AI exposure by occupation, O*NET 51-4061.00
Will AI replace Model Makers, Metal and Plastic?
Model Makers, Metal and Plastic: AI can already handle 2 of 16 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 16 tasks O*NET 30.3 lists for Model Makers, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inspect and test products to verify conformance to specifications, using precision measuring instruments or circuit testers. | Estimated | Standard | |
| Consult and confer with engineering personnel to discuss developmental problems and to recommend product modifications. | Estimated | Standard | |
| Use computer-aided design (CAD) and computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) software or hardware to fabricate model parts. | Estimated | Standard | |
| Study blueprints, drawings, and sketches to determine material dimensions, required equipment, and operations sequences. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Set up and operate machines, such as lathes, drill presses, punch presses, or bandsaws, to fabricate prototypes or models. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Program computer numerical control (CNC) machines to fabricate model parts. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Cut, shape, and form metal parts, using lathes, power saws, snips, power brakes and shears, files, and mallets. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Rework or alter component model or parts as required to ensure that products meet standards. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Drill, countersink, and ream holes in parts and assemblies for bolts, screws, and other fasteners, using power tools. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Grind, file, and sand parts to finished dimensions. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Devise and construct tools, dies, molds, jigs, and fixtures, or modify existing tools and equipment. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Record specifications, production operations, and final dimensions of models for use in establishing operating standards and procedures. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Align, fit, and join parts, using bolts and screws or by welding or gluing. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Lay out and mark reference points and dimensions on materials, using measuring instruments and drawing or scribing tools. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Assemble mechanical, electrical, and electronic components into models or prototypes, using hand tools, power tools, and fabricating machines. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Wire and solder electrical and electronic connections and components. | Estimated | No tier |
Observed: scored from AI use recorded in the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026 release), 0 of 16 tasks. Estimated: scored from the task's O*NET 30.3 work activity, 16 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 19% of the role's importance-weighted task work. 19% of the work is something AI can address at some tier, and 81% 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
- 2,610
- Median annual wage
- $63,340
- Middle half of earners
- $47,360 to $86,740
- Projected change, 2024 to 2034
- -18.2%
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.
- Model Makers, Wood 79% skill overlap, about 8 months to move Exposure34
- Patternmakers, Metal and Plastic 78% skill overlap, about 8 months to move Exposure26
- Machinists 71% skill overlap, about 10 months to move Exposure27
- Tool and Die Makers 71% skill overlap, about 10 months to move Exposure25
- 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 Model Makers, Metal and Plastic and AI
Will AI replace Model Makers, Metal and Plastic?
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 -18.2% from 2024 to 2034.
What is the AI exposure of Model Makers, Metal and Plastic?
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. 0 of the 16 task scores are observed in the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026 release), and the other 16 are estimated from each task's O*NET work activity.
Which Model Makers, Metal and Plastic tasks can AI already do?
The tasks with the highest exposure are: Inspect and test products to verify conformance to specifications, using precision measuring instruments or circuit testers; Consult and confer with engineering personnel to discuss developmental problems and to recommend product modifications. They are the tasks that reach 60 or more.
What AI model tier does this role need?
A standard-tier model or lower covers 19% of the role's importance-weighted task work, and 81% 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 Model Makers, Metal and Plastic, and what do they earn?
2,610 people in the United States, with a median annual wage of $63,340 (BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025). BLS Employment Projections expect a change of -18.2% 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: Model Makers, 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/model-makers-metal-and-plastic
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