AI exposure by occupation, O*NET 49-9041.00
Will AI replace Industrial Machinery Mechanics?
Industrial Machinery Mechanics: AI can already handle 2 of 16 tasks; the work mostly needs a standard-tier model.
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Every task, scored
The 16 tasks O*NET 30.3 lists for Industrial Machinery Mechanics, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Operate newly repaired machinery or equipment to verify the adequacy of repairs. | Estimated | Standard | |
| Analyze test results, machine error messages, or information obtained from operators to diagnose equipment problems. | Observed | Frontier | |
| Repair or maintain the operating condition of industrial production or processing machinery or equipment. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Repair or replace broken or malfunctioning components of machinery or equipment. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Disassemble machinery or equipment to remove parts and make repairs. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Reassemble equipment after completion of inspections, testing, or repairs. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Record repairs and maintenance performed. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Study blueprints or manufacturers' manuals to determine correct installation or operation of machinery. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Cut and weld metal to repair broken metal parts, fabricate new parts, or assemble new equipment. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Clean, lubricate, or adjust parts, equipment, or machinery. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Examine parts for defects, such as breakage or excessive wear. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Record parts or materials used and order or requisition new parts or materials, as necessary. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Enter codes and instructions to program computer-controlled machinery. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Demonstrate equipment functions and features to machine operators. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Assign schedules to work crews. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Observe and test the operation of machinery or equipment to diagnose malfunctions, using voltmeters or other testing devices. | Estimated | No tier |
Observed: scored from AI use recorded in the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026 release), 1 of 16 tasks. Estimated: scored from the task's O*NET 30.3 work activity, 15 of 16. 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 52% of the role's importance-weighted task work. 58% of the work is something AI can address at some tier, and 42% 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
- 439,640
- Median annual wage
- $64,520
- Middle half of earners
- $55,010 to $78,780
- Projected change, 2024 to 2034
- +16.1%
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.
- Maintenance Workers, Machinery 75% skill overlap, about 9 months to move Exposure20
- Maintenance and Repair Workers, General 71% skill overlap, about 10 months to move Exposure21
- Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanics, Except Engines 69% skill overlap, about 11 months to move Exposure17
- Millwrights 68% skill overlap, about 12 months to move Exposure21
- Farm Equipment Mechanics and Service Technicians 67% skill overlap, about 12 months to move Exposure22
Skill overlap and transition time from the JobRoute role adjacency graph on O*NET 30.3 skills.
Questions about Industrial Machinery Mechanics and AI
Will AI replace Industrial Machinery Mechanics?
AI already handles 2 of the 16 tasks O*NET lists for this occupation, at a task exposure of 60 or more, and the role's importance-weighted exposure is 24 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 +16.1% from 2024 to 2034.
What is the AI exposure of Industrial Machinery Mechanics?
24 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. 1 of the 16 task scores are observed in the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026 release), and the other 15 are estimated from each task's O*NET work activity.
Which Industrial Machinery Mechanics tasks can AI already do?
The tasks with the highest exposure are: Operate newly repaired machinery or equipment to verify the adequacy of repairs; Analyze test results, machine error messages, or information obtained from operators to diagnose equipment problems. They are the tasks that reach 60 or more.
What AI model tier does this role need?
A standard-tier model or lower covers 52% of the role's importance-weighted task work, and 42% 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 Industrial Machinery Mechanics, and what do they earn?
439,640 people in the United States, with a median annual wage of $64,520 (BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025). BLS Employment Projections expect a change of +16.1% 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: Industrial Machinery Mechanics. 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/industrial-machinery-mechanics
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