AI exposure by occupation, O*NET 51-4032.00
Will AI replace Drilling and Boring Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic?
Drilling and Boring Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic: AI can already handle 2 of 17 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 17 tasks O*NET 30.3 lists for Drilling and Boring Machine Tool 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Verify conformance of machined work to specifications, using measuring instruments, such as calipers, micrometers, or fixed or telescoping gauges. | Estimated | Standard | |
| Verify that workpiece reference lines are parallel to the axis of table rotation, using dial indicators mounted in spindles. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Install tools in spindles. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Study machining instructions, job orders, or blueprints to determine dimensional or finish specifications, sequences of operations, setups, or tooling requirements. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Move machine controls to lower tools to workpieces and to engage automatic feeds. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Establish zero reference points on workpieces, such as at the intersections of two edges or over hole locations. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Change worn cutting tools, using wrenches. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Select and set cutting speeds, feed rates, depths of cuts, and cutting tools, according to machining instructions or knowledge of metal properties. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Position and secure workpieces on tables, using bolts, jigs, clamps, shims, or other holding devices. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Observe drilling or boring machine operations to detect any problems. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Turn valves and direct flow of coolants or cutting oil over cutting areas. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Operate single- or multiple-spindle drill presses to bore holes so that machining operations can be performed on metal or plastic workpieces. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Perform minor assembly, such as fastening parts with nuts, bolts, or screws, using power tools or hand tools. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Lay out reference lines and machining locations on work, using layout tools, and applying knowledge of shop math and layout techniques. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Sharpen cutting tools, using bench grinders. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Operate tracing attachments to duplicate contours from templates or models. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Lift workpieces onto work tables either manually or with hoists or direct crane operators to lift and position workpieces. | Estimated | No tier |
Observed: scored from AI use recorded in the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026 release), 0 of 17 tasks. Estimated: scored from the task's O*NET 30.3 work activity, 17 of 17. 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 19% of the role's importance-weighted task work. 19% of the work is something AI can address at some tier, and 81% 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
- 4,680
- Median annual wage
- $49,080
- Middle half of earners
- $41,710 to $57,940
- Projected change, 2024 to 2034
- -19.6%
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.
- Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic 82% skill overlap, about 6 months to move Exposure26
- Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic 82% skill overlap, about 7 months to move Exposure17
- Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic 80% skill overlap, about 7 months to move Exposure22
- Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic 79% skill overlap, about 8 months to move Exposure22
- Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic 77% skill overlap, about 8 months to move Exposure16
Skill overlap and transition time from the JobRoute role adjacency graph on O*NET 30.3 skills.
Questions about Drilling and Boring Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic and AI
Will AI replace Drilling and Boring Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic?
AI already handles 2 of the 17 tasks O*NET lists for this occupation, at a task exposure of 60 or more, and the role's importance-weighted exposure is 23 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 -19.6% from 2024 to 2034.
What is the AI exposure of Drilling and Boring Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic?
23 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 17 task scores are observed in the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026 release), and the other 17 are estimated from each task's O*NET work activity.
Which Drilling and Boring Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic tasks can AI already do?
The tasks with the highest exposure are: Verify conformance of machined work to specifications, using measuring instruments, such as calipers, micrometers, or fixed or telescoping gauges; Verify that workpiece reference lines are parallel to the axis of table rotation, using dial indicators mounted in spindles. They are the tasks that reach 60 or more.
What AI model tier does this role need?
A standard-tier model or lower covers 19% of the role's importance-weighted task work, and 81% 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 Drilling and Boring Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic, and what do they earn?
4,680 people in the United States, with a median annual wage of $49,080 (BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025). BLS Employment Projections expect a change of -19.6% 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: Drilling and Boring Machine Tool 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/drilling-and-boring-machine-tool-setters-operators-and-tenders-metal-and-plastic
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