Textile knitting and weaving machine setters, operators, and tenders
SOC Code: 51-6063
Textile knitting and weaving machine setters, operators, and tenders carries a 35% AI exposure score (Medium automation risk), with a median annual wage of $38,260 and -11.2% projected employment growth from 2024 to 2034 (BLS), affecting approximately 15,300 workers. Full task breakdown, skills, and employer data are below.
Proportion of tasks susceptible to AI automation (O*NET analysis)
At 35% AI exposure, Textile knitting and weaving machine setters, operators, and tenders sits 2 points below the 37.2% average across 832 U.S. occupations - more exposed than 46% of them. Most of its core tasks still require human judgment.
Career outlook score
22/100
Textile knitting and weaving machine setters, operators, and tenders, 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 $38,260
Annual median wage, percentile rank vs all tracked occupations
- Projected growth F -11.2%
Projected employment change, 2024-2034, BLS Employment Projections
- AI exposure (inverted) C- 35% 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 Textile knitting and weaving machine setters, operators, and tenders 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 Textile knitting and weaving machine setters, operators, and tenders sits among all occupations
AI-exposure score distribution across 832 U.S. occupations (O*NET task analysis). This occupation is marked in rose.
Where Textile knitting and weaving machine setters, operators, and tenders sits by AI exposure
AI-exposure score distribution across U.S. occupations (O*NET task analysis)
35% Lower than most lower than 54% 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.
Textile knitting and weaving machine setters, operators, and tenders vs. its occupational neighbors
AI exposure (horizontal) vs projected 2024–2034 growth (vertical) for occupations in the same SOC group. Textile knitting and weaving machine setters, operators, and tenders 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
Textile knitting and weaving machine setters, operators, and tenders'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 51-6063) 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 Textile knitting and weaving machine setters, operators, and tenders 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 Textile knitting and weaving machine setters, operators, and tenders. Adjacent occupations shown further down offer lateral moves that preserve industry knowledge while potentially reducing exposure.
Education & Entry Requirements
Top Tasks (O*NET)
- 1. Observe woven cloth to detect weaving defects.
- 2. Thread yarn, thread, and fabric through guides, needles, and rollers of machines for weaving, knitting, or other processing.
- 3. Remove defects in cloth by cutting and pulling out filling.
- 4. Examine looms to determine causes of loom stoppage, such as warp filling, harness breaks, or mechanical defects.
- 5. Inspect products to ensure that specifications are met and to determine if machines need adjustment.
- 6. Notify supervisors or repair staff of mechanical malfunctions.
- 7. Program electronic equipment.
- 8. Set up, or set up and operate textile machines that perform textile processing and manufacturing operations such as winding, twisting, knitting, weaving, bonding, or stretching.
- 9. Start machines, monitor operations, and make adjustments as needed.
- 10. Install, level, and align machine components such as gears, chains, guides, dies, cutters, or needles to set up machinery for operation.
Key Skills Required
- Operations Monitoring
- Monitoring
- Active Listening
- Operation and Control
- Speaking
- Critical Thinking
- Quality Control Analysis
- Reading Comprehension
- Time Management
- Complex Problem Solving
Knowledge Areas
- Production and Processing
- English Language
- Mechanical
- Public Safety and Security
- Education and Training
- Computers and Electronics
- Customer and Personal Service
- Administration and Management
- Mathematics
- Design
Frequently Asked Questions
Will AI replace Textile knitting and weaving machine setters, operators, and tenders?
Textile knitting and weaving machine setters, operators, and tenders has an AI exposure score of 35%, 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 Textile knitting and weaving machine setters, operators, and tenders?
According to BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034, Textile knitting and weaving machine setters, operators, and tenders is projected to decline by 11.2% over the decade. Current employment stands at approximately 15,300 workers.
What skills are needed for Textile knitting and weaving machine setters, operators, and tenders?
Key skills for Textile knitting and weaving machine setters, operators, and tenders include Operations Monitoring, Monitoring, Active Listening, and others. Typical entry-level education is High school diploma or equivalent.
How much do Textile knitting and weaving machine setters, operators, and tenders earn?
The median annual wage for Textile knitting and weaving machine setters, operators, and tenders is $38,260, 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 Textile knitting and weaving machine setters, operators, and tenders?
The typical entry-level education for Textile knitting and weaving machine setters, operators, and tenders 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 Textile knitting and weaving machine setters, operators, and tenders?
Textile knitting and weaving machine setters, operators, and tenders 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 Textile knitting and weaving machine setters, operators, and tenders: AI-exposure neighbors and BLS 2034 growth neighbors (distinct comparison neighborhoods, cross-occupation).
Similar AI exposure score
Nearest O*NET task-automability scores nationwide (35% here).
- Actuaries · AI exposure 35%
- Automotive and watercraft service attendants · AI exposure 35%
- Chemical technicians · AI exposure 35%
- Crushing, grinding, and polishing machine setters, operators, and tenders · AI exposure 35%
Similar projected growth (2024–2034)
Nearest BLS employment change rates nationwide (-11.2% here).
- Power plant operators · growth -11.2%
- Sewing machine operators · growth -10.8%
- Tool and die makers · growth -10.8%
- Interviewers, except eligibility and loan · growth -11.6%
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 Textile knitting and weaving machine setters, operators, and tenders' numbers above to compare, not just read in isolation.
- Compare Textile knitting and weaving machine setters, operators, and tenders 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).