AI exposure by occupation, O*NET 51-4122.00

Will AI replace Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders?

Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders: AI does not yet handle any of the role's 29 tasks; most of the work is hands-on, and the part AI can address mostly needs an efficient-tier model.

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Every task, scored

The 29 tasks O*NET 30.3 lists for Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, from most to least exposed. None reaches 60, the level at which AI already handles a task.

Task AI exposure Evidence Model tier Importance
Inspect, measure, or test completed metal workpieces to ensure conformance to specifications, using measuring and testing devices. 20 Estimated Efficient 4.2
Clean, lubricate, maintain, and adjust equipment to maintain efficient operation, using air hoses, cleaning fluids, and hand tools. 20 Estimated Efficient 3.8
Read blueprints, work orders, or production schedules to determine product or job instructions or specifications. 15 Estimated No tier 4.2
Add chemicals or materials to workpieces or machines to facilitate bonding or to cool workpieces. 15 Estimated No tier 4.0
Record operational information on specified production reports. 15 Estimated No tier 4.0
Set up, operate, or tend welding machines that join or bond components to fabricate metal products or assemblies. 15 Estimated No tier 4.0
Correct problems by adjusting controls or by stopping machines and opening holding devices. 15 Estimated No tier 4.0
Select torch tips, alloys, flux, coil, tubing, or wire, according to metal types or thicknesses, data charts, or records. 15 Estimated No tier 4.0
Lay out, fit, or connect parts to be bonded, calculating production measurements, as necessary. 15 Estimated No tier 4.0
Prepare metal surfaces or workpieces, using hand-operated equipment, such as grinders, cutters, or drills. 15 Estimated No tier 4.0
Mark weld points and positions of components on workpieces, using rules, squares, templates, or scribes. 15 Estimated No tier 4.0
Set dials and timing controls to regulate electrical current, gas flow pressure, heating or cooling cycles, or shut-off. 15 Estimated No tier 3.9
Turn and press knobs and buttons or enter operating instructions into computers to adjust and start welding machines. 15 Estimated No tier 3.9
Assemble, align, and clamp workpieces into holding fixtures to bond, heat-treat, or solder fabricated metal components. 15 Estimated No tier 3.9
Conduct trial runs before welding, soldering, or brazing, and make necessary adjustments to equipment. 15 Estimated No tier 3.9
Tend auxiliary equipment used in welding processes. 15 Estimated No tier 3.9
Give directions to other workers regarding machine set-up and use. 15 Estimated No tier 3.9
Select, position, align, and bolt jigs, holding fixtures, guides, or stops onto machines, using measuring instruments and hand tools. 15 Estimated No tier 3.8
Remove completed workpieces or parts from machinery, using hand tools. 15 Estimated No tier 3.8
Compute and record settings for new work, applying knowledge of metal properties, principles of welding, and shop mathematics. 15 Estimated No tier 3.8
Load or feed workpieces into welding machines to join or bond components. 15 Estimated No tier 3.7
Observe meters, gauges, or machine operations to ensure that soldering or brazing processes meet specifications. 15 Estimated No tier 3.7
Anneal finished workpieces to relieve internal stress. 15 Estimated No tier 3.7
Fill hoppers and position spouts to direct flow of flux or manually brush flux onto seams of workpieces. 15 Estimated No tier 3.6
Transfer components, metal products, or assemblies, using moving equipment. 15 Estimated No tier 3.6
Start, monitor, and adjust robotic welding production lines. 15 Estimated No tier 3.5
Devise or build fixtures or jigs used to hold parts in place during welding, brazing, or soldering. 15 Estimated No tier 3.5
Dress electrodes, using tip dressers, files, emery cloths, or dressing wheels. 15 Estimated No tier 3.2
Immerse completed workpieces into water or acid baths to cool and clean components. 15 Estimated No tier 3.0

Observed: scored from AI use recorded in the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026 release), 0 of 29 tasks. Estimated: scored from the task's O*NET 30.3 work activity, 29 of 29. 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 7% of the role's importance-weighted task work. 7% of the work is something AI can address at some tier, and 93% 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
31,600
Median annual wage
$47,920
Middle half of earners
$40,560 to $57,390
Projected change, 2024 to 2034
-9.0%

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 Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders and AI

Will AI replace Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders?

Not on current evidence. None of the 29 tasks O*NET lists for this occupation reaches a task exposure of 60, the level at which JobRoute counts a task as handled by AI, and the role's importance-weighted exposure is 15 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.

What is the AI exposure of Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders?

15 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 29 task scores are observed in the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026 release), and the other 29 are estimated from each task's O*NET work activity.

Which Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders tasks can AI already do?

None reaches 60 yet. The most exposed task is: Inspect, measure, or test completed metal workpieces to ensure conformance to specifications, using measuring and testing devices, at 20 out of 100.

What AI model tier does this role need?

An efficient-tier model or lower covers 7% of the role's importance-weighted task work, and 93% 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 Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, and what do they earn?

31,600 people in the United States, with a median annual wage of $47,920 (BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025). BLS Employment Projections expect a change of -9.0% 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: Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders. 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/welding-soldering-and-brazing-machine-setters-operators-and-tenders

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