Plating machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic
SOC Code: 51-4193
Plating machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic carries a 38% AI exposure score (Medium automation risk), with a median annual wage of $41,600 and -13.6% projected employment growth from 2024 to 2034 (BLS), affecting approximately 31,700 workers. Full task breakdown, skills, and employer data are below.
Proportion of tasks susceptible to AI automation (O*NET analysis)
At 38% AI exposure, Plating machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic sits 1 points above the 37.2% average across 832 U.S. occupations - more exposed than 63% of them. Most of its core tasks still require human judgment.
Career outlook score
19/100
Plating machine 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 $41,600
Annual median wage, percentile rank vs all tracked occupations
- Projected growth F -13.6%
Projected employment change, 2024-2034, BLS Employment Projections
- AI exposure (inverted) F 38% 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 Plating machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic 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 Plating machine 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 Plating machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic sits by AI exposure
AI-exposure score distribution across U.S. occupations (O*NET task analysis)
38% Around the middle lower than 37% 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.
Plating machine 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. Plating machine 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
Plating machine 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 51-4193) 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 Plating machine 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 Plating machine 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. Immerse workpieces in coating solutions or liquid metal or plastic for specified times.
- 2. Adjust dials to regulate flow of current and voltage supplied to terminals to control plating processes.
- 3. Inspect coated or plated areas for defects, such as air bubbles or uneven coverage.
- 4. Set up, operate, or tend plating or coating machines to coat metal or plastic products with chromium, zinc, copper, cadmium, nickel, or other metal to protect or decorate surfaces.
- 5. Observe gauges to ensure that machines are operating properly, making adjustments or stopping machines when problems occur.
- 6. Remove objects from solutions at periodic intervals and observe objects to verify conformance to specifications.
- 7. Maintain production records.
- 8. Remove excess materials or impurities from objects, using air hoses or grinding machines.
- 9. Determine sizes and compositions of objects to be plated, and amounts of electrical current and time required.
- 10. Test machinery to ensure that it is operating properly.
Key Skills Required
- Operations Monitoring
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Listening
- Monitoring
- Operation and Control
- Speaking
- Critical Thinking
- Coordination
- Quality Control Analysis
- Time Management
Knowledge Areas
- Production and Processing
- Mathematics
- Chemistry
- English Language
- Mechanical
- Engineering and Technology
- Education and Training
- Law and Government
- Customer and Personal Service
- Design
Frequently Asked Questions
Will AI replace Plating machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic?
Plating machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic has an AI exposure score of 38%, 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 Plating machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic?
According to BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034, Plating machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic is projected to decline by 13.6% over the decade. Current employment stands at approximately 31,700 workers.
What skills are needed for Plating machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic?
Key skills for Plating machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic include Operations Monitoring, Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, and others. Typical entry-level education is High school diploma or equivalent.
How much do Plating machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic earn?
The median annual wage for Plating machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic is $41,600, 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 Plating machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic?
The typical entry-level education for Plating machine 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 Plating machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic?
Plating machine 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 Plating machine 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 (38% here).
- Adhesive bonding machine operators and tenders · AI exposure 38%
- Coaches and scouts · AI exposure 38%
- Computer and information systems managers · AI exposure 38%
- Door-to-door sales workers, news and street vendors, and related workers · AI exposure 38%
Similar projected growth (2024–2034)
Nearest BLS employment change rates nationwide (-13.6% here).
- Electronic equipment installers and repairers, motor vehicles · growth -13.6%
- Lathe and turning machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic · growth -13.6%
- Adult basic education, adult secondary education, and english as a second language instructors · growth -13.7%
- Cooks, fast food · growth -13.5%
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 81 occupations with a comparable automation-risk profile.
What to do with this
Use Plating machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic's numbers above to compare, not just read in isolation.
- Compare Plating machine 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).