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Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
Production · SOC 51-4031
0.0% AI Exposure — Low
$46,330
Median Annual Salary
Average
O*NET Outlook
18,600
Proj. Annual Openings
171,200
Employment (OEWS 2025)
-2.1%/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 51-4031 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
- $46,330
- No H-1B offered-wage row for this SOC.
- Projected openings
- 18,600
- BLS EP 2024–2034; employment change -12.1%.
- Observed/proxy demand
- —
- FY— certified LCAs; 21,814 postings in 2025.
Skill evidence
Operations MonitoringOperation and ControlMonitoringQuality Control AnalysisActive Listening
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.
13.3%
Consensus
Actual adoption · Anthropic0%
AI capability · OpenAI1%
AI ability · AIOE38.9%
Automation baseline (2013) · Frey & Osborne78%
Top Skills
1.Operations Monitoring
2.Operation and Control
3.Monitoring
4.Quality Control Analysis
5.Active Listening
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 saw, cut, shear, slit, punch, crimp, notch, bend, or straighten metal or plastic material.
Common titles: Die Setter, Fabrication Operator, Machine Operator, Machine Setter, Press Brake Operator, Press Operator
Representative Tasks
- •Measure completed workpieces to verify conformance to specifications, using micrometers, gauges, calipers, templates, or rulers.
- •Examine completed workpieces for defects, such as chipped edges or marred surfaces and sort defective pieces according to types of flaws.
- •Read work orders or production schedules to determine specifications, such as materials to be used, locations of cutting lines, or dimensions and tolerances.
- •Start machines, monitor their operations, and record operational data.
- •Set up, operate, or tend machines to saw, cut, shear, slit, punch, crimp, notch, bend, or straighten metal or plastic material.
Detailed Work Activities
- •Measure dimensions of completed products or workpieces to verify conformance to specifications.
- •Inspect metal, plastic, or composite products.
- •Sort materials or products for processing, storing, shipping, or grading.
- •Apply lubricants or coolants to workpieces.
- •Operate cutting equipment.
Tools & Technologies
Microsoft Excel · hotMicrosoft Office software · hotMicrosoft Outlook · hotSAP software · hotStriker Systems SS-Punch
Related Occupations
Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersWoodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except SawingMilling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticGrinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticRolling Machine 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 51-4031: 2019 — employment: 195,040, median wage: $35,610; 2020 — employment: 179,300, median wage: $36,980; 2021 — employment: 179,630, median wage: $37,630; 2022 — employment: 182,460, median wage: $39,340; 2023 — employment: 179,230, median wage: $42,400; 2025 — employment: 171,200, median wage: $46,330.
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 | $46,330 | N/A |
| AI Resiliency | 100/100 | N/A |