Career Explorer Production
Human edge, steady
Adhesive bonding machine operators and tenders
Operate or tend bonding machines that use adhesives to join items for further processing or to form a completed product. Processes include joining veneer sheets into plywood; gluing paper; or joining rubber and rubberized fabric parts, plastic, simulated leather, or other materials.
More resilient than most: more resilient than 73% of the 831 careers we score. AI exposure is low (the Bureau of Labor Statistics rates it low), and US jobs are projected to change by +1.3% by 2035, slower than average. The work leans on physical dexterity.
AI struggles with much of this work. Hiring is expected to grow slower than average, or to shrink.
- Median pay (2025)
- $46,460
- Job growth to 2035
- +1.3%
- Openings a year
- 1,300
- People doing it (2025)
- 12,100
- Usual route in
- High school diploma, then moderate on-the-job training
Where people already use AI for this work
- Adjust equipment to ensure adequate performance
- Communicate with others about operational plans or activities
- Read documents or materials to inform work processes
From Microsoft Research, Working with AI (2025).
Work AI rarely helps with
- Load products, materials, or equipment for transportation or further processing
- Monitor equipment operation
- Maintain tools or equipment
What the work looks like
- Align and position materials being joined to ensure accurate application of adhesive or heat sealing.
- Adjust machine components according to specifications such as widths, lengths, and thickness of materials and amounts of glue, cement, or adhesive required.
- Monitor machine operations to detect malfunctions and report or resolve problems.
- Start machines, and turn valves or move controls to feed, admit, apply, or transfer materials and adhesives, and to adjust temperature, pressure, and time settings.
- Fill machines with glue, cement, or adhesives.
From O*NET 31.0, US Department of Labor.
Careers using similar strengths, with a stronger outlook
- Coating, painting, and spraying machine setters, operators, and tendersHuman edge, steady, Index 78, +2.5%
- Tire buildersHuman edge, steady, Index 75, +0.8%
- Tire repairers and changersHuman edge, steady, Index 91, +3.4%
- Signal and track switch repairersHuman edge, steady, Index 78, +1.8%
Also known as: Coater Operator, Glue Line Operator, Machine Operator, Utility Worker, Glue Reel Operator, Gluer Machine Operator, Gluing Pressman, Perfect Bind Machine Operator.
Is this career on your child's list?
Build a free Career Playbook matched to your child, or get a 90-day Action Plan with dated next steps, written for your child by name.
Sources: US Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections 2025 to 2035; O*NET 31.0; Microsoft Research (2025); Anthropic Economic Index (2026); Eloundou and colleagues (Science, 2024); Felten, Raj and Seamans (2023). How we score. Updated 12 October 2026.