Will AI replace conveyor operators and tenders?

Some tasks are already being done by AI or machines; the rest still needs a person. About 4h 27m of a typical shift is made up of tasks that AI or robots have done on their own in real use somewhere. That doesn't mean those hours are automated in a typical workplace. The other 3h 33m (44%) stays with people. Separately, BLS expects about 2.6% fewer of these jobs by 2035 (all jobs: +3.5%).

None of this job's tasks show regular AI use yet. That can mean the work is hands-on or in person, or simply that it rarely comes up in AI usage data.

For some tasks, yes. Robots have done 7 of this job's tasks in workplaces like this one, about 4h 27m of a typical shift. 7 more tasks have only been done in factory setups built around the machine, so they stay with people here. For 1 physical task, no robot has shown it can do the work yet.

• Observe conveyor operations and monitor lights, dials, and gauges to maintain specified operating levels and to detect equipment malfunctions. (1h 23m a shift; e.g. ANYmal (ANYbotics) at Vale Caue plant, in use)
• Load, unload, or adjust materials or products on conveyors by hand, by using lifts, hoists, and scoops, or by opening gates, chutes, or hoppers. (1h 17m a shift; e.g. Stretch at DHL Supply Chain sites, in use)
• Distribute materials, supplies, and equipment to work stations, using lifts and trucks. (30m a shift; e.g. Seegrid AMRs (Lift RS1/CR1, Pallet Truck, Tow Tractor), in use)
• Observe packages moving along conveyors to identify packages, detect defective packaging, and perform quality control. (30m a shift; e.g. Project P.I. (imaging tunnels), in use)

3h 33m of a typical shift, or 44%, goes to tasks with no AI or robot evidence yet. No AI usage or robot deployment has shown up for these so far. The biggest:

• Stop equipment or machinery and clear jams, using poles, bars, and hand tools, or remove damaged materials from conveyors. (41m a shift)
• Clean, sterilize, and maintain equipment, machinery, and work stations, using hand tools, shovels, brooms, chemicals, hoses, and lubricants. (36m a shift)
• Record production data such as weights, types, quantities, and storage locations of materials, as well as equipment performance problems and downtime. (24m a shift)
• Position deflector bars, gates, chutes, or spouts to divert flow of materials from one conveyor onto another conveyor. (18m a shift)
• Repair or replace equipment components or parts such as blades, rolls, and pumps. (18m a shift)

Much of it comes down to where and how the work happens. In-person, hands-on and high-stakes work is where AI and robots have made the least headway so far. In the official O*NET survey of people in this job:

• 82% use their hands on tools, objects or controls more than half the time
• 78% carry high or very high responsibility for other workers' safety
• 66% work outdoors in all weather every day

On Indeed, job postings in the Loading & Stocking sector are at 109% of their February 2020 level (all U.S. postings: 104%), up 12.4% from a year earlier, as of Oct 9, 2026. BLS separately expects about 2,200 openings a year in this job through 2035. Across all U.S. postings, 7.3% now mention AI skills. Sector postings cover more than this one job and move for many reasons besides AI.

The median pay is about $42,420 a year ($20.39 an hour), 17% below the median for all U.S. jobs ($50,980). Most people in this job earn between $36,180 and $59,470 a year; that range covers the middle 80%. Pay figures are from BLS, May 2025, and vary a lot by state and employer. Pick a state to compare:

BLS projects a decline of 2.6% from 2025 to 2035, compared with 3.5% growth for all jobs. That's about 28,000 jobs in 2035. Even so, it expects about 2,200 openings a year, mostly from people retiring or changing careers. These projections don't single out AI as a cause.

About 23,000 people in the U.S., roughly 0.01% of all workers (BLS, May 2025). That makes it the 520th largest of the 796 jobs on this site. BLS expects about 28,000 in 2035.

The most common requirement is less than a high school diploma: about 70% of people in the job said so in the official O*NET survey. O*NET rates the job at level 1 of 5 for preparation, which usually means: little or no preparation. Requirements vary by state and employer, especially for licensed work.

These come from the job's official skill ratings and from the tasks that AI and robots touch least today. Building them keeps you strong in the parts of the work that still need a person:

• Skills that matter more here than in most jobs: Operation and Control, Operations Monitoring, Monitoring, Complex Problem Solving
• Get strong at the parts of the job that stay with people (listed above), which take 3h 33m of a typical shift
• Tools employers list: Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Windows, SAP software

These use similar skills. Matches come from 109 official ratings of skills, knowledge and work activities, and each needs the same or less preparation unless the official list relates the jobs directly:

• Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators (7h 41m touched, $46k median pay)
• Tank Car, Truck, and Ship Loaders (2h 42m touched, $59k median pay)

Each task carries its own evidence label. For this job: 7 with robots in real deployments, 13 with no AI or robot evidence found. The minutes per task are estimates, not measured hours, and "no evidence" doesn't prove a task is safe.