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Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
Production · SOC 51-9041
0.0% AI Exposure — Low
$45,760
Median Annual Salary
Average
O*NET Outlook
7,600
Proj. Annual Openings
58,770
Employment (OEWS 2025)
-3.3%/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 51-9041 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
- $45,760
- No H-1B offered-wage row for this SOC.
- Projected openings
- 7,600
- BLS EP 2024–2034; employment change +2.0%.
- Observed/proxy demand
- —
- FY— certified LCAs; 8,611 postings in 2025.
Skill evidence
Operations MonitoringOperation and ControlMonitoringSpeakingReading Comprehension
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.
15.4%
Consensus
Actual adoption · Anthropic0%
AI capability · OpenAI7.5%
AI ability · AIOE38.8%
Automation baseline (2013) · Frey & Osborne93%
Top Skills
1.Operations Monitoring
2.Operation and Control
3.Monitoring
4.Speaking
5.Reading Comprehension
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 machines, such as glass-forming machines, plodder machines, and tuber machines, to shape and form products such as glassware, food, rubber, soap, brick, tile, clay, wax, tobacco, or cosmetics.
Common titles: Extruder Operator, Extrusion Operator, Glass Forming Crew Member, Machine Operator, Press Operator, Tuber Operator
Representative Tasks
- •Adjust machine components to regulate speeds, pressures, and temperatures, and amounts, dimensions, and flow of materials or ingredients.
- •Press control buttons to activate machinery and equipment.
- •Examine, measure, and weigh materials or products to verify conformance to standards, using measuring devices such as templates, micrometers, or scales.
- •Monitor machine operations and observe lights and gauges to detect malfunctions.
- •Clear jams, and remove defective or substandard materials or products.
Detailed Work Activities
- •Operate metal or plastic forming equipment.
- •Adjust equipment controls to regulate flow of production materials or products.
- •Adjust temperature controls of ovens or other heating equipment.
- •Measure dimensions of completed products or workpieces to verify conformance to specifications.
- •Inspect metal, plastic, or composite products.
Tools & Technologies
Microsoft Excel · hotMicrosoft Office software · hotMicrosoft Outlook · hotMicrosoft Word · hotSAP software · hot
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 51-9041: 2019 — employment: 71,850, median wage: $35,480; 2020 — employment: 63,730, median wage: $36,560; 2021 — employment: 56,570, median wage: $37,660; 2022 — employment: 58,740, median wage: $39,480; 2023 — employment: 57,080, median wage: $42,670; 2025 — employment: 58,770, median wage: $45,760.
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 | $45,760 | N/A |
| AI Resiliency | 100/100 | N/A |