the same SOC group. Multiple machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic 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
Multiple machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic'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 51-4081) 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 Multiple machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic 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 Multiple machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic. Adjacent occupations shown further down offer lateral moves that preserve industry knowledge while potentially reducing exposure.
Education & Entry Requirements
Top Tasks (O*NET)
- 1. Inspect workpieces for defects, and measure workpieces to determine accuracy of machine operation, using rules, templates, or other measuring instruments.
- 2. Position, adjust, and secure stock material or workpieces against stops, on arbors, or in chucks, fixtures, or automatic feeding mechanisms, manually or using hoists.
- 3. Read blueprints or job orders to determine product specifications and tooling instructions and to plan operational sequences.
- 4. Select, install, and adjust alignment of drills, cutters, dies, guides, and holding devices, using templates, measuring instruments, and hand tools.
- 5. Observe machine operation to detect workpiece defects or machine malfunctions, adjusting machines as necessary.
- 6. Set up and operate machines, such as lathes, cutters, shears, borers, millers, grinders, presses, drills, or auxiliary machines, to make metallic and plastic workpieces.
- 7. Measure and mark reference points and cutting lines on workpieces, using traced templates, compasses, and rules.
- 8. Change worn machine accessories, such as cutting tools or brushes, using hand tools.
- 9. Set machine stops or guides to specified lengths as indicated by scales, rules, or templates.
- 10. Select the proper coolants and lubricants and start their flow.
Key Skills Required
- Operations Monitoring
- Quality Control Analysis
- Monitoring
- Operation and Control
- Equipment Maintenance
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Critical Thinking
Knowledge Areas
- Production and Processing
- Mechanical
- Mathematics
- English Language
- Design
- Education and Training
- Customer and Personal Service
- Engineering and Technology
- Computers and Electronics
- Administration and Management
Frequently Asked Questions
Will AI replace Multiple machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic?
Multiple machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic 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 Multiple machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic?
According to BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034, Multiple machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic is projected to decline by 0.5% over the decade. Current employment stands at approximately 131,000 workers.
What skills are needed for Multiple machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic?
Key skills for Multiple machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic include Operations Monitoring, Quality Control Analysis, Monitoring, and others. Typical entry-level education is High school diploma or equivalent.
How much do Multiple machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic earn?
The median annual wage for Multiple machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic is $46,060, 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 Multiple machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic?
The typical entry-level education for Multiple machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic is High school diploma or equivalent. Employers generally expect None of related work experience. On-the-job training typically involves Moderate-term on-the-job training. Requirements can vary by employer and specialization.
Which companies employ Multiple machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic?
Multiple machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic 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 Multiple machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic: 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 (-0.5% here).
- Retail salespersons · growth -0.5%
- Billing and posting clerks · growth -0.4%
- Excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface mining · growth -0.4%
- Gambling dealers · growth -0.6%
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 Multiple machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic's numbers above to compare, not just read in isolation.
- Compare Multiple machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic 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).