Timing device assemblers and adjusters
SOC Code: 51-2061
Timing device assemblers and adjusters carries a 28% AI exposure score (Medium automation risk), with a median annual wage of $40,790 and -17.5% projected employment growth from 2024 to 2034 (BLS), affecting approximately 200 workers. Full task breakdown, skills, and employer data are below.
Proportion of tasks susceptible to AI automation (O*NET analysis)
At 28% AI exposure, Timing device assemblers and adjusters sits 9 points below the 37.2% average across 832 U.S. occupations - more exposed than 23% of them. Most of its core tasks still require human judgment.
Career outlook score
30/100
Timing device assemblers and adjusters, 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 $40,790
Annual median wage, percentile rank vs all tracked occupations
- Projected growth F -17.5%
Projected employment change, 2024-2034, BLS Employment Projections
- AI exposure (inverted) B+ 28% 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 Timing device assemblers and adjusters 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 Timing device assemblers and adjusters sits among all occupations
AI-exposure score distribution across 832 U.S. occupations (O*NET task analysis). This occupation is marked in rose.
Where Timing device assemblers and adjusters sits by AI exposure
AI-exposure score distribution across U.S. occupations (O*NET task analysis)
28% Among the lowest lower than 77% 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.
Timing device assemblers and adjusters vs. its occupational neighbors
AI exposure (horizontal) vs projected 2024–2034 growth (vertical) for occupations in the same SOC group. Timing device assemblers and adjusters 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
Timing device assemblers and adjusters'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 51-2061) 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 Timing device assemblers and adjusters 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 Timing device assemblers and adjusters. Adjacent occupations shown further down offer lateral moves that preserve industry knowledge while potentially reducing exposure.
Education & Entry Requirements
Top Tasks (O*NET)
- 1. Change timing weights on balance wheels to correct deficient timing.
- 2. Assemble and install components of timepieces to complete mechanisms, using watchmakers' tools and loupes.
- 3. Adjust sizes or positioning of timepiece parts to achieve specified fit or function, using calipers, fixtures, and loupes.
- 4. Observe operation of timepiece parts and subassemblies to determine accuracy of movement, and to diagnose causes of defects.
- 5. Test operation and fit of timepiece parts and subassemblies, using electronic testing equipment, tweezers, watchmakers' tools, and loupes.
- 6. Mount hairsprings and balance wheel assemblies between jaws of truing calipers.
- 7. Replace specified parts to repair malfunctioning timepieces, using watchmakers' tools, loupes, and holding fixtures.
- 8. Disassemble timepieces such as watches, clocks, and chronometers so that repairs can be made.
- 9. Clean and lubricate timepiece parts and assemblies, using solvents, buff sticks, and oil.
- 10. Estimate spaces between collets and first inner coils to determine if spaces are within acceptable limits.
Key Skills Required
- Repairing
- Troubleshooting
- Quality Control Analysis
- Operations Monitoring
- Active Listening
- Critical Thinking
- Monitoring
- Reading Comprehension
- Speaking
- Social Perceptiveness
Knowledge Areas
- Mechanical
- Mathematics
- Production and Processing
- Engineering and Technology
- Education and Training
- Customer and Personal Service
- Computers and Electronics
- Administration and Management
- Physics
- English Language
Frequently Asked Questions
Will AI replace Timing device assemblers and adjusters?
Timing device assemblers and adjusters has an AI exposure score of 28%, 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 Timing device assemblers and adjusters?
According to BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034, Timing device assemblers and adjusters is projected to decline by 17.5% over the decade. Current employment stands at approximately 200 workers.
What skills are needed for Timing device assemblers and adjusters?
Key skills for Timing device assemblers and adjusters include Repairing, Troubleshooting, Quality Control Analysis, and others. Typical entry-level education is High school diploma or equivalent.
How much do Timing device assemblers and adjusters earn?
The median annual wage for Timing device assemblers and adjusters is $40,790, 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 Timing device assemblers and adjusters?
The typical entry-level education for Timing device assemblers and adjusters 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 Timing device assemblers and adjusters?
Timing device assemblers and adjusters 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 Timing device assemblers and adjusters: AI-exposure neighbors and BLS 2034 growth neighbors (distinct comparison neighborhoods, cross-occupation).
Similar AI exposure score
Nearest O*NET task-automability scores nationwide (28% here).
- Acupuncturists · AI exposure 28%
- Advertising and promotions managers · AI exposure 28%
- Agricultural inspectors · AI exposure 28%
- Carpenters · AI exposure 28%
Similar projected growth (2024–2034)
Nearest BLS employment change rates nationwide (-17.5% here).
- Order clerks · growth -17.2%
- Payroll and timekeeping clerks · growth -16.7%
- 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 81 occupations with a comparable automation-risk profile.
What to do with this
Use Timing device assemblers and adjusters' numbers above to compare, not just read in isolation.
- Compare Timing device assemblers and adjusters 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).