← Back to Careers
Layout Workers, Metal and Plastic
Production · SOC 51-4192
0.0% AI Exposure — Low
$63,870
Median Annual Salary
Average
O*NET Outlook
800
Proj. Annual Openings
5,970
Employment (OEWS 2025)
-5.1%/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 51-4192 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
- 48/100
- Moderate friction; broad SOC seed ORS job-requirements coverage.
- Wages
- $63,870
- No H-1B offered-wage row for this SOC.
- Projected openings
- 800
- BLS EP 2024–2034; employment change -5.4%.
- Observed/proxy demand
- —
- FY— certified LCAs; 894 postings in 2025.
Skill evidence
MathematicsReading ComprehensionCritical ThinkingMonitoringComplex Problem Solving
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.
19.8%
Consensus
Actual adoption · Anthropic0%
AI capability · OpenAI13%
AI ability · AIOE46.4%
Automation baseline (2013) · Frey & Osborne84%
Top Skills
1.Mathematics
2.Reading Comprehension
3.Critical Thinking
4.Monitoring
5.Complex Problem Solving
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
Lay out reference points and dimensions on metal or plastic stock or workpieces, such as sheets, plates, tubes, structural shapes, castings, or machine parts, for further processing. Includes shipfitters.
Common titles: Development Mechanic, Layout Fabricator, Layout Fitter, Layout Inspector, Layout Man, Layout Mechanic
Representative Tasks
- •Mark curves, lines, holes, dimensions, and welding symbols onto workpieces, using scribes, soapstones, punches, and hand drills.
- •Plan locations and sequences of cutting, drilling, bending, rolling, punching, and welding operations, using compasses, protractors, dividers, and rules.
- •Fit and align fabricated parts to be welded or assembled.
- •Locate center lines and verify template positions, using measuring instruments such as gauge blocks, height gauges, and dial indicators.
- •Plan and develop layouts from blueprints and templates, applying knowledge of trigonometry, design, effects of heat, and properties of metals.
Detailed Work Activities
- •Draw guide lines or markings on materials or workpieces using patterns or other references.
- •Align parts or workpieces to ensure proper assembly.
- •Plan production or operational procedures or sequences.
- •Design templates or patterns.
- •Assemble metal or plastic parts or products.
Tools & Technologies
Microsoft Excel · hotMicrosoft Office software · hotMicrosoft PowerPoint · hotMicrosoft Word · hotHexagon Metrology PC-DMISOptical Gaging Products Measure-X
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 51-4192: 2019 — employment: 8,150, median wage: $49,940; 2020 — employment: 7,570, median wage: $52,300; 2021 — employment: 6,840, median wage: $51,690; 2022 — employment: 6,890, median wage: $58,260; 2023 — employment: 6,660, median wage: $62,270; 2025 — employment: 5,970, median wage: $63,870.
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 | $63,870 | N/A |
| AI Resiliency | 100/100 | N/A |