AI exposure by occupation, O*NET 51-4031.00

Will AI replace Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic?

Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic: AI can already handle 2 of 31 tasks; most of the work is hands-on, and the part AI can address mostly needs a standard-tier model.

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Every task, scored

The 31 tasks O*NET 30.3 lists for Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic, from most to least exposed. 2 reach 60 or more, the level at which AI already handles a task.

Task AI exposure Evidence Model tier Importance
Examine completed workpieces for defects, such as chipped edges or marred surfaces and sort defective pieces according to types of flaws. 90 Estimated Standard 4.6
Measure completed workpieces to verify conformance to specifications, using micrometers, gauges, calipers, templates, or rulers. 80 Estimated Standard 4.7
Plan sequences of operations, applying knowledge of physical properties of workpiece materials. 50 Estimated Standard 3.9
Use equipment designed to join sheet metal, such as spot welders. 50 Estimated Efficient 3.4
Install, align, and lock specified punches, dies, cutting blades, or other fixtures in rams or beds of machines, using gauges, templates, feelers, shims, and hand tools. 20 Estimated Efficient 4.5
Select, clean, and install spacers, rubber sleeves, or cutters on arbors. 20 Estimated Standard 3.6
Lubricate workpieces with oil. 15 Estimated No tier 4.5
Read work orders or production schedules to determine specifications, such as materials to be used, locations of cutting lines, or dimensions and tolerances. 15 Estimated No tier 4.5
Start machines, monitor their operations, and record operational data. 15 Estimated No tier 4.5
Set up, operate, or tend machines to saw, cut, shear, slit, punch, crimp, notch, bend, or straighten metal or plastic material. 15 Estimated No tier 4.4
Adjust ram strokes of presses to specified lengths, using hand tools. 15 Estimated No tier 4.4
Position, align, and secure workpieces against fixtures or stops on machine beds or on dies. 15 Estimated No tier 4.3
Load workpieces, plastic material, or chemical solutions into machines. 15 Estimated No tier 4.2
Test and adjust machine speeds or actions, according to product specifications, using gauges and hand tools. 15 Estimated No tier 4.2
Set stops on machine beds, change dies, and adjust components, such as rams or power presses, when making multiple or successive passes. 15 Estimated No tier 4.2
Clean and lubricate machines. 15 Estimated No tier 4.1
Position guides, stops, holding blocks, or other fixtures to secure and direct workpieces, using hand tools and measuring devices. 15 Estimated No tier 4.0
Turn controls to set cutting speeds, feed rates, or table angles for specified operations. 15 Estimated No tier 4.0
Place workpieces on cutting tables, manually or using hoists, cranes, or sledges. 15 Estimated No tier 3.9
Replace defective blades or wheels, using hand tools. 15 Estimated No tier 3.9
Turn valves to start flow of coolant against cutting areas or to start airflow that blows cuttings away from kerfs. 15 Estimated No tier 3.8
Mark identifying data on workpieces. 15 Estimated No tier 3.8
Hone cutters with oilstones to remove nicks. 15 Estimated No tier 3.8
Remove housings, feed tubes, tool holders, or other accessories to replace worn or broken parts, such as springs or bushings. 15 Estimated No tier 3.7
Sharpen dulled blades, using bench grinders, abrasive wheels, or lathes. 15 Estimated No tier 3.7
Scribe reference lines on workpieces as guides for cutting operations, according to blueprints, templates, sample parts, or specifications. 15 Estimated No tier 3.5
Grind out burrs or sharp edges, using portable grinders, speed lathes, or polishing jacks. 15 Estimated No tier 3.4
Preheat workpieces, using heating furnaces or hand torches. 15 Estimated No tier 3.2
Clean work area. 12 Estimated No tier 3.9
Set blade tensions, heights, and angles to perform prescribed cuts, using wrenches. 10 Estimated No tier 3.4
Operate forklifts to deliver materials. 8 Estimated No tier 3.6

Observed: scored from AI use recorded in the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026 release), 0 of 31 tasks. Estimated: scored from the task's O*NET 30.3 work activity, 31 of 31. 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

A standard-tier model or lower covers 20% of the role's importance-weighted task work. 20% of the work is something AI can address at some tier, and 80% 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
171,200
Median annual wage
$46,330
Middle half of earners
$38,870 to $55,410
Projected change, 2024 to 2034
-12.1%

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.

Skill overlap and transition time from the JobRoute role adjacency graph on O*NET 30.3 skills.

Questions about Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic and AI

Will AI replace Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic?

AI already handles 2 of the 31 tasks O*NET lists for this occupation, at a task exposure of 60 or more, and the role's importance-weighted exposure is 22 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. BLS projects employment to change by -12.1% from 2024 to 2034.

What is the AI exposure of Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic?

22 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 31 task scores are observed in the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026 release), and the other 31 are estimated from each task's O*NET work activity.

Which Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic tasks can AI already do?

The tasks with the highest exposure are: Examine completed workpieces for defects, such as chipped edges or marred surfaces and sort defective pieces according to types of flaws; Measure completed workpieces to verify conformance to specifications, using micrometers, gauges, calipers, templates, or rulers. They are the tasks that reach 60 or more.

What AI model tier does this role need?

A standard-tier model or lower covers 20% of the role's importance-weighted task work, and 80% 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 Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic, and what do they earn?

171,200 people in the United States, with a median annual wage of $46,330 (BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025). BLS Employment Projections expect a change of -12.1% 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: Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic. 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/cutting-punching-and-press-machine-setters-operators-and-tenders-metal-and-plastic

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