Will AI replace milling and planing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic?

Some tasks are already handled by AI or machines; the rest still needs a person. About 2h 36m of an 8-hour shift goes to tasks that AI or robots largely take over. The other 5h 24m (68%) stays with people. Separately, BLS expects about 13.2% 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 4 of this job's tasks in workplaces like this one, about 2h 36m of a typical shift. 7 more tasks have only been done in factory setups built around the machine, so they stay with people here.

• Observe milling or planing machine operation, and adjust controls to ensure conformance with specified tolerances. (1h 36m a shift; e.g. Caron Engineering TMAC, in use)
• Verify alignment of workpieces on machines, using measuring instruments such as rules, gauges, or calipers. (30m a shift; e.g. Renishaw OMP40-2 optical machine probe at Hammond Engineering, in use)
• Move cutters or material manually or by turning handwheels, or engage automatic feeding mechanisms to mill workpieces to specifications. (24m a shift; e.g. Precision Tool Technologies lights-out CNC cells (CNC machining centers with robotics and automated coolant delivery), in use)
• Turn valves or pull levers to start and regulate the flow of coolant or lubricant to work areas. (6m a shift; e.g. LNS Chipblaster V-40 programmable variable high-pressure coolant system, in use)

5h 24m of a typical shift, or 68%, 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:

• Position and secure workpieces on machines, using holding devices, measuring instruments, hand tools, and hoists. (1h 6m a shift)
• Remove workpieces from machines, and check to ensure that they conform to specifications, using measuring instruments such as microscopes, gauges, calipers, and micrometers. (1h a shift)
• Move controls to set cutting specifications, to position cutting tools and workpieces in relation to each other, and to start machines. (1h a shift)
• Select and install cutting tools and other accessories according to specifications, using hand tools or power tools. (36m a shift)
• Study blueprints, layouts, sketches, or work orders to assess workpiece specifications and to determine tooling instructions, tools and materials needed, and sequences of operations. (30m 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:

• 88% spend more than half the day on their feet
• 88% use their hands on tools, objects or controls more than half the time
• 57% spend more than half the day walking or moving

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 1,000 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 $52,800 a year ($25.39 an hour), 4% above the median for all U.S. jobs ($50,980). Most people in this job earn between $37,840 and $81,030 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 13.2% from 2025 to 2035, compared with 3.5% growth for all jobs. That's about 11,000 jobs in 2035. Even so, it expects about 1,000 openings a year, mostly from people retiring or changing careers. These projections don't single out AI as a cause.

About 12,000 people in the U.S., roughly 0.01% of all workers (BLS, May 2025). That makes it the 635th largest of the 796 jobs on this site. BLS expects about 11,000 in 2035.

The most common requirement is a high school diploma: about 47% 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: Operations Monitoring, Operation and Control, Monitoring, Critical Thinking
• Get strong at the parts of the job that stay with people (listed above), which take 5h 24m of a typical shift
• Tools employers list: Autodesk AutoCAD, Extensible markup language XML, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office software, Microsoft PowerPoint

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:

• Drilling and Boring Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic (56m touched, $49k median pay)
• Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic (17m touched, $49k median pay)
• Engine and Other Machine Assemblers (0m touched, $54k median pay)
• Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters (0m touched, $51k median pay)
• Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operators (1h 22m touched, $51k median pay)

Each task carries its own evidence label. For this job: 4 with robots in real deployments, 11 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.