AI exposure by occupation, O*NET 51-6091.00
Will AI replace Extruding and Forming Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Synthetic and Glass Fibers?
Extruding and Forming Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Synthetic and Glass Fibers: AI does not yet handle any of the role's 17 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 17 tasks O*NET 30.3 lists for Extruding and Forming Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Synthetic and Glass Fibers, from most to least exposed. None reaches 60, the level at which AI already handles a task.
| Task | AI exposure | Evidence | Model tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clean and maintain extruding and forming machines, using hand tools. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Set up, operate, or tend machines that extrude and form filaments from synthetic materials such as rayon, fiberglass, or liquid polymers. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Press buttons to stop machines when processes are complete or when malfunctions are detected. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Notify other workers of defects, and direct them to adjust extruding and forming machines. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Observe flow of finish across finish rollers, and turn valves to adjust flow to specifications. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Observe machine operations, control boards, and gauges to detect malfunctions such as clogged bushings and defective binder applicators. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Remove polymer deposits from spinnerettes and equipment, using silicone spray, brass chisels, and bronze-wool pads. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Load materials into extruding and forming machines, using hand tools, and adjust feed mechanisms to set feed rates. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Press metering-pump buttons and turn valves to stop flow of polymers. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Record operational data on tags, and attach tags to machines. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Move controls to activate and adjust extruding and forming machines. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Start metering pumps and observe operation of machines and equipment to ensure continuous flow of filaments extruded through spinnerettes and to detect processing defects. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Remove excess, entangled, or completed filaments from machines, using hand tools. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Record details of machine malfunctions. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Wipe finish rollers with cloths and wash finish trays with water when necessary. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Lower pans inside cabinets to catch molten filaments until flow of polymer through packs has stopped. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Open cabinet doors to cut multifilament threadlines away from guides, using scissors. | 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
An efficient-tier model or lower covers 6% of the role's importance-weighted task work. 6% of the work is something AI can address at some tier, and 95% 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
- 12,850
- Median annual wage
- $46,350
- Middle half of earners
- $39,360 to $57,280
- Projected change, 2024 to 2034
- -1.1%
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.
- Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic 79% skill overlap, about 8 months to move Exposure16
- Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders 78% skill overlap, about 8 months to move Exposure23
- Textile Winding, Twisting, and Drawing Out Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders 74% skill overlap, about 9 months to move Exposure21
- Textile Knitting and Weaving Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders 72% skill overlap, about 10 months to move Exposure19
- Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic 69% skill overlap, about 11 months to move Exposure20
Skill overlap and transition time from the JobRoute role adjacency graph on O*NET 30.3 skills.
Questions about Extruding and Forming Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Synthetic and Glass Fibers and AI
Will AI replace Extruding and Forming Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Synthetic and Glass Fibers?
Not on current evidence. None of the 17 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 15 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 Extruding and Forming Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Synthetic and Glass Fibers?
15 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 Extruding and Forming Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Synthetic and Glass Fibers tasks can AI already do?
None reaches 60 yet. The most exposed task is: Clean and maintain extruding and forming machines, using hand tools, at 20 out of 100.
What AI model tier does this role need?
An efficient-tier model or lower covers 6% of the role's importance-weighted task work, and 95% 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 Extruding and Forming Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Synthetic and Glass Fibers, and what do they earn?
12,850 people in the United States, with a median annual wage of $46,350 (BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025). BLS Employment Projections expect a change of -1.1% 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: Extruding and Forming Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Synthetic and Glass Fibers. 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/extruding-and-forming-machine-setters-operators-and-tenders-synthetic-and-glass-fibers
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