Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
Production · SOC 51-9196
AI exposure from the Anthropic Economic Index (2025); salary from BLS; skills from O*NET. See /sources.
Decision card
Career Evidence Passport
SOC 51-9196 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
- $50,270
- No H-1B offered-wage row for this SOC.
- Projected openings
- 9,300
- BLS EP 2024–2034; employment change -6.3%.
- Observed/proxy demand
- 0
- FY2025 certified LCAs; 11,223 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 paper goods machines that perform a variety of functions, such as converting, sawing, corrugating, banding, wrapping, boxing, stitching, forming, or sealing paper or paperboard sheets into products.
Common titles: Corrugator Operator, Cup Room Technician, Folder Machine Operator, Gluer Operator, Paper Cutter Operator, Paper Machine Backtender
Representative Tasks
- •Examine completed work to detect defects and verify conformance to work orders, and adjust machinery as necessary to correct production problems.
- •Observe operation of various machines to detect and correct machine malfunctions such as improper forming, glue flow, or pasteboard tension.
- •Start machines and move controls to regulate tension on pressure rolls, to synchronize speed of machine components, and to adjust temperatures of glue or paraffin.
- •Disassemble machines to maintain, repair, or replace broken or worn parts, using hand or power tools.
- •Install attachments to machines for gluing, folding, printing, or cutting.
Detailed Work Activities
- •Adjust equipment to ensure optimal performance.
- •Inspect finished products to locate flaws.
- •Watch operating equipment to detect malfunctions.
- •Mount attachments or tools onto production equipment.
- •Cut industrial materials in preparation for fabrication or processing.
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 | $50,270 | N/A |
| AI Resiliency | 100/100 | N/A |