Will AI replace grinding, lapping, polishing, and buffing machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic?

Not on current evidence. Less than 30 minutes of a typical shift goes to tasks that AI or robots are doing today. The other 8h (100%) stays with people. Separately, BLS expects about 10.8% 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.

Not in workplaces like this one, based on a 2026 review of robot deployments. 14 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.

8h of a typical shift, or 100%, 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:

• Observe machine operations to detect any problems, making necessary adjustments to correct problems. (1h 24m a shift)
• Inspect or measure finished workpieces to determine conformance to specifications, using measuring instruments, such as gauges or micrometers. (1h 6m a shift)
• Set up, operate, or tend grinding and related tools that remove excess material or burrs from surfaces, sharpen edges or corners, or buff, hone, or polish metal or plastic workpieces. (1h a shift)
• Lift and position workpieces, manually or with hoists, and secure them in hoppers or on machine tables, faceplates, or chucks, using clamps. (42m a shift)
• Set and adjust machine controls according to product specifications, using knowledge of machine operation. (36m a shift)

On Indeed, job postings in the Production & Manufacturing sector are at 124% of their February 2020 level (all U.S. postings: 104%), up 12.6% from a year earlier, as of Oct 9, 2026. BLS separately expects about 4,500 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 $46,550 a year ($22.38 an hour), 9% below the median for all U.S. jobs ($50,980). Most people in this job earn between $36,110 and $62,600 a year; that range covers the middle 80%. Pay figures are from BLS, May 2025, and vary a lot by state and employer.

BLS projects a decline of 10.8% from 2025 to 2035, compared with 3.5% growth for all jobs. That's about 61,000 jobs in 2035. Even so, it expects about 4,500 openings a year, mostly from people retiring or changing careers. These projections don't single out AI as a cause.

About 67,000 people in the U.S., roughly 0.04% of all workers (BLS, May 2025). That makes it the 338th largest of the 796 jobs on this site. BLS expects about 61,000 in 2035.

The most common requirement is a high school diploma: about 80% of people in the job said so in the official O*NET survey. O*NET rates the job at level 2 of 5 for preparation, which usually means: high school diploma, some training. 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, Quality Control Analysis, Troubleshooting
• Get strong at the parts of the job that stay with people (listed above), which take 8h of a typical shift
• Tools employers list: Autodesk AutoCAD, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office software, 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:

• Textile Cutting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders (2h 11m touched, $39k median pay)
• Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders (1h 19m touched, $47k median pay)
• Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders (1h 18m touched, $48k median pay)
• Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic (2h 12m touched, $44k median pay)
• Tool Grinders, Filers, and Sharpeners (55m touched, $50k median pay)

Each task carries its own evidence label. For this job: 18 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.