Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operators
Operate computer-controlled tools, machines, or robots to machine or process parts, tools, or other work pieces made of metal, plastic, wood, stone, or other materials. May also set up and maintain equipment.
169,450 people do this job in the US. $50,690 a year.
of the working time. Estimate.
- 26%
- 1%
- 73%
Measured, from Anthropic's usage data (2025). Counts help on part of a task.
On the chosen pace and reliability. Estimate.
Share of the working time within reach, now to 2030
What each choice means: , , , , . Every pace starts from .
At this date and pace, models finish tasks up to 4.4 h long four times in five.
How far this has come
With GPT-4, measured in March 2023, 0% of this job's working time was within reach at . With Claude 3.7 Sonnet, measured in February 2025, 2%. With Claude Mythos Preview (early), measured in April 2026, 24%. Today's estimate: 25%.
A backcast: today's task data with the best model METR had measured by each date. It shows how fast the models have moved, not what anyone forecast at the time.
The tasks
Sorted by . 27 tasks from .
| Task | Kind | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Set up and operate computer-controlled machines or robots to perform one or more machine functions on metal or plastic workpieces.Done hourly or more by most who do it. | 17% | 50 min25 min to 1.7 h | Stays with people | |
| Mount, install, align, and secure tools, attachments, fixtures, and workpieces on machines, using hand tools and precision measuring instruments.Done hourly or more by most who do it. | 10% | 33 min13 min to 1.4 h | Stays with people | |
| Review program specifications or blueprints to determine and set machine operations and sequencing, finished workpiece dimensions, or numerical control sequences.Done hourly or more by most who do it. | 7% | 25 min8 min to 50 min | 100%Half by now | |
| Maintain machines and remove and replace broken or worn machine tools, using hand tools.Done daily by most who do it. | 6% | 38 min13 min to 1.7 h | Stays with people | |
| Measure dimensions of finished workpieces to ensure conformance to specifications, using precision measuring instruments, templates, and fixtures.Done hourly or more by most who do it. | 5% | 13 min4 min to 33 min | Stays with people | |
| Write simple programs for computer-controlled machine tools.Done several times a day by most who do it. | 5% | 50 min17 min to 2.5 h | 87%Half by now | |
| Listen to machines during operation to detect sounds such as those made by dull cutting tools or excessive vibration, and adjust machines to compensate for problems.Done hourly or more by most who do it. | 5% | 13 min4 min to 38 min | Stays with people | |
| Set up future jobs while machines are operating.Done daily by most who do it. | 5% | 38 min13 min to 1.7 h | Stays with people | |
| Implement changes to machine programs, and enter new specifications, using computers.Done daily by most who do it. | 5% | 21 min8 min to 50 min | 100%Half by now | |
| Calculate machine speed and feed ratios and the size and position of cuts.Done several times a day by most who do it. | 4% | 17 min8 min to 33 min | 100%Half by now | |
| Adjust machine feed and speed, change cutting tools, or adjust machine controls when automatic programming is faulty or if machines malfunction.Done daily by most who do it. | 3% | 17 min4 min to 50 min | Stays with people | |
| Modify cutting programs to account for problems encountered during operation, and save modified programs.Done daily by most who do it. | 3% | 25 min8 min to 1.1 h | 98%Half by now |
Within reach, per task: the share of the task's time whose instances are short enough for a model to finish at the chosen date, pace and reliability. Half by: the date half of that time comes within reach.
Jobs that share skills with this one
From O*NET's related occupations. Within reach now and by the end of 2028, long-run pace, four in five.
- Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic18% now, 18% by 2028
- Machinists11% now, 29% by 2028
- Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic30% now, 38% by 2028
- Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic13% now, 13% by 2028
- Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Programmers67% now, 84% by 2028
- Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic18% now, 18% by 2028
Where this job works
The industry groups that employ the most of it (BLS, May 2025).
- Machine Shops; Turned Product; and Screw, Nut, and Bolt Manufacturing32,130 people
- Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3321, 3322, 3325, 3326, and 3329 only)17,400 people
- Machinery Manufacturing (3331, 3332, 3334, and 3339 only)16,020 people
- Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing13,470 people
- Metalworking Machinery Manufacturing10,020 people
Where the most of these jobs are
The metro areas with the most people in it (BLS, May 2025).