Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
Production · SOC 51-4035
AI exposure from the Anthropic Economic Index (2025); salary from BLS; skills from O*NET. See /sources.
Decision card
Career Evidence Passport
SOC 51-4035 evidence across exposure, wages, projections, postings, certified LCAs, skills, and transitions.
- SOC exposure
- 0.0%
- Low · Anthropic AEI
- Automation friction
- 52/100
- Moderate friction; broad SOC seed ORS job-requirements coverage.
- Wages
- $52,800
- No H-1B offered-wage row for this SOC.
- Projected openings
- 1,400
- BLS EP 2024–2034; employment change -14.4%.
- Observed/proxy demand
- —
- FY— certified LCAs; 1,599 postings in 2025.
Skill evidence
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
Across AI measures
Multiple exposure lenses for this occupation.
AI could do ~24.1% of this role but only ~0% is currently done with AI — a large capability-vs-adoption gap.
Top Skills
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 milling or planing machines to mill, plane, shape, groove, or profile metal or plastic work pieces.
Common titles: CNC Licensed Mill Operator (Computer Numerical Control Licensed Mill Operator), CNC Mill Operator (Computer Numerical Control Mill Operator), CNC Mill Operator (Computerized Numerical Control Mill Operator), CNC Mill Set Up Operator (Computerized Numerical Control Mill Set Up Operator), Machine Operator, Machine Set Up Operator
Representative Tasks
- •Remove workpieces from machines, and check to ensure that they conform to specifications, using measuring instruments such as microscopes, gauges, calipers, and micrometers.
- •Verify alignment of workpieces on machines, using measuring instruments such as rules, gauges, or calipers.
- •Move controls to set cutting specifications, to position cutting tools and workpieces in relation to each other, and to start machines.
- •Observe milling or planing machine operation, and adjust controls to ensure conformance with specified tolerances.
- •Select and install cutting tools and other accessories according to specifications, using hand tools or power tools.
Detailed Work Activities
- •Remove products or workpieces from production equipment.
- •Set equipment controls to meet cutting specifications.
- •Align parts or workpieces to ensure proper assembly.
- •Mount attachments or tools onto production equipment.
- •Monitor equipment operation to ensure that products are not flawed.
Tools & Technologies
Related Occupations
Employment Projections & AI Exposure
Employment & Wage Trend
BLS OEWS, 2019–2025
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 | $52,800 | N/A |
| AI Resiliency | 100/100 | N/A |