← Back to Careers
Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
Production · SOC 51-4022
0.0% AI Exposure — Low
$49,030
Median Annual Salary
Average
O*NET Outlook
1,200
Proj. Annual Openings
8,930
Employment (OEWS 2025)
-9.6%/yr
Empl. growth (2019–2025)
100/100
AI Resiliency Score
AI exposure from the Anthropic Economic Index (2025); salary from BLS; skills from O*NET. See /sources.
Decision card
Career Evidence Passport
SOC 51-4022 evidence across exposure, wages, projections, postings, certified LCAs, skills, and transitions.
Proxy / seed data labeledDescriptive-only
- SOC exposure
- 0.0%
- Low · Anthropic AEI
- Automation friction
- 52/100
- Moderate friction; broad SOC seed ORS job-requirements coverage.
- Wages
- $49,030
- No H-1B offered-wage row for this SOC.
- Projected openings
- 1,200
- BLS EP 2024–2034; employment change -18.9%.
- Observed/proxy demand
- —
- FY— certified LCAs; 1,313 postings in 2025.
Skill evidence
Operations MonitoringReading ComprehensionActive ListeningMonitoringOperation and Control
Transition context
- H-1B values are certified Labor Condition Applications, not visa approvals.
- Job postings are seed-static / seed-derived; treat as provider-ready proxy coverage until observed provider data is wired in.
- Transition matches are directional skill-overlap context, not placement guarantees.
- This release is a FutureGrid broad-SOC seed derived from public BLS ORS requirement concepts and categories, not direct occupation-level ORS survey estimates. It describes job requirements, not worker ability, AI capability, or displacement probability. Automation friction is a FutureGrid derived score and should be read alongside exposure, demand, wage, and projection signals.
AI Exposure Analysis
AI Exposure0.0%
AI Resiliency100/100
Exposure BandLow
Sector Avg. Exposure0.7%
Across AI measures
Multiple exposure lenses for this occupation.
16.2%
Consensus
Actual adoption · Anthropic0%
AI capability · OpenAI4.2%
AI ability · AIOE44.4%
Automation baseline (2013) · Frey & Osborne93%
Top Skills
1.Operations Monitoring
2.Reading Comprehension
3.Active Listening
4.Monitoring
5.Operation and Control
H-1B Visa Sponsorship Demand
View full H-1B trends →No H-1B certified LCA filings recorded for this occupation in FY2016–FY2025.
O*NET occupation profile
What this work involves
Set up, operate, or tend forging machines to taper, shape, or form metal or plastic parts.
Common titles: Blacksmith, Cold Header Operator, Forge Operator, Forge Press Operator, Forger, Hammer Operator
Representative Tasks
- •Read work orders or blueprints to determine specified tolerances and sequences of operations for machine setup.
- •Position and move metal wires or workpieces through a series of dies that compress and shape stock to form die impressions.
- •Measure and inspect machined parts to ensure conformance to product specifications.
- •Set up, operate, or tend presses and forging machines to perform hot or cold forging by flattening, straightening, bending, cutting, piercing, or other operations to taper, shape, or form metal.
- •Turn handles or knobs to set pressures and depths of ram strokes and to synchronize machine operations.
Detailed Work Activities
- •Study blueprints or other instructions to determine equipment setup requirements.
- •Maneuver workpieces in equipment during production.
- •Measure dimensions of completed products or workpieces to verify conformance to specifications.
- •Operate metal or plastic forming equipment.
- •Operate cutting equipment.
Tools & Technologies
Email softwareInventory tracking softwareMachine control software
Related Occupations
Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticWoodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except SawingTool and Die MakersMultiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticLathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
Employment Projections & AI Exposure
15
Occupations Shown
0.5%
Avg AI Exposure
1
Bright Outlook
Horizontal bar chart showing occupations with the highest projected annual openings. Each bar length represents annual projected openings. Color uses a gradient from violet (lower) to cyan (higher). Summary statistics are shown above the chart.
Employment & Wage Trend
BLS OEWS, 2019–2025
Multi-year BLS OEWS history for SOC 51-4022: 2019 — employment: 16,320, median wage: $39,670; 2020 — employment: 13,730, median wage: $41,430; 2021 — employment: 11,500, median wage: $44,520; 2022 — employment: 10,650, median wage: $46,540; 2023 — employment: 9,170, median wage: $46,990; 2025 — employment: 8,930, median wage: $49,030.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). See /sources.
Sector Comparison
| Metric | This Career | Sector Average |
|---|---|---|
| AI Exposure | 0.0% | 0.7% |
| Outlook | Average | 4% Bright |
| Median Salary | $49,030 | N/A |
| AI Resiliency | 100/100 | N/A |