Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
Production · SOC 51-9012
AI exposure from the Anthropic Economic Index (2025); salary from BLS; skills from O*NET. See /sources.
Decision card
Career Evidence Passport
SOC 51-9012 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
- $51,610
- H-1B offered wage $47,840; LCAs are filings.
- Projected openings
- 6,100
- BLS EP 2024–2034; employment change -4.3%.
- Observed/proxy demand
- 3
- FY2025 certified LCAs; 7,406 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.
Top Skills
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.
O*NET occupation profile
What this work involves
Set up, operate, or tend continuous flow or vat-type equipment; filter presses; shaker screens; centrifuges; condenser tubes; precipitating, fermenting, or evaporating tanks; scrubbing towers; or batch stills. These machines extract, sort, or separate liquids, gases, or solids from other materials to recover a refined product. Includes dairy processing equipment operators.
Common titles: Blender, Brewer, Cellar Worker, Digester Cook, Machine Tender, Paper Machine Tender
Representative Tasks
- •Dump, pour, or load specified amounts of refined or unrefined materials into equipment or containers for further processing or storage.
- •Operate machines to process materials in compliance with applicable safety, energy, or environmental regulations.
- •Monitor material flow or instruments, such as temperature or pressure gauges, indicators, or meters, to ensure optimal processing conditions.
- •Turn valves or move controls to admit, drain, separate, filter, clarify, mix, or transfer materials.
- •Set up or adjust machine controls to regulate conditions such as material flow, temperature, or pressure.
Detailed Work Activities
- •Load materials into production equipment.
- •Assess compliance with environmental laws.
- •Maintain safety.
- •Monitor instruments to ensure proper production conditions.
- •Adjust equipment controls to regulate flow of production materials or products.
Tools & Technologies
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 | $51,610 | N/A |
| AI Resiliency | 100/100 | N/A |