AI exposure by occupation, O*NET 51-4192.00
Will AI replace Layout Workers, Metal and Plastic?
Layout Workers, Metal and Plastic: AI can already handle 2 of 14 tasks; most of the work is hands-on, and the part AI can address mostly needs a frontier-tier model.
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Every task, scored
The 14 tasks O*NET 30.3 lists for Layout Workers, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Locate center lines and verify template positions, using measuring instruments such as gauge blocks, height gauges, and dial indicators. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Inspect machined parts to verify conformance to specifications. | Estimated | Standard | |
| Plan locations and sequences of cutting, drilling, bending, rolling, punching, and welding operations, using compasses, protractors, dividers, and rules. | Estimated | Standard | |
| Plan and develop layouts from blueprints and templates, applying knowledge of trigonometry, design, effects of heat, and properties of metals. | Estimated | Frontier | |
| Design and prepare templates of wood, paper, or metal. | Estimated | Frontier | |
| Install doors, hatches, brackets, and clips. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Mark curves, lines, holes, dimensions, and welding symbols onto workpieces, using scribes, soapstones, punches, and hand drills. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Fit and align fabricated parts to be welded or assembled. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Lay out and fabricate metal structural parts such as plates, bulkheads, and frames. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Compute layout dimensions, and determine and mark reference points on metal stock or workpieces for further processing, such as welding and assembly. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Brace parts in position within hulls or ships for riveting or welding. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Add dimensional details to blueprints or drawings made by other workers. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Apply pigment to layout surfaces, using paint brushes. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Lift and position workpieces in relation to surface plates, manually or with hoists, and using parallel blocks and angle plates. | Estimated | No tier |
Observed: scored from AI use recorded in the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026 release), 0 of 14 tasks. Estimated: scored from the task's O*NET 30.3 work activity, 14 of 14. 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 frontier-tier model or lower covers 44% of the role's importance-weighted task work. 44% of the work is something AI can address at some tier, and 56% 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
- 5,970
- Median annual wage
- $63,870
- Middle half of earners
- $50,910 to $79,470
- Projected change, 2024 to 2034
- -5.4%
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.
- Patternmakers, Metal and Plastic 72% skill overlap, about 10 months to move Exposure26
- Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters 70% skill overlap, about 11 months to move Exposure19
- Model Makers, Metal and Plastic 64% skill overlap, about 13 months to move Exposure24
- Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic 64% skill overlap, about 13 months to move Exposure22
- Sheet Metal Workers 62% skill overlap, about 14 months to move Exposure21
Skill overlap and transition time from the JobRoute role adjacency graph on O*NET 30.3 skills.
Questions about Layout Workers, Metal and Plastic and AI
Will AI replace Layout Workers, Metal and Plastic?
AI already handles 2 of the 14 tasks O*NET lists for this occupation, at a task exposure of 60 or more, and the role's importance-weighted exposure is 32 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 -5.4% from 2024 to 2034.
What is the AI exposure of Layout Workers, Metal and Plastic?
32 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 14 task scores are observed in the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026 release), and the other 14 are estimated from each task's O*NET work activity.
Which Layout Workers, Metal and Plastic tasks can AI already do?
The tasks with the highest exposure are: Locate center lines and verify template positions, using measuring instruments such as gauge blocks, height gauges, and dial indicators; Inspect machined parts to verify conformance to specifications. They are the tasks that reach 60 or more.
What AI model tier does this role need?
A frontier-tier model or lower covers 44% of the role's importance-weighted task work, and 56% 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 Layout Workers, Metal and Plastic, and what do they earn?
5,970 people in the United States, with a median annual wage of $63,870 (BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025). BLS Employment Projections expect a change of -5.4% 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: Layout Workers, 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/layout-workers-metal-and-plastic
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