← Back to Careers
Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
Production · SOC 51-4081
0.0% AI Exposure — Low
$47,180
Median Annual Salary
Average
O*NET Outlook
14,700
Proj. Annual Openings
124,590
Employment (OEWS 2025)
-2.7%/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 51-4081 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
- $47,180
- No H-1B offered-wage row for this SOC.
- Projected openings
- 14,700
- BLS EP 2024–2034; employment change -0.5%.
- Observed/proxy demand
- 0
- FY2025 certified LCAs; 16,950 postings in 2025.
Skill evidence
Operations MonitoringQuality Control AnalysisMonitoringOperation and ControlEquipment Maintenance
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.
18.7%
Consensus
Actual adoption · Anthropic0%
AI capability · OpenAI10.3%
AI ability · AIOE45.9%
Automation baseline (2013) · Frey & Osborne91%
Top Skills
1.Operations Monitoring
2.Quality Control Analysis
3.Monitoring
4.Operation and Control
5.Equipment Maintenance
H-1B Visa Sponsorship Demand
View full H-1B trends →Certified H-1B Labor Condition Applications naming this occupation, FY2016–FY2025. A descriptive high-skill labor-demand signal — employer filings, not visa approvals or individual outcomes. Note: one LCA can cover multiple worker positions.
3
Decade Total (Certified LCAs)
0
FY2025 Volume
0% of all H-1B filings in FY2025
$0
Median Offered Wage (Latest Year)
#574 of 776
Rank by Total Volume
O*NET occupation profile
What this work involves
Set up, operate, or tend more than one type of cutting or forming machine tool or robot.
Common titles: Cell Technician, CNC Machine Setter (Computer Numerically Controlled Machine Setter), Fabrication Set-Up Person, Injection Molding Technician, Machine Operator, Machine Technician
Representative Tasks
- •Inspect workpieces for defects, and measure workpieces to determine accuracy of machine operation, using rules, templates, or other measuring instruments.
- •Position, adjust, and secure stock material or workpieces against stops, on arbors, or in chucks, fixtures, or automatic feeding mechanisms, manually or using hoists.
- •Read blueprints or job orders to determine product specifications and tooling instructions and to plan operational sequences.
- •Select, install, and adjust alignment of drills, cutters, dies, guides, and holding devices, using templates, measuring instruments, and hand tools.
- •Observe machine operation to detect workpiece defects or machine malfunctions, adjusting machines as necessary.
Detailed Work Activities
- •Measure dimensions of completed products or workpieces to verify conformance to specifications.
- •Mount materials or workpieces onto production equipment.
- •Mount attachments or tools onto production equipment.
- •Set equipment controls to meet cutting specifications.
- •Read work orders or other instructions to determine product specifications or materials requirements.
Tools & Technologies
Microsoft Excel · hotMicrosoft Office software · hotMicrosoft Outlook · hotMicrosoft Windows · hotSAP software · hotEmail software
Related Occupations
Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticMilling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticGrinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticTool Grinders, Filers, and SharpenersWoodworking 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 51-4081: 2019 — employment: 146,950, median wage: $36,330; 2020 — employment: 134,660, median wage: $37,510; 2021 — employment: 134,880, median wage: $37,630; 2022 — employment: 137,060, median wage: $39,210; 2023 — employment: 127,790, median wage: $41,600; 2025 — employment: 124,590, median wage: $47,180.
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 | $47,180 | N/A |
| AI Resiliency | 100/100 | N/A |