AI exposure by occupation, O*NET 51-4034.00

Will AI replace Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic?

Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic: AI can already handle 2 of 18 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 18 tasks O*NET 30.3 lists for Lathe and Turning 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 Importance
Inspect sample workpieces to verify conformance with specifications, using instruments such as gauges, micrometers, and dial indicators. 80 Estimated Standard 4.2
Position, secure, and align cutting tools in toolholders on machines, using hand tools, and verify their positions with measuring instruments. 80 Estimated Efficient 4.1
Install holding fixtures, cams, gears, and stops to control stock and tool movement, using hand tools, power tools, and measuring instruments. 20 Estimated Efficient 3.6
Adjust machine controls and change tool settings to keep dimensions within specified tolerances. 15 Estimated No tier 4.3
Move controls to set cutting speeds and depths and feed rates, and to position tools in relation to workpieces. 15 Estimated No tier 4.3
Study blueprints, layouts or charts, and job orders for information on specifications and tooling instructions, and to determine material requirements and operational sequences. 15 Estimated No tier 4.3
Replace worn tools, and sharpen dull cutting tools and dies, using bench grinders or cutter-grinding machines. 15 Estimated No tier 4.2
Move toolholders manually or by turning handwheels, or engage automatic feeding mechanisms to feed tools to and along workpieces. 15 Estimated No tier 4.2
Compute unspecified dimensions and machine settings, using knowledge of metal properties and shop mathematics. 15 Estimated No tier 4.1
Crank machines through cycles, stopping to adjust tool positions and machine controls to ensure specified timing, clearances, and tolerances. 15 Estimated No tier 4.1
Start lathe or turning machines and observe operations to ensure that specifications are met. 15 Estimated No tier 4.0
Program computer numerical control machines. 15 Estimated No tier 3.9
Refill, change, and monitor the level of fluids, such as oil and coolant, in machines. 15 Estimated No tier 3.9
Select cutting tools and tooling instructions, according to written specifications or knowledge of metal properties and shop mathematics. 15 Estimated No tier 3.5
Mount attachments, such as relieving or tracing attachments, to perform operations, such as duplicating contours of templates or trimming workpieces. 15 Estimated No tier 3.5
Turn valve handles to direct the flow of coolant onto work areas or to coat disks with spinning compounds. 15 Estimated No tier 3.5
Clean work area. 12 Estimated No tier 3.8
Lift metal stock or workpieces manually or using hoists, and position and secure them in machines, using fasteners and hand tools. 8 Estimated No tier 3.7

Observed: scored from AI use recorded in the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026 release), 0 of 18 tasks. Estimated: scored from the task's O*NET 30.3 work activity, 18 of 18. 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 17% of the role's importance-weighted task work. 17% of the work is something AI can address at some tier, and 83% 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
16,710
Median annual wage
$50,620
Middle half of earners
$43,250 to $60,700
Projected change, 2024 to 2034
-13.6%

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.

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

Questions about Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic and AI

Will AI replace Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic?

AI already handles 2 of the 18 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 -13.6% from 2024 to 2034.

What is the AI exposure of Lathe and Turning Machine Tool 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 18 task scores are observed in the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026 release), and the other 18 are estimated from each task's O*NET work activity.

Which Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic tasks can AI already do?

The tasks with the highest exposure are: Inspect sample workpieces to verify conformance with specifications, using instruments such as gauges, micrometers, and dial indicators; Position, secure, and align cutting tools in toolholders on machines, using hand tools, and verify their positions with measuring instruments. They are the tasks that reach 60 or more.

What AI model tier does this role need?

A standard-tier model or lower covers 17% of the role's importance-weighted task work, and 83% 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 Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic, and what do they earn?

16,710 people in the United States, with a median annual wage of $50,620 (BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025). BLS Employment Projections expect a change of -13.6% 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: Lathe and Turning 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/lathe-and-turning-machine-tool-setters-operators-and-tenders-metal-and-plastic

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