Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing
In short: today's best AI models could do about 8% 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 92% of the time, stays with people.
Set up, operate, or tend woodworking machines, such as drill presses, lathes, shapers, routers, sanders, planers, and wood nailing machines. May operate computer numerically controlled (CNC) equipment.
61,420 people do this job in the US. $43,380 a year.
Reviewed on October 3, 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 work3 h
- Desk work AI can't do yet0 h
- Stays with people37 h
Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing, now: of a 40-hour week, AI could take on 0 hours, 3 hours become checking its work, 0 hours are desk work it can't do yet, and 37 hours stay with people.
The largest pieces: Read specifications and work orders (about 1 h, a person checks); Program and run CNC machines (under an hour, a person checks); Run woodworking machines (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.
- 8%
- 0%
- 0%
- 3%
- 88%
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 8% 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, 0%. With Claude Mythos Preview (early), measured in April 2026, 8%. Today's estimate: 9%.
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
None of this job's 25 tasks showed up in the Claude.ai conversations Anthropic sampled in any of its 7 releases, from February 2025 to May 2026.
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 96% of this job's working time as physical work. For 96% of the working time, a robot has been shown doing most of the task somewhere: 94% in a purpose-built cell, 2% in a structured facility. 0.99 of 3, the 123rd highest of the 923 jobs.
- Not physical 4%
- In a purpose-built cell 94%
- In a structured facility 2%
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
91% of the working time: the conversation, in-person and hands-on parts of the tasks.
- Run woodworking machines, the hands-on work, 9%
- Set tables and controls, the hands-on work, 6%
- Install blades and cutterheads, the hands-on work, 6%
- Inspect, mark and stack pieces, the hands-on work, 6%
- Align machine guides, the hands-on work, 5%
- Monitor and adjust machines, the hands-on work, 5%
What becomes checking the machine
8% 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.
- Read specifications and work orders, costly if wrong, 3%
- Program and run CNC machines, costly if wrong, 2%
- Run woodworking machines, severe if wrong, 2%
What to learn
- The hands-on craft. About 88% 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 . 25 tasks from .
| Task | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Set up, program, operate, or tend computerized or manual woodworking machines, such as drill presses, lathes, shapers, routers, sanders, planers, or wood-nailing machines.Drill presses, lathes, shapers, routers and sanders set up, programmed and run.Done daily by most who do it. Robots: in a purpose-built cell, HOMAG STORETEQ P-500 storage system + 3x CENTATEQ N-800 nesting cell (deployed). Anthropic's rating. | 11% | 38 min13 min to 1.7 h | Hands-on 80%, documents 20% | 20%Desk part half by now |
| Determine product specifications and materials, work methods, and machine setup requirements, according to blueprints, oral or written instructions, drawings, or work orders.Working out the product, method and setup from the drawings and orders.Done hourly or more by most who do it. | 6% | 21 min8 min to 42 min | Documents 50%, in person 50% | 50%Desk part half by now |
| Set up, program, or control computer-aided design (CAD) or computer numerical control (CNC) machines.Programs set at the control, then the machine run.Done daily by most who do it.Robots: in a purpose-built cell, Thermwood AutoProcessor (3-axis nested-based CNC router) (sold). Anthropic's rating. | 6% | 1.3 h25 min to 2.5 h | Hands-on 60%, documents 40% | 40%Desk part half by now |
| Adjust machine tables or cutting devices and set controls on machines to produce specified cuts or operations.Tables, cutting devices and controls set for the specified cut.Done daily by most who do it. Robots: in a purpose-built cell, Biesse Rover A Plus (EPS / XPS worktable positioning) (sold). Anthropic's rating. | 6% | 25 min8 min to 1.1 h | Hands-on 100% | Stays with people |
| Install and adjust blades, cutterheads, boring-bits, or sanding-belts, using hand tools and rules.Blades, heads, bits and belts fitted and adjusted with hand tools and rules.Done daily by most who do it. Robots: in a purpose-built cell, SCM Morbidelli M100/M200 CNC machining centre with FAST14 tool changer (sold). Anthropic's rating. | 6% | 25 min13 min to 50 min | Hands-on 100% | Stays with people |
| Inspect and mark completed workpieces and stack them on pallets, in boxes, or on conveyors so that they can be moved to the next workstation.Finished pieces checked, marked and stacked for the next station.Done hourly or more by most who do it. Robots: in a purpose-built cell, Barbaric NST nesting picker with C.R. Onsrud RH-Series router (sold). Anthropic's rating. | 6% | 17 min4 min to 29 min | Hands-on 100% | Stays with people |
| Change alignment and adjustment of sanding, cutting, or boring machine guides to prevent defects in finished products, using hand tools.Guides realigned and adjusted with hand tools to prevent defects.Done daily by most who do it. Robots: in a purpose-built cell, WEINIG Powermat 1200 with PowerCom PLUS / Power Set (Michael Weinig AG) (sold). Anthropic's rating. | 5% | 21 min8 min to 1.1 h | Hands-on 100% | Stays with people |
| Monitor operation of machines and make adjustments to correct problems and ensure conformance to specifications.Watching the run and correcting it at the machine.Done hourly or more by most who do it. Robots: in a purpose-built cell, Flexxbotics robot-driven manufacturing / autonomous process control at Precision Metal Industries (deployed). Anthropic's rating. | 5% | 17 min4 min to 50 min | Hands-on 100% | Stays with people |
| Feed stock through feed mechanisms or conveyors into planing, shaping, boring, mortising, or sanding machines to produce desired components.Stock fed through the planer, shaper, borer or sander.Done hourly or more by most who do it. Robots: in a purpose-built cell, KUKA KR 180 R3200 PA (KR QUANTEC PA) cell integrated by fischertech GmbH at Saegewerk Echtle KG (deployed). Anthropic's rating. | 5% | 17 min4 min to 50 min | Hands-on 100% | Stays with people |
| Start machines, adjust controls, and make trial cuts to ensure that machinery is operating properly.Controls adjusted and trial cuts made to prove the setup.Done daily by most who do it. Robots: in a purpose-built cell, Biesse Rover K FT 2231 tool-length presetter (deployed). Anthropic's rating. | 5% | 21 min8 min to 50 min | Hands-on 100% | Stays with people |
| Attach and adjust guides, stops, clamps, chucks, or feed mechanisms, using hand tools.Guides, stops, clamps, chucks and feed mechanisms attached and adjusted.Done daily by most who do it. Robots: in a structured facility, Biesse Rover XPS (Extreme Positioning System) (sold). Anthropic's rating. | 5% | 25 min8 min to 50 min | Hands-on 100% | Stays with people |
| Examine finished workpieces for smoothness, shape, angle, depth-of-cut, or conformity to specifications and verify dimensions, visually and using hands, rules, calipers, templates, or gauges.Pieces looked over and measured with rules, calipers, templates and gauges.Done hourly or more by most who do it. Robots: in a purpose-built cell, Creaform (AMETEK/FARO) MetraSCAN 3D-R / CUBE-R automated measuring cell (sold). Anthropic's rating. | 5% | 13 min4 min to 33 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.
- Sawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Wood8% now, 8% by 2028
- Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders7% now, 7% by 2028
- Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic10% now, 10% by 2028
- Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic18% now, 18% by 2028
- Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic38% now, 38% 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 Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing is within reach of AI now?
- An estimated 9% of the working time is within reach of AI models now and 9% 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 Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing 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 specifications and work orders (50% of the task's time now); Program and run CNC machines (40% of the task's time now); and Run woodworking machines (20% of the task's time now).
- Which tasks of Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing stay with people?
- Tasks that are people work or body work are not counted as within reach at any date. The largest: Set tables and controls; Install blades and cutterheads; and Inspect, mark and stack pieces. Together such tasks are about 74% of the working time, and the people and body parts of the other tasks stay with people too.
- What should Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing 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 91% of the working time stays with people, 8% becomes checking a model's work and 0% 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 Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing?
- 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 Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing?
- Anthropic's robot exposure rating (September 2026) finds 96% of the working time is physical work, and that a robot has been shown doing most of the task, somewhere, for 96% of the working time, 2% in a structured facility. Its index is 0.99 of 3. One example: Biesse Rover XPS (Extreme Positioning System) for "fit guides and clamps". 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 25 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 October 3, 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.
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