Helpers--Production Workers
Production · SOC 51-9198
AI exposure from the Anthropic Economic Index (2025); salary from BLS; skills from O*NET. See /sources.
Decision card
Career Evidence Passport
SOC 51-9198 evidence across exposure, wages, projections, postings, certified LCAs, skills, and transitions.
- SOC exposure
- 3.9%
- Medium · Anthropic AEI
- Automation friction
- 48/100
- Moderate friction; broad SOC seed ORS job-requirements coverage.
- Wages
- $39,070
- No H-1B offered-wage row for this SOC.
- Projected openings
- 57,700
- BLS EP 2024–2034; employment change -8.9%.
- Observed/proxy demand
- 0
- FY2025 certified LCAs; 65,737 postings in 2025.
Skill evidence
- 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.
Best transitions from here
Explore all pathways→Lower AI-exposure roles that reuse your skills, ranked by a transition score (skills that transfer, safety gain, pay and retraining effort).
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
Help production workers by performing duties requiring less skill. Duties include supplying or holding materials or tools, and cleaning work area and equipment.
Common titles: Helper, Material Handler, Press Helper
Representative Tasks
- •Load and unload items from machines, conveyors, and conveyances.
- •Operate machinery used in the production process, or assist machine operators.
- •Place products in equipment or on work surfaces for further processing, inspecting, or wrapping.
- •Examine products to verify conformance to quality standards.
- •Start machines or equipment to begin production processes.
Detailed Work Activities
- •Remove products or workpieces from production equipment.
- •Load materials into production equipment.
- •Operate industrial equipment.
- •Count finished products or workpieces.
- •Inspect work to ensure standards are met.
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 | 3.9% | 0.7% |
| Outlook | Bright ↗ | 4% Bright |
| Median Salary | $39,070 | N/A |
| AI Resiliency | 96/100 | N/A |