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Rolling Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
Production · SOC 51-4023
0.0% AI Exposure — Low
$50,140
Median Annual Salary
Average
O*NET Outlook
2,100
Proj. Annual Openings
25,250
Employment (OEWS 2025)
-4.1%/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 51-4023 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
- $50,140
- No H-1B offered-wage row for this SOC.
- Projected openings
- 2,100
- BLS EP 2024–2034; employment change -8.3%.
- Observed/proxy demand
- —
- FY— certified LCAs; 2,576 postings in 2025.
Skill evidence
Operations MonitoringOperation and ControlQuality Control AnalysisMonitoringSpeaking
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.
18.4%
Consensus
Actual adoption · Anthropic0%
AI capability · OpenAI17.6%
AI ability · AIOE37.7%
Automation baseline (2013) · Frey & Osborne83%
AI could do ~17.6% of this role but only ~0% is currently done with AI — a large capability-vs-adoption gap.
Top Skills
1.Operations Monitoring
2.Operation and Control
3.Quality Control Analysis
4.Monitoring
5.Speaking
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 machines to roll steel or plastic forming bends, beads, knurls, rolls, or plate, or to flatten, temper, or reduce gauge of material.
Common titles: Breakdown Mill Operator, Calender Operator, Cold Mill Operator, Machine Operator, Mill Operator, Rolling Mill Operator
Representative Tasks
- •Monitor machine cycles and mill operation to detect jamming and to ensure that products conform to specifications.
- •Adjust and correct machine set-ups to reduce thicknesses, reshape products, and eliminate product defects.
- •Start operation of rolling and milling machines to flatten, temper, form, and reduce sheet metal sections and to produce steel strips.
- •Examine, inspect, and measure raw materials and finished products to verify conformance to specifications.
- •Read rolling orders, blueprints, and mill schedules to determine setup specifications, work sequences, product dimensions, and installation procedures.
Detailed Work Activities
- •Operate metal or plastic forming equipment.
- •Watch operating equipment to detect malfunctions.
- •Inspect metal, plastic, or composite products.
- •Measure dimensions of completed products or workpieces to verify conformance to specifications.
- •Read work orders or other instructions to determine product specifications or materials requirements.
Tools & Technologies
Email softwareWeb browser software
Related Occupations
Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersCutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticGrinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticMilling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticWoodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing
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 51-4023: 2019 — employment: 32,470, median wage: $40,490; 2020 — employment: 34,500, median wage: $43,600; 2021 — employment: 31,650, median wage: $46,210; 2022 — employment: 27,900, median wage: $46,310; 2023 — employment: 24,750, median wage: $47,040; 2025 — employment: 25,250, median wage: $50,140.
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 | $50,140 | N/A |
| AI Resiliency | 100/100 | N/A |