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Drilling and Boring Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
Production · SOC 51-4032
0.0% AI Exposure — Low
$49,080
Median Annual Salary
Average
O*NET Outlook
900
Proj. Annual Openings
4,680
Employment (OEWS 2025)
-13.1%/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 51-4032 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
- $49,080
- No H-1B offered-wage row for this SOC.
- Projected openings
- 900
- BLS EP 2024–2034; employment change -19.6%.
- Observed/proxy demand
- —
- FY— certified LCAs; 929 postings in 2025.
Skill evidence
Operations MonitoringReading ComprehensionMonitoringOperation and ControlActive 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.
16.2%
Consensus
Actual adoption · Anthropic0%
AI capability · OpenAI3%
AI ability · AIOE45.5%
Automation baseline (2013) · Frey & Osborne94%
Top Skills
1.Operations Monitoring
2.Reading Comprehension
3.Monitoring
4.Operation and Control
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 drilling machines to drill, bore, ream, mill, or countersink metal or plastic work pieces.
Common titles: Bore Mill Operator, CNC Drilling Operator (Computer Numerical Control Drilling Operator), CNC Machinist (Computer Numerical Control Machinist), Drill Operator, Drill Press Operator, Drill Setup Operator
Representative Tasks
- •Verify conformance of machined work to specifications, using measuring instruments, such as calipers, micrometers, or fixed or telescoping gauges.
- •Study machining instructions, job orders, or blueprints to determine dimensional or finish specifications, sequences of operations, setups, or tooling requirements.
- •Move machine controls to lower tools to workpieces and to engage automatic feeds.
- •Verify that workpiece reference lines are parallel to the axis of table rotation, using dial indicators mounted in spindles.
- •Establish zero reference points on workpieces, such as at the intersections of two edges or over hole locations.
Detailed Work Activities
- •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.
- •Review blueprints or other instructions to determine operational methods or sequences.
- •Study blueprints or other instructions to determine equipment setup requirements.
- •Drill holes in parts, equipment, or materials.
Tools & Technologies
Microsoft Excel · hotMicrosoft Office software · hotMicrosoft Word · hotSAP software · hotAutomated inventory software
Related Occupations
Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticLathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticWoodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except SawingGrinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticTool Grinders, Filers, and Sharpeners
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 51-4032: 2019 — employment: 10,870, median wage: $38,910; 2020 — employment: 9,090, median wage: $39,780; 2021 — employment: 6,810, median wage: $38,580; 2022 — employment: 6,470, median wage: $42,450; 2023 — employment: 5,740, median wage: $44,620; 2025 — employment: 4,680, median wage: $49,080.
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 | $49,080 | N/A |
| AI Resiliency | 100/100 | N/A |