Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
In short: today's best AI models could do about 10% of this job's working time (projected from METR's April 2026 measurement and Epoch's November 2026 index) if the work were set up for them, and about the same by the end of 2028 if progress keeps its long-run pace. The conversations, in-person and hands-on work, about 90% of the time, stays with people.
Set up, operate, or tend more than one type of cutting or forming machine tool or robot.
124,590 people do this job in the US. $47,180 a year.
Reviewed on September 30, 2026: what each task is made of, and what handing it over would ask.
A typical 40-hour week
- AI could take on0 h
- A person checks AI's work4 h
- Desk work AI can't do yet0 h
- Stays with people36 h
Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic, now: of a 40-hour week, AI could take on 0 hours, 4 hours become checking its work, 0 hours are desk work it can't do yet, and 36 hours stay with people.
The largest pieces: Read blueprints and plan sequences (about 2 h, a person checks); Compute settings and dimensions (about 1 h, a person checks); Write CNC programs (under an hour, a person checks).
Estimates for a typical week of this job, if progress keeps its long-run pace, counting work the best models finish four times in five. Every task is below.
of the working time. Now is projected from METR's April 2026 measurement and Epoch's November 2026 index.
- 9%
- 1%
- 0%
- 8%
- 82%
of the work: Anthropic's measure of what people already bring to Claude at work (2025). It counts help with part of a task, so it can be higher than the share within reach.
On the chosen pace and reliability. Estimate.
Share of the working time within reach, now to 2030
Change assumptionsHide assumptionsLong-run pace, four in five
What each choice means: , , , , . Every pace starts from .
At this date and pace, models finish tasks up to 2.4 work days long four times in five.
What handing it over would take, now
The 10% within reach splits by what a model would need. The dates, pace and reliability follow the controls above. Estimates.
of the working time. The material can be handed to a model and the result handed back.
of the working time. The model has to be connected to the system the work lives in.
is conversation short enough by length. This site leaves conversation with people, so it is not in the total.
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, 1%. With Claude Mythos Preview (early), measured in April 2026, 9%. Today's estimate: 10%.
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.
Measured use over time
Of the Claude.ai conversations Anthropic sampled and tied to a work task, no reportable share went to this job's tasks in May 2026; 0 of its 21 tasks showed up. Within each of Anthropic's methods, never across a change: 0.11% to 0.077% (released February and March 2025); 0.064% to 0.01% (August 2025 to February 2026).
Each release
| Conversations | Share | Rank | Tasks seen |
|---|---|---|---|
| Released February 2025 | 0.11% | 160 of 708 | 1 of 21 |
| Released March 2025 | 0.077% | 197 of 703 | 1 of 21 |
| The week of Aug 4, 2025 (released September 2025) | 0.064% | 204 of 655 | 1 of 21 |
| The week of Nov 13, 2025 (released January 2026) | 0.013% | 447 of 672 | 1 of 21 |
| The week of Feb 5, 2026 (released March 2026) | 0.01% | 493 of 677 | 1 of 21 |
| April 2026 (released June 2026) | none | n/a | 0 of 21 |
| May 2026 (released June 2026) | none | n/a | 0 of 21 |
Measured, not estimated: Anthropic's samples of Claude.ai conversations, each tied by a model to an O*NET task, from the Anthropic Economic Index. It says where Claude's use goes, not how much of this job's working time it covers, so it is not on the same scale as the reach above. The releases differ in their sample, their classifier and the smallest share they report (the June 2026 file rounds each task to a hundredth of a percent, so a smaller task reads as none), which is why a change of method starts a new line. At least 96% of each older release's task-tied use matched this site's tasks, and all of the newest. Claude.ai only, so use through other tools and other companies' models is not in it. Every job ranked.
Robots and the physical work
Anthropic rates 89% of this job's working time as physical work. For 85% of the working time, a robot has been shown doing most of the task somewhere: 71% in a purpose-built cell, 15% in a structured facility. 1.00 of 3, the 116th highest of the 923 jobs.
- Not physical 11%
- No robot shown 4%
- In a purpose-built cell 71%
- In a structured facility 15%
Anthropic's rating, not this site's estimate: Claude Opus 5, searching the web, rated each physical O*NET task by the kind of setting in which a robot it could cite (deployed, sold or demonstrated) does most of the task, weighted by its own estimate of each task's share of the time (What work can robots do?, September 30, 2026, data CC BY 4.0; every job ranked). A robot shown somewhere is not a robot in your building: cost, setup and safety decide that. The share within reach on this page still counts no body work. The robot behind each rated task is under the task below.
What changes for the people in this job
From the task-by-task review, by the end of 2028 on the long-run pace at four in five. It says which parts of the work stay with people and which change, not whether anyone keeps a job: that depends on decisions no data set can see.
What stays with people
90% of the working time: the conversation, in-person and hands-on parts of the tasks.
- Set up and operate machine tools, the hands-on work, 22%
- Install and align tooling, the hands-on work, 15%
- Watch operation and adjust, the hands-on work, 7%
- Inspect and measure workpieces, the hands-on work, 6%
- Make minor repairs and report major faults, the hands-on work, 5%
- Change worn accessories, the hands-on work, 5%
What becomes checking the machine
9% of the working time: desk work a model could do by then, in tasks where a mistake costs something or a licensed person signs. A person checks it. Another 1% is desk work that is small if wrong, which can be handed over with lighter checks.
- Read blueprints and plan sequences, costly if wrong, 5%
- Compute settings and dimensions, costly if wrong, 3%
- Write CNC programs, costly if wrong, 2%
What to learn
- The hands-on craft. About 82% of the time is hands-on work, which no model here does; robots are rated separately on this page.
- Judgment where errors are severe. Some tasks are severe if wrong. Knowing when not to trust an output matters more there than speed.
- Reviewing work you did not do yourself. The tasks under What becomes checking the machine, where a mistake costs something, stay a person's to check: spotting what a draft gets wrong is a skill of its own.
Your own version of this job: read it against your job description. The headline is free; the full personal report, every task with its timeline and what to learn, is $19 (a sample).
The tasks
Sorted by . 21 tasks from .
| Task | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Set up and operate machines, such as lathes, cutters, shears, borers, millers, grinders, presses, drills, or auxiliary machines, to make metallic and plastic workpieces.Lathes, shears, mills, grinders and presses run.Done more than weekly by most who do it. Robots: in a purpose-built cell, Halter LoadAssistant (sold). Anthropic's rating. | 22% | 1.7 h25 min to 4.2 h | Hands-on 100% | Stays with people |
| Select, install, and adjust alignment of drills, cutters, dies, guides, and holding devices, using templates, measuring instruments, and hand tools.Drills, cutters and dies fitted and aligned.Done hourly or more by most who do it. Robots: in a purpose-built cell, Zoller »roboBox« / »cora« tool automation (sold). Anthropic's rating. | 15% | 38 min17 min to 1.3 h | Hands-on 100% | Stays with people |
| Read blueprints or job orders to determine product specifications and tooling instructions and to plan operational sequences.Reading the order and blueprint and planning the run; the knowing is the operator's own.Done hourly or more by most who do it. | 8% | 25 min8 min to 50 min | Documents 60%, in person 40% | 60%Desk part half by now |
| Observe machine operation to detect workpiece defects or machine malfunctions, adjusting machines as necessary.Watching for defects and faults and adjusting.Done hourly or more by most who do it. Robots: in a structured facility, TMAC 3.0 (Tool Monitoring Adaptive Control), Caron Engineering (sold). Anthropic's rating. | 7% | 17 min4 min to 50 min | Hands-on 100% | Stays with people |
| Inspect workpieces for defects, and measure workpieces to determine accuracy of machine operation, using rules, templates, or other measuring instruments.Rules, templates and instruments on the pieces.Done hourly or more by most who do it. Robots: in a purpose-built cell, Renishaw machine tool inspection probes (OMP/RMP series, SPRINT scanning) (sold). Anthropic's rating. | 6% | 13 min4 min to 38 min | Hands-on 100% | Stays with people |
| Make minor electrical and mechanical repairs and adjustments to machines and notify supervisors when major service is required.Small electrical and mechanical fixes, with a word to the supervisor.Done daily by most who do it. Robots: no robot shown. Anthropic's rating. | 5% | 33 min13 min to 1.7 h | Hands-on 80%, in person 20% | Stays with people |
| Change worn machine accessories, such as cutting tools or brushes, using hand tools.Cutting tools and brushes changed by hand.Done hourly or more by most who do it. Robots: in a purpose-built cell, DHR Engineering robotic tool assembly cell (KUKA arm + REGO-FIX powRgrip PGA 9500) (demonstrated). Anthropic's rating. | 5% | 17 min8 min to 38 min | Hands-on 100% | Stays with people |
| Position, adjust, and secure stock material or workpieces against stops, on arbors, or in chucks, fixtures, or automatic feeding mechanisms, manually or using hoists.Stock set against stops or in chucks, by hand or hoist.Done daily by most who do it. Robots: in a purpose-built cell, FANUC LR Mate / MT Series machine tending cells (sold). Anthropic's rating. | 4% | 13 min4 min to 33 min | Hands-on 100% | Stays with people |
| Measure and mark reference points and cutting lines on workpieces, using traced templates, compasses, and rules.Templates, compasses and rules on the pieces.Done daily by most who do it.Robots: in a purpose-built cell, Peddinghaus FPB-1800 CNC plate line (sold). Anthropic's rating. | 4% | 25 min8 min to 1.1 h | Hands-on 100% | Stays with people |
| Perform minor machine maintenance, such as oiling or cleaning machines, dies, or workpieces, or adding coolant to machine reservoirs.Oiling, cleaning and topping up coolant.Done daily by most who do it. Robots: in a purpose-built cell, Kawasaki machine tending robot cells (sold). Anthropic's rating. | 4% | 17 min4 min to 38 min | Hands-on 100% | Stays with people |
| Instruct other workers in machine set-up and operation.Showing other workers at the machines.Done daily by most who do it. | 4% | 38 min13 min to 1.7 h | In person 100% | Stays with people |
| Remove burrs, sharp edges, rust, or scale from workpieces, using files, hand grinders, wire brushes, or power tools.Files, grinders and brushes on the pieces.Done hourly or more by most who do it. Robots: in a purpose-built cell, Universal Robots UR16e deburring cell at BW Industrie (deployed). Anthropic's rating. | 4% | 13 min4 min to 38 min | Hands-on 100% | Stays with people |
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. Made of: how the task's time splits among five kinds of doing. Only the documents and systems parts can count as within reach, so a task that is 30% documents can be at most 30% 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.
- Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic38% now, 38% by 2028
- Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic18% now, 18% by 2028
- Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic10% now, 10% by 2028
- Tool Grinders, Filers, and Sharpeners6% now, 6% by 2028
- Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing9% now, 9% by 2028
- Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic6% now, 6% by 2028
Where this job works
The industry groups that employ the most of it (BLS, May 2025).
Where the most of these jobs are
The metro areas with the most people in it (BLS, May 2025).
Questions about this job
- How much of the work of Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic is within reach of AI now?
- An estimated 10% of the working time is within reach of AI models now and 10% by the end of 2028, on METR's long-run pace at four in five. Within reach means a model could finish work that long at that reliability. It is not a forecast of jobs lost or of savings.
- Which tasks of Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic come within reach first?
- Weighted by the time each takes, the tasks with the most within reach now (projected from METR's April 2026 measurement and Epoch's November 2026 index) are: Read blueprints and plan sequences (60% of the task's time now); Compute settings and dimensions (100% of the task's time now); and Write CNC programs (88% of the task's time now, 100% by the end of 2028).
- Which tasks of Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic stay with people?
- Tasks that are people work or body work are not counted as within reach at any date. The largest: Set up and operate machine tools; Install and align tooling; and Watch operation and adjust. Together such tasks are about 87% of the working time, and the people and body parts of the other tasks stay with people too.
- What should Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic learn as AI takes on more of the work?
- By the job's own task-by-task review, the first things to learn are the hands-on craft; judgment where errors are severe; and reviewing work you did not do yourself. By the end of 2028 on the long-run pace at four in five, about 90% of the working time stays with people, 9% becomes checking a model's work and 1% could be handed over with lighter checks. It says which parts of the work change, never whether anyone keeps a job.
- Do people already use AI for the work of Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic?
- In the Claude.ai conversations Anthropic sampled for May 2026, no reportable share went to this job's tasks. Anthropic's labor market measure puts the share of the job's tasks seen in real Claude use at work at 0%. These are measures of use, not of how much of the work AI could finish, and they cover Claude only.
- Can robots do the physical work of Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic?
- Anthropic's robot exposure rating (September 2026) finds 89% of the working time is physical work, and that a robot has been shown doing most of the task, somewhere, for 85% of the working time, 15% in a structured facility. Its index is 1.00 of 3. One example: TMAC 3.0 (Tool Monitoring Adaptive Control), Caron Engineering for "watch operation and adjust". A robot shown somewhere is not one in every workplace; this site's own estimates still count no physical work as within reach.
- How is this estimated?
- From the 21 tasks O*NET lists for the occupation, each with an estimated length checked against GDPval and a share of the working time, reviewed one task at a time on September 30, 2026 for what each is made of (documents, business systems, conversation, in person, hands-on), and METR's measurements of how long a task the best AI models can finish, carried forward to the date from the latest, Claude Mythos Preview (early) in April 2026. Data checked November 10, 2026.
This job in your state or metro area
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The page above is the occupation. Your job is your title and what you actually do: give both, and they are read against these tasks in your browser, nothing sent anywhere. The headline is free: how much of your working time is within reach now and by the end of 2028, and how many of the tasks your description names.
The full personal report is $19, to print or save as a PDF: every task with when it comes within reach, which ones your description names, the parts of your description the task list does not cover, what stays with you, what becomes checking the machine and what to learn.