AI exposure by occupation, O*NET 51-9021.00
Will AI replace Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders?
Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders: AI does not yet handle any of the role's 21 tasks; most of the work is hands-on, and the part AI can address mostly needs an efficient-tier model.
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Every task, scored
The 21 tasks O*NET 30.3 lists for Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, from most to least exposed. None reaches 60, the level at which AI already handles a task.
| Task | AI exposure | Evidence | Model tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clean, adjust, and maintain equipment, using hand tools. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Notify supervisors of needed repairs. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Inspect chains, belts, or scrolls for signs of wear. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Observe operation of equipment to ensure continuity of flow, safety, and efficient operation, and to detect malfunctions. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Tend accessory equipment, such as pumps and conveyors, to move materials or ingredients through production processes. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Move controls to start, stop, or adjust machinery and equipment that crushes, grinds, polishes, or blends materials. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Weigh or measure materials, ingredients, or products at specified intervals to ensure conformance to requirements. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Test samples of materials or products to ensure compliance with specifications, using test equipment. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Mark bins as to types of mixtures stored. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Transfer materials, supplies, and products between work areas, using moving equipment and hand tools. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Add or mix chemicals and ingredients for processing, using hand tools or other devices. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Record data from operations, testing, and production on specified forms. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Collect samples of materials or products for laboratory testing. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Reject defective products and readjust equipment to eliminate problems. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Turn valves to regulate the moisture contents of materials. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Load materials into machinery and equipment, using hand tools. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Examine materials, ingredients, or products, visually or with hands, to ensure conformance to established standards. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Set mill gauges to specified fineness of grind. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Read work orders to determine production specifications and information. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Dislodge and clear jammed materials or other items from machinery and equipment, using hand tools. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Clean work areas. | Estimated | No tier |
Observed: scored from AI use recorded in the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026 release), 0 of 21 tasks. Estimated: scored from the task's O*NET 30.3 work activity, 21 of 21. Importance is O*NET's 1 to 5 rating of how central the task is. Model tier is the lowest tier that can do the task under the published rubric; "No tier" marks hands-on work.
The model tier this role needs
An efficient-tier model or lower covers 15% of the role's importance-weighted task work. 15% of the work is something AI can address at some tier, and 85% is hands-on.
Efficient, standard and frontier tiers come from the JobRoute model tier reference. The recommended tier is the lowest one that covers 80% of the work AI can address. How the method works.
Wages, employment and outlook
- US employment
- 26,000
- Median annual wage
- $48,540
- Middle half of earners
- $40,430 to $60,040
- Projected change, 2024 to 2034
- -2.5%
Employment and wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, national. Projection: BLS Employment Projections 2024 to 2034.
Adjacent roles
The occupations that reuse the most of this role's skills, with the usual time to move. These are the first places to look when you plan to redeploy or retrain people in this role.
- Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic 85% skill overlap, about 6 months to move Exposure16
- Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders 76% skill overlap, about 9 months to move Exposure23
- Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders 73% skill overlap, about 10 months to move Exposure26
- Tool Grinders, Filers, and Sharpeners 72% skill overlap, about 10 months to move Exposure21
- Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic 71% skill overlap, about 10 months to move Exposure17
Skill overlap and transition time from the JobRoute role adjacency graph on O*NET 30.3 skills.
Questions about Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders and AI
Will AI replace Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders?
Not on current evidence. None of the 21 tasks O*NET lists for this occupation reaches a task exposure of 60, the level at which JobRoute counts a task as handled by AI, and the role's importance-weighted exposure is 16 out of 100. JobRoute scores tasks, not whole jobs, so the score shows how much of the work changes rather than whether the job disappears.
What is the AI exposure of Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders?
16 out of 100 on JobRoute's task exposure measure, the importance-weighted average of the role's O*NET task scores. Higher means more of the work is AI-doable today. 0 of the 21 task scores are observed in the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026 release), and the other 21 are estimated from each task's O*NET work activity.
Which Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders tasks can AI already do?
None reaches 60 yet. The most exposed task is: Clean, adjust, and maintain equipment, using hand tools, at 20 out of 100.
What AI model tier does this role need?
An efficient-tier model or lower covers 15% of the role's importance-weighted task work, and 85% is hands-on work that no model tier covers. JobRoute assigns each task the lowest tier that can do it under a published rubric and recommends the lowest tier that covers 80% of the work AI can address.
How many people work as Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, and what do they earn?
26,000 people in the United States, with a median annual wage of $48,540 (BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025). BLS Employment Projections expect a change of -2.5% from 2024 to 2034.
How to cite
Data version 2026-11-02, JobRoute method v1.0.0. Download all occupations or this occupation as JSON. Methodology.
JobRoute (2026). AI exposure: Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders. Data version 2026-11-02, method v1.0.0. Built on O*NET 30.3, BLS OEWS May 2025 and the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026). CC BY 4.0. https://www.jobroute.ai/jobs/crushing-grinding-and-polishing-machine-setters-operators-and-tenders
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