Will AI replace helpers for production workers?

Some tasks are already being done by AI or machines; the rest still needs a person. About 2h 55m 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 breakdown: 19m that AI mostly does alone, 2h 36m that robots have done in real workplaces. The other 5h 5m (64%) stays with people. Separately, BLS expects about 8.2% fewer of these jobs by 2035 (all jobs: +3.5%).

AI shows up regularly in 2 of 30 tasks, about 19m of a typical shift. The biggest ones:

• Record information, such as the number of products tested, meter readings, or dates and times of product production. (12m a shift, AI mostly does it alone)
• Read gauges or charts, and record data obtained. (6m a shift, AI mostly does it alone)

For some tasks, yes. Robots have done 6 of this job's tasks in workplaces like this one, about 2h 36m of a typical shift. 20 more tasks have only been done in factory setups built around the machine, so they stay with people here.

• Help production workers by performing duties of lesser skill, such as supplying or holding materials or tools, or cleaning work areas and equipment. (37m a shift; e.g. OTTO Motors AMRs (OTTO 100/1500), in use)
• Place products in equipment or on work surfaces for further processing, inspecting, or wrapping. (31m a shift; e.g. UR10e cobot + Keyence 3D bin picking machine-tending cell (integrated by GCG/AFS), in use)
• Transfer finished products, raw materials, tools, or equipment between storage and work areas of plants and warehouses, by hand or using hand trucks or powered lift trucks. (31m a shift; e.g. MiR500 autonomous mobile robot (Mobile Industrial Robots), in use)
• Remove products, machine attachments, or waste material from machines. (25m a shift; e.g. Universal Robots UR5 (CNC machine tending), in use)

5h 5m of a typical shift, or 64%, 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:

• Load and unload items from machines, conveyors, and conveyances. (56m a shift)
• Operate machinery used in the production process, or assist machine operators. (37m a shift)
• Pack and store materials and products. (31m a shift)
• Examine products to verify conformance to quality standards. (19m a shift)
• Observe equipment operations so that malfunctions can be detected, and notify operators of any malfunctions. (19m 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:

• 99% use their hands on tools, objects or controls more than half the time
• 57% spend more than half the day on their feet
• 54% work at arm's length or closer to other people

We track 1 sourced company move that affects this job. Most recent:

• Mar 1, 2026: BMW to pilot two Hexagon humanoid robots at its Leipzig plant (Pilot)

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 21,000 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 $39,070 a year ($18.78 an hour), 23% below the median for all U.S. jobs ($50,980). Most people in this job earn between $31,140 and $53,410 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 8.2% from 2025 to 2035, compared with 3.5% growth for all jobs. That's about 154,000 jobs in 2035. Even so, it expects about 21,000 openings a year, mostly from people retiring or changing careers. These projections don't single out AI as a cause.

About 166,000 people in the U.S., roughly 0.11% of all workers (BLS, May 2025). That makes it the 194th largest of the 796 jobs on this site. BLS expects about 154,000 in 2035.

The most common requirement is a high school diploma: about 49% 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:

• Get strong at the parts of the job that stay with people (listed above), which take 5h 5m of a typical shift
• Tools employers list: Adobe Acrobat, Adobe InDesign, Adobe Photoshop, Autodesk AutoCAD, Microsoft Excel
• Learn to use AI well on the tasks where it already shows up in this job (listed above)

These use similar skills, with less of a typical shift touched by AI or robots. 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:

• Molders, Shapers, and Casters (6m touched, $46k median pay)
• Sawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Wood (0m touched, $43k median pay)
• Sewing Machine Operators (19m touched, $37k median pay)
• Loading and Moving Machine Operators, Underground Mining (2h 16m touched, $75k median pay)
• Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers (29m touched, $54k median pay)

Each task carries its own evidence label. For this job: 2 observed in real AI use, 6 with robots in real deployments, 22 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.