Refractory materials repairers, except brickmasons
SOC Code: 49-9045
Refractory materials repairers, except brickmasons carries a 17% AI exposure score (Low automation risk), with a median annual wage of $58,540 and -16.9% projected employment growth from 2024 to 2034 (BLS), affecting approximately 1,100 workers. Full task breakdown, skills, and employer data are below.
Proportion of tasks susceptible to AI automation (O*NET analysis)
At 17% AI exposure, Refractory materials repairers, except brickmasons sits 20 points below the 37.2% average across 832 U.S. occupations - more exposed than 3% of them. It ranks among the more AI-resilient roles in the dataset.
Career outlook score
47/100
Refractory materials repairers, except brickmasons, 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 D $58,540
Annual median wage, percentile rank vs all tracked occupations
- Projected growth F -16.9%
Projected employment change, 2024-2034, BLS Employment Projections
- AI exposure (inverted) A+ 17% 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 Refractory materials repairers, except brickmasons in the Low 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 Refractory materials repairers, except brickmasons sits among all occupations
AI-exposure score distribution across 832 U.S. occupations (O*NET task analysis). This occupation is marked in rose.
Where Refractory materials repairers, except brickmasons sits by AI exposure
AI-exposure score distribution across U.S. occupations (O*NET task analysis)
17% Among the lowest lower than 97% 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.
Refractory materials repairers, except brickmasons vs. its occupational neighbors
AI exposure (horizontal) vs projected 2024–2034 growth (vertical) for occupations in the same SOC group. Refractory materials repairers, except brickmasons 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
Refractory materials repairers, except brickmasons's Low 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 49-9045) 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 Refractory materials repairers, except brickmasons 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 Refractory materials repairers, except brickmasons. Adjacent occupations shown further down offer lateral moves that preserve industry knowledge while potentially reducing exposure.
Education & Entry Requirements
Top Tasks (O*NET)
- 1. Measure furnace walls to determine dimensions and cut required number of sheets from plastic block, using saws.
- 2. Reline or repair ladles and pouring spouts with refractory clay, using trowels.
- 3. Dry and bake new linings by placing inverted linings over burners, building fires in ladles, or by using blowtorches.
- 4. Remove worn or damaged plastic block refractory linings of furnaces, using hand tools.
- 5. Chip slag from linings of ladles or remove linings when beyond repair, using hammers and chisels.
- 6. Climb scaffolding, carrying hoses, and spray surfaces of cupolas with refractory mixtures, using spray equipment.
- 7. Mix specified amounts of sand, clay, mortar powder, and water to form refractory clay or mortar, using shovels or mixing machines.
- 8. Spread mortar on stopper heads and rods, using trowels, and slide brick sleeves over rods to form refractory jackets.
- 9. Dump and tamp clay in molds, using tamping tools.
- 10. Transfer clay structures to curing ovens, melting tanks, and drawing kilns, using forklifts.
Key Skills Required
- Operations Monitoring
- Repairing
- Active Listening
- Operation and Control
- Equipment Maintenance
- Reading Comprehension
- Critical Thinking
- Coordination
- Troubleshooting
- Time Management
Knowledge Areas
- Mechanical
- Production and Processing
- Public Safety and Security
- English Language
- Mathematics
- Chemistry
- Design
- Education and Training
- Building and Construction
- Engineering and Technology
Frequently Asked Questions
Will AI replace Refractory materials repairers, except brickmasons?
Refractory materials repairers, except brickmasons has an AI exposure score of 17%, indicating a low 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 Refractory materials repairers, except brickmasons?
According to BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034, Refractory materials repairers, except brickmasons is projected to decline by 16.9% over the decade. Current employment stands at approximately 1,100 workers.
What skills are needed for Refractory materials repairers, except brickmasons?
Key skills for Refractory materials repairers, except brickmasons include Operations Monitoring, Repairing, Active Listening, and others. Typical entry-level education is High school diploma or equivalent.
How much do Refractory materials repairers, except brickmasons earn?
The median annual wage for Refractory materials repairers, except brickmasons is $58,540, 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 Refractory materials repairers, except brickmasons?
The typical entry-level education for Refractory materials repairers, except brickmasons 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 Refractory materials repairers, except brickmasons?
Refractory materials repairers, except brickmasons 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
Low 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 Refractory materials repairers, except brickmasons: AI-exposure neighbors and BLS 2034 growth neighbors (distinct comparison neighborhoods, cross-occupation).
Similar AI exposure score
Nearest O*NET task-automability scores nationwide (17% here).
- Foundry mold and coremakers · AI exposure 17%
- Helpers--brickmasons, blockmasons, stonemasons, and tile and marble setters · AI exposure 17%
- Paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators · AI exposure 17%
- Roofers · AI exposure 17%
Similar projected growth (2024–2034)
Nearest BLS employment change rates nationwide (-16.9% here).
- Payroll and timekeeping clerks · growth -16.7%
- Order clerks · growth -17.2%
- Structural metal fabricators and fitters · growth -16.3%
- Print binding and finishing workers · growth -16.1%
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 Refractory materials repairers, except brickmasons' numbers above to compare, not just read in isolation.
- Compare Refractory materials repairers, except brickmasons 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).