AI exposure by occupation, O*NET 51-4062.00
Will AI replace Patternmakers, Metal and Plastic?
Patternmakers, Metal and Plastic: AI can already handle 2 of 15 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 15 tasks O*NET 30.3 lists for Patternmakers, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Verify conformance of patterns or template dimensions to specifications, using measuring instruments such as calipers, scales, and micrometers. | Estimated | Standard | |
| Read and interpret blueprints or drawings of parts to be cast or patterns to be made, compute dimensions, and plan operational sequences. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Design and create templates, patterns, or coreboxes according to work orders, sample parts, or mockups. | Estimated | Frontier | |
| Repair and rework templates and patterns. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Program computerized numerical control machine tools. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Set up and operate machine tools, such as milling machines, lathes, drill presses, and grinders, to machine castings or patterns. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Create computer models of patterns or parts, using modeling software. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Assemble pattern sections, using hand tools, bolts, screws, rivets, glue, or welding equipment. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Construct platforms, fixtures, and jigs for holding and placing patterns. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Clean and finish patterns or templates, using emery cloths, files, scrapers, and power grinders. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Mark identification numbers or symbols onto patterns or templates. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Lay out and draw or scribe patterns onto material, using compasses, protractors, rulers, scribes, or other instruments. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Paint or lacquer patterns. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Select pattern materials such as wood, resin, and fiberglass. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Apply plastic-impregnated fabrics or coats of sealing wax or lacquer to patterns used to produce plastic. | Estimated | No tier |
Observed: scored from AI use recorded in the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026 release), 0 of 15 tasks. Estimated: scored from the task's O*NET 30.3 work activity, 15 of 15. 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 28% of the role's importance-weighted task work. 28% of the work is something AI can address at some tier, and 72% 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
- 1,470
- Median annual wage
- $58,000
- Middle half of earners
- $49,070 to $69,960
- Projected change, 2024 to 2034
- -24.4%
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, Wood 79% skill overlap, about 8 months to move Exposure25
- Model Makers, Metal and Plastic 78% skill overlap, about 8 months to move Exposure24
- Fabric and Apparel Patternmakers 76% skill overlap, about 9 months to move Exposure40
- Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic 72% skill overlap, about 10 months to move Exposure20
- Layout Workers, Metal and Plastic 72% skill overlap, about 10 months to move Exposure32
Skill overlap and transition time from the JobRoute role adjacency graph on O*NET 30.3 skills.
Questions about Patternmakers, Metal and Plastic and AI
Will AI replace Patternmakers, Metal and Plastic?
AI already handles 2 of the 15 tasks O*NET lists for this occupation, at a task exposure of 60 or more, and the role's importance-weighted exposure is 26 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 -24.4% from 2024 to 2034.
What is the AI exposure of Patternmakers, Metal and Plastic?
26 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 15 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 Patternmakers, Metal and Plastic tasks can AI already do?
The tasks with the highest exposure are: Verify conformance of patterns or template dimensions to specifications, using measuring instruments such as calipers, scales, and micrometers; Read and interpret blueprints or drawings of parts to be cast or patterns to be made, compute dimensions, and plan operational sequences. They are the tasks that reach 60 or more.
What AI model tier does this role need?
A frontier-tier model or lower covers 28% of the role's importance-weighted task work, and 72% 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 Patternmakers, Metal and Plastic, and what do they earn?
1,470 people in the United States, with a median annual wage of $58,000 (BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025). BLS Employment Projections expect a change of -24.4% 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: Patternmakers, 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/patternmakers-metal-and-plastic
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