AI exposure by occupation, O*NET 49-9043.00
Will AI replace Maintenance Workers, Machinery?
Maintenance Workers, Machinery: AI can already handle 1 of 18 tasks; the work mostly needs an efficient-tier model.
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Every task, scored
The 18 tasks O*NET 30.3 lists for Maintenance Workers, Machinery, from most to least exposed. 1 reach 60 or more, the level at which AI already handles a task.
| Task | AI exposure | Evidence | Model tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inspect or test damaged machine parts, and mark defective areas or advise supervisors of repair needs. | Estimated | Standard | |
| Dismantle machines and remove parts for repair, using hand tools, chain falls, jacks, cranes, or hoists. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Reassemble machines after the completion of repair or maintenance work. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Record production, repair, and machine maintenance information. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Install, replace, or change machine parts and attachments, according to production specifications. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Collaborate with other workers to repair or move machines, machine parts, or equipment. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Read work orders and specifications to determine machines and equipment requiring repair or maintenance. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Collect and discard worn machine parts and other refuse to maintain machinery and work areas. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Inventory and requisition machine parts, equipment, and other supplies so that stock can be maintained and replenished. | Estimated | Standard | |
| Replace or repair metal, wood, leather, glass, or other lining in machines, or in equipment compartments or containers. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Measure, mix, prepare, and test chemical solutions used to clean or repair machinery and equipment. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Lubricate or apply adhesives or other materials to machines, machine parts, or other equipment according to specified procedures. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Set up and operate machines, and adjust controls to regulate operations. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Start machines and observe mechanical operation to determine efficiency and to detect problems. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Transport machine parts, tools, equipment, and other material between work areas and storage, using cranes, hoists, or dollies. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Remove hardened material from machines or machine parts, using abrasives, power and hand tools, jackhammers, sledgehammers, or other equipment. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Replace, empty, or replenish machine and equipment containers such as gas tanks or boxes. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Clean machines and machine parts, using cleaning solvents, cloths, air guns, hoses, vacuums, or other equipment. | Estimated | No tier |
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
An efficient-tier model or lower covers 50% of the role's importance-weighted task work. 61% of the work is something AI can address at some tier, and 39% 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
- 60,020
- Median annual wage
- $60,850
- Middle half of earners
- $48,920 to $75,200
- Projected change, 2024 to 2034
- -2.8%
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.
- Industrial Machinery Mechanics 75% skill overlap, about 9 months to move Exposure24
- Maintenance and Repair Workers, General 72% skill overlap, about 10 months to move Exposure21
- Helpers--Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Workers 67% skill overlap, about 12 months to move Exposure23
- Millwrights 65% skill overlap, about 13 months to move Exposure21
- Machinists 64% skill overlap, about 13 months to move Exposure27
Skill overlap and transition time from the JobRoute role adjacency graph on O*NET 30.3 skills.
Questions about Maintenance Workers, Machinery and AI
Will AI replace Maintenance Workers, Machinery?
AI already handles 1 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 20 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 -2.8% from 2024 to 2034.
What is the AI exposure of Maintenance Workers, Machinery?
20 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 Maintenance Workers, Machinery tasks can AI already do?
The tasks with the highest exposure are: Inspect or test damaged machine parts, and mark defective areas or advise supervisors of repair needs. It is the only task that reach 60 or more.
What AI model tier does this role need?
An efficient-tier model or lower covers 50% of the role's importance-weighted task work, and 39% 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 Maintenance Workers, Machinery, and what do they earn?
60,020 people in the United States, with a median annual wage of $60,850 (BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025). BLS Employment Projections expect a change of -2.8% 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: Maintenance Workers, Machinery. 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/maintenance-workers-machinery
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