Human edge, steady

Multiple machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic

Set up, operate, or tend more than one type of cutting or forming machine tool or robot.

AI Resistance Index 59 of 99

In the middle of the pack: more resilient than 59% of the 831 careers we score. AI exposure is low (the Bureau of Labor Statistics rates it moderate), and US jobs are projected to change by +0.6% 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): $47,180
Job growth to 2035: +0.6%
Openings a year: 11,600
People doing it (2025): 127,000
Usual route in: High school diploma, then moderate on-the-job training

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Where people already use AI for this work

Adjust equipment to ensure adequate performance
Select materials or equipment for operations or projects
Measure physical characteristics of materials, products, or equipment

From Microsoft Research, Working with AI (2025).

Work AI rarely helps with

Position workpieces or materials on equipment
Operate cutting or grinding equipment
Repair tools or equipment

What the work looks like

Inspect workpieces for defects, and measure workpieces to determine accuracy of machine operation, using rules, templates, or other measuring instruments.
Position, adjust, and secure stock material or workpieces against stops, on arbors, or in chucks, fixtures, or automatic feeding mechanisms, manually or using hoists.
Read blueprints or job orders to determine product specifications and tooling instructions and to plan operational sequences.
Select, install, and adjust alignment of drills, cutters, dies, guides, and holding devices, using templates, measuring instruments, and hand tools.
Observe machine operation to detect workpiece defects or machine malfunctions, adjusting machines as necessary.

From O*NET 31.0, US Department of Labor.

Careers using similar strengths, with a stronger outlook

Furniture finishersHuman edge, steady, Index 65, -3.5%
Dental laboratory techniciansHuman edge, steady, Index 64, -5.9%
Audiovisual equipment installers and repairersHuman edge, growing, Index 79, +4.8%
Plasterers and stucco masonsHuman edge, steady, Index 66, +2.8%

Also known as: Cell Technician, CNC Machine Setter (Computer Numerically Controlled Machine Setter), Machine Operator, Machine Technician, Fabrication Set-Up Person, Injection Molding Technician, Mold Setter, Production Operator.

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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.