Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
Set up, operate, or tend continuous flow or vat-type equipment; filter presses; shaker screens; centrifuges; condenser tubes; precipitating, fermenting, or evaporating tanks; scrubbing towers; or batch stills. These machines extract, sort, or separate liquids, gases, or solids from other materials to recover a refined product. Includes dairy processing equipment operators.
60,100 people do this job in the US. $51,610 a year.
of the working time. Estimate.
- 6%
- 0%
- 94%
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, 6%. Today's estimate: 6%.
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 . 20 tasks from .
| Task | Kind | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Operate machines to process materials in compliance with applicable safety, energy, or environmental regulations.Done several times a day by most who do it. | 29% | 1.7 h25 min to 3.3 h | Stays with people | |
| Clean or sterilize tanks, screens, inflow pipes, production areas, or equipment, using hoses, brushes, scrapers, or chemical solutions.Done several times a day by most who do it. | 8% | 50 min17 min to 2.5 h | Stays with people | |
| Set up or adjust machine controls to regulate conditions such as material flow, temperature, or pressure.Done hourly or more by most who do it. | 6% | 21 min8 min to 50 min | Stays with people | |
| Install, maintain, or repair hoses, pumps, filters, or screens to maintain processing equipment, using hand tools.Done daily by most who do it. | 6% | 1.3 h25 min to 2.5 h | Stays with people | |
| Connect pipes between vats and processing equipment.Done daily by most who do it. | 5% | 38 min13 min to 1.3 h | Stays with people | |
| Monitor material flow or instruments, such as temperature or pressure gauges, indicators, or meters, to ensure optimal processing conditions.Done hourly or more by most who do it. | 5% | 13 min4 min to 25 min | Stays with people | |
| Assemble fittings, valves, bowls, plates, disks, impeller shafts, or other parts to prepare equipment for operation.Done daily by most who do it. | 4% | 38 min17 min to 1.3 h | Stays with people | |
| Maintain logs of instrument readings, test results, or shift production for entry in computer databases.Done hourly or more by most who do it. | 4% | 13 min4 min to 25 min | 100%Half by now | |
| Test samples to determine viscosity, acidity, specific gravity, or degree of concentration, using test equipment such as viscometers, pH meters, or hydrometers.Done several times a day by most who do it. | 4% | 17 min8 min to 38 min | Stays with people | |
| Inspect machines or equipment for hazards, operating efficiency, malfunctions, wear, or leaks.Done daily by most who do it. | 4% | 17 min8 min to 38 min | Stays with people | |
| Collect samples of materials or products for laboratory analysis.Done several times a day by most who do it. | 4% | 13 min4 min to 25 min | Stays with people | |
| Remove clogs, defects, or impurities from machines, tanks, conveyors, screens, or other processing equipment.Done daily by most who do it. | 4% | 38 min13 min to 1.7 h | 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.
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.
- Cleaning, Washing, and Metal Pickling Equipment Operators and Tenders5% now, 5% by 2028
- Mixing and Blending Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders5% now, 5% by 2028
- Furnace, Kiln, Oven, Drier, and Kettle Operators and Tenders10% now, 10% by 2028
- Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders18% now, 18% by 2028
- Chemical Plant and System Operators22% now, 22% by 2028
- Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders14% now, 14% 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).