Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic

Most exposed tasks

Highest structured exposure values in this role’s task mix — the work AI systems can already do most of.

No strongly automatable task in the current data release.

Augmentable tasks

Work where AI assists rather than replaces — the productivity frontier of this role.

• Study blueprints, layouts or charts, and job orders for information on specifications and tooling instructions, and to determine material requirements and operational sequences.56
• Program computer numerical control machines.50
• Turn valve handles to direct the flow of coolant onto work areas or to coat disks with spinning compounds.49

Most durable tasks

Lowest exposure — typically judgment, relationships, physical presence, or accountability. This is the human moat.

• Inspect sample workpieces to verify conformance with specifications, using instruments such as gauges, micrometers, and dial indicators.32

Task exposure values and classifications come from the versioned data release — they are structured data, not model output. Bars show exposure contribution relative to this role’s task mix.

What this means

A score of 45 puts Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic in the second quartile of analyzed occupations. In practice, exposure this level is about the mix: 0 of 18 analyzed tasks lean automatable, 17 augmentable, and 1 durable. The useful question isn’t “will AI take this job” — it’s which tasks go first, which get faster, and where to reposition time. That’s what the personalized report maps against your actual week.

One next move: adopt AI deliberately on the augmentable tasks and build visible evidence of the durable ones.

Lower-exposure adjacent roles

No adjacent role in the current data release is at least 10 points lower with ≥50% skill overlap — we don’t label anything “safer” unless the data supports it.

Labor-market context

• $50,620median wage
• 16,710employed
• 1,500annual openings
• -13.2%projected growth

Context only — labor statistics are not inputs to the exposure score. See methodology.

Related roles

Adjacent by skills or family — no exposure claim implied.

• Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic 47
• Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic 52
• Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing 40
• Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic 49
• Tool Grinders, Filers, and Sharpeners 40
• Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic 47

FAQ — Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic

What does a score of 45 mean for a Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic?

It means that, weighted across the 18 tasks we analyzed for this role, the task mix sits at 45 on a 0–100 exposure scale — in the second quartile of analyzed occupations. It measures task exposure to current and near-term AI capabilities, not the probability of losing a job.

Which tasks in this role are most exposed to AI?

This role has no strongly automatable task in the current data release.

Which parts of this job are most durable?

The most durable responsibilities are: Inspect sample workpieces to verify conformance with specifications, using instruments such as gauges, micrometers, and dial indicators. Durable tasks typically depend on judgment, relationships, physical presence, or accountability.

Is this score personalized to me?

No — this page shows the occupation-level baseline. Two people with the same title often do different work. The $9 personalized report recalculates the score from the tasks you actually do and builds a concrete 7/30/90-day plan around them.